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"Don't ever take a fence down until you know the reason why it was put up."

— G. K. Chesterton

January 1, 1970

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Added on April 10, 2026

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Aphorists Literary critics Philosophers from England Christian apologists Art critics

Original Language: English

Sources

According to The American Chesterton Society, this quotation is actually a paraphrase by John F. Kennedy of a passage from The Thing (1929) in which Chesterton made reference to a fence or gate erected across a road: "The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, "I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away." To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: "If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Th

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton

According to The American Chesterton Society, this quotation is actually a paraphrase by John F. Kennedy of a passage from The Thing (1929) in which Chesterton made reference to a fence or gate erected across a road: "The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, "I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away." To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: "If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Th