“Funny how the world always praises its opera-singers so much and pays ’em so well and then starves its shoemakers, and yet it needs good shoes so much more than it needs opera–or war or fiction.”

The cocktail filled him with a whirling exhilaration behind which he was aware of devastating desires-to rush places in fast motors, to kiss girls, to sing, to be witty. … He perceived that he had gifts of profligacy which had been neglected. -chapter 8

NOW is a fact that cannot be dodged.

It is, I think, an error to believe that there is any need of religion to make life seem worth living.

When fascism comes to the United States it will be wrapped in the American flag and will claim the name of 100-percent Americanism

Think of how many are arrested for selling fake stock, for seducing 14-year-old girls in orphanages under their care, for arson, for murder.

On the whole, with scandalous exceptions, Democracy has given the ordinary worker more dignity than he ever had.

It might be the doing of Satan, in whom Aaron anxiously believed with all of his being except, perhaps, his mind.

That nation is proudest and noblest and most exalted which has the greatest number of really great men.

Men die, but the plutocracy is immortal; and it is necessary that fresh generations should be trained to its service.

It’s one of our favorite American myths that broad plains necessarily make broad minds, and high mountains make high purpose.

In fact, the whole thing about prohibition is this: it isn’t the initial cost, it’s the humidity.

It has not yet been recorded that any human being has gained a very large or permanent contentment from meditation upon the fact that he is better off than others.

I am convinced that everything that is worth while in the world has been accomplished by the free, inquiring, critical spirit, and that the preservation of this spirit is more important than any social system whatsoever.

Fine, large, meaningless, general terms like romance and business can always be related. They take the place of thinking, and are highly useful to optimists and lecturers.

You’ve been telling us about how to secure peace, but come on, now, General-just among us Rotarians and Rotary Anns-‘fess up!

Emotionally I know she is better than every other country.

Yeah, I play a lot of point guard. LeBron plays a lot of point guard. A lot of people are thinking too much on positions.

I gave up visiting my psychoanalyst because he was meddling too much in my private life.

The trouble with fiction,” said John Rivers, “is that it makes too much sense. Reality never makes sense.

I was always in the gym. People would look at me crazy because I spent so much time there. But that’s what it was about. I’m glad I did it.

You know, I don’t want to stand out too much.

I shall never write an autobiography, I’m much too jealous of my privacy for that.

My coach told me, “Larry, no matter how much you work at it, there’s always someone out there who’s working just a little harder – if you take 150 practice shots, he’s taking 200.” And that drove me.

I don’t think I am a citizen of the world; I am very much a citizen of my own country. But my own country is closely related to other parts of the world and influenced by what happens there.