It excites world wonder in the Parliamentary countries, that we should build a chamber starting afresh, which can only seat two thirds of its members. It is difficult to explain this to those who do not know our ways. They cannot easily be made to understand why we consider that the intensity, passion, intimacy, informality, and spontaneity of our Debates constitute the personality of the House of Commons and endow it at once with its focus and strength. (1950)
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The House of Commons is designed for intense, informal debate rather than seating everyone comfortably.
- In plain terms
- The Parliament chamber is small to encourage passionate debate.
- What can you take from it?
- Design shapes how people interact and debate.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does space affect conversation?
- What makes a debate effective?
Another view
Excluding members can hinder representation.
More from Winston Churchill
In time of war, when truth is so precious, it must be attended by a bodyguard of lies.
Permalink to quote #145 It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.
Permalink to quote #147 If you are going through hell, keep going.
Permalink to quote #144
Related quotes
The King governs by Law. Let us look back to the evils we had, in order to prevent more. There was loan, and ship-money, and extremes begat extremes. The House…
Edmund WallerEdmund Waller quote #1 We may be proud that England is the ancient country of Parliaments. With scarcely any intervening period, Parliaments have met constantly for 600 years, and th…
John BrightJohn Bright quote #3 When you have democracy, when you allow free debate, you get rid of fanaticism.
Imran KhanImran Khan quote #11