She was the epitome of stately sorrow each time she smiled.

Joseph Heller

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The laws of nature are only as immutable as the minds which promote them. Ignorance of the law is 9/10ths of the law. Just because you aren’t paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.
JOSEPH HELLER

Ignorance Law Mind Nature Paranoid Promote
The villains will come along. There were plenty in the Carter administration, and there will be plenty with Reagan.
JOSEPH HELLER

Villain
I wouldn’t want to live without strong misgivings.
JOSEPH HELLER

Freedom Live Strong
From men motivated by moral certitude, history teaches, no lasting good ever comes.
JOSEPH HELLER

Goodness History Moral Teaching
When I look up, I see people cashing in. I don’t see heaven or saints or angels. I see people cashing in on every decent impulse and every human tragedy.
JOSEPH HELLER

Angel Decent Heaven Human Impulse Poeple Saint Tragedy
Every writer I know has trouble writing.
JOSEPH HELLER

Trouble Writer Writing
Prostitution gives her an opportunity to meet people. It provides fresh air and wholesome exercise, and it keeps her out of trouble.
JOSEPH HELLER

Air Exercise Fresh Meet Opportunity People Prostitution Trouble
Death to all modifiers, he declared one day, and out of every letter that passed through his hands went every adverb and every adjective.
JOSEPH HELLER

Adjective Adverb Death Declare Hands
There is no disappointment so numbing as someone no better than you achieving more.
JOSEPH HELLER

Achievement Disappointment Numb
Men went mad and were rewarded with medals.
JOSEPH HELLER

Deep Mad Medal Men Reward
Never quit a job as a matter of principle. You’ll always regret it.
JOSEPH HELLER

Job Principle Quit Regret
The country was in peril; he was jeopardizing his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them.
JOSEPH HELLER

Country Dare Exercise Freedom Independence Traditonal
I think in every country that there is at least one executive who is scared of going crazy.
JOSEPH HELLER

Country Crazy Executive Scare
He was going to live forever, or die in the attempt.
JOSEPH HELLER

Attempt Die Forever Live Man
I don’t understand the process of imagination-though I know that I am very much at its mercy.
JOSEPH HELLER

Imagination Mercy Process Understand
Well, he died. You don’t get any older than that.
JOSEPH HELLER

Broken Heart Die Old
Where were you born?” “On a battlefield,” [Yossarian] answered. “No, no. In what state were you born?” “In a state of innocence.
JOSEPH HELLER

Born Innocence
When I grow up I want to be a little boy.
JOSEPH HELLER

Boy Grow Up Little
History was a trash bag of random coincidences torn open in a wind.
JOSEPH HELLER

Bag Coincidence History Open Random Trash Wind
Peace on earth would mean the end of civilization as we know it.
JOSEPH HELLER

Civilization Earth End Peace
He was never without misery, and never without hope.
JOSEPH HELLER

Hope Misery
I’ve only had four ideas for a novel in my life, and I’ve written all of them.
JOSEPH HELLER

Ideas Life Novel Writing
They agreed that it was neither possible nor necessary to educate people who never questioned anything.
JOSEPH HELLER

Agree Education Necessary People Possible Question
All of my books deal in a very rough, rude fashion with subjects about which there are great conflicts of opinion.
JOSEPH HELLER

Book Conflict Deal Fashion Opinion Rude Subject
Insanity is contagious.
JOSEPH HELLER

Contagious Insane One Liner
For war there is always enough. It’s peace that’s expensive.
JOSEPH HELLER

Enough Expensive Peace War
While none of the work we do is very important, it is important that we do a great deal of it.
JOSEPH HELLER

Deal Greatness Important Work

She was the epitome of stately sorrow each time she smiled.

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She was the epitome of stately sorrow each time she smiled.

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