Quote collection
231 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"In the history of the world many souls have been, are, and will be, and with a little reflection this is marvelous and not depressing. Many jerks are made gloomy about it, for they think quantity buries them alive. That's just crazy. Numbers are very dangerous, but the main thing about them is that they humble your pride. And that's good."
"A man may say, "From now on I'm going to speak the truth." But the truth hears him and runs away and hides before he's even done speaking."
"A good novel is worth more then the best scientific study."
"The more realistic you are the more you threaten the grounds of your own art."
"Do we always, always to the point of misery, do a thing?"
"Is love supposed to ruin you? It seems to me you shouldn't destroy yourself out of life for purposes of love--or what good is it?"
"Fun comes hard - like, alas, its prarens, pleasure and happiness, whom we have to pursue."
"But she's a nut, and nuts win."
"Americans must be the most sententious people in history. Far too busy to be religious, they have always felt that they sorely needed guidance."
"... unless you made your life a turning point, there was no reason for existing."
"The challenge of modern freedom, or the combination of isolation and freedom which confronts you, is to make yourself up. The danger is that you may emerge from the process as a not-entirely-human creature. (Referenced in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young)"
"The hour that burst the spirit's sleep."
"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about the journalists; we can only hope that they will die off as the deerflies do towards the end of August."
"It would not be practical for her to hate herself. Luckily, God sends a substitute, a husband."
"Only self-hatred could lead him to ruin himself because his heart was "broken."
"Ninety per cent of life is a nightmare, do you think I am going to get it rounded up to hundred per cent?"
"I must play the instrument I've got."
"... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence."
"In here, the human bosom -- mine, yours, everybody's -- there isn't just one soul. There's a lot of souls. But there are two main ones, the real soul and a pretender soul. Now! Every man realizes that he has to love something or somebody. He feels that he must go outward. 'If thou canst not love, what art thou?' Are you with me?"
"In politics continental Europe was infantile - horrifying. What America lacked, for all its political stability, was the capacity to enjoy intellectual pleasures as though they were sensual pleasures. This is what Europe offered, or was said to offer."