A Thought for the Day: Self-Esteem and Lunatic Asylums

"The men who really believe in themselves are all in lunatic asylums."
G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy; p. 14
English author & mystery novelist (1874 - 1936)
From The Quotations Page

I don't know if what is now a tired old phrase, "self esteem," was in use when Chesterton wrote "Orthodoxy," around 1908-1909: but I'm pretty sure that's what he had in mind.

A limited-pages edition of "Orthodoxy" (1909) is available online, on Google Books. The "all in lunatic asylums" quote is on page six of that edition. It's in a chapter titled, "The Maniac."

Another edition is also available on Google Books. This one is a facsimile of the John Lane, publisher, edition.

The full text of "Orthodoxy" is available in the Cyber Library.