Heinlein isn't for everyone
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I really need to get my quotes formatted properly
Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark.
-Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
Kissing girls is a goodness. It beats the hell out of card games.
-Valentine Michael Smith in Stranger in a Strange Land.
I don't like to be called 'Doctor'... When they began handing out doctorates for comparative folk-dancing and advanced fly fishing, I became too stinkin' proud to use the title. I won't touch watered whiskey and I take no pride in watered-down degrees.
-Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land. -
197 Comments sorted by
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Oh, we gots our own THREAD! Now how cool is THAT!?
OK, continuing with the wit, savvy and genius of Robert A. Heinlein. Amazing how the stark reality stares you in the face. I've used many of his quotes over the ten years I wrote that weekly newspaper column, and it is safe to say that fully half or more of the death threats I've received over the years were generated from that source. Funny thing is, with the hate mail came a 10,000 reader circulation jump and in 1998 one of my columns won the newspaper the 1998 NC Journalism award. But, they still hated me...
I once chastised a mega church in town for spending almost a half a million dollars in a failed attempt to close down a strip club that was operating legally in an industrial park, miles away from schools, churches and daycare centers. They thought it was a better way to invest their congregations money instead of giving charitably to about 150 people who came to them, many single mothers, who needed money for food, diapers, utility bills, car repairs and other emergencies.
You have no IDEA the shitstorm that started. I got several good articles out of it. The preacher at the church actually preached sermons about me, and they weren't nice ones. Too bad for him, though. From his pulpit he spoke to about 1200 people. From my pulpit, the newspaper, I spoke to tens of thousands...
More on that guy in future posts....
Here's some more quotes:
A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity. - Robert A. Heinlein
A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill. - Robert A. Heinlein
An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life. - Robert A. Heinlein
Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat. - Robert A. Heinlein -
you people scare me sometimes............... o.o
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QUOTE (Corpse90 @ Jun 3 2009, 22:10) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>you people scare me sometimes............... o.o
Oh, no.. Don't be afraid... Everything will be OK. Promise.. Pay no attention to the pod... Just ranting a bit, is all. Heinlein is an acquired taste, kinda like clams or oysters.
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I thought you liked to be scared, Corpsey? lol
Acquired taste, most definitely. When my daughter was growing up, she knew who Heinlein was, even had her own favorite, "Star Beast" when she was younger. She always was interested in my Naked Lady book, "To Sail Beyond the Sunset", but wasn't ready for it yet, much too young. As she got older, I allowed her to read "Friday" and "Stranger in a Strange Land", she was hooked for life. It was many years, however, before she got into the Future History with Lazarus, Ishtar and the twins, simply because I loved the books so much, she didn't want to NOT like them. Now she's hooked and reads them as often as I do. I know where to find 'em when they go missing, that's for sure.
I'm just a lowly housewife, people don't threaten to kill me, I'm just too disgustingly nice for that, so not sure I can keep up with you here.... Short and sweet is my style. You keep posting those long informative posts, and I'll keep poking in my 2 cents worth.
The truth of a proposition has nothing to do with its credibility. And vice versa.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
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QUOTE (Ishtar Z @ Jun 4 2009, 6:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'm just a lowly housewife, people don't threaten to kill me, I'm just too disgustingly nice for that, so not sure I can keep up with you here.... Short and sweet is my style. You keep posting those long informative posts, and I'll keep poking in my 2 cents worth.
Ah, well, diarrhea of the keyboard is a common problem amongst writers. Sorry about that, just lemme know when you want me to shut it. LOL
"Lowly" housewife? You've got to be kidding me, right? I've tried to do my wife's job and have found that I am woefully inadequate in the level of patience, stamina and organizational skills. Y'all are way underpaid, underappreciated and underrated... 25 years of marriage will attest to that.
The thing about the death threats... Yeah, well, you know when you foist your opinion on tens of thousands of people who are irrevocably trapped in their ideologies, particularly theological ones, you are inevitably going to piss a lot of them off, and amongst them are the ilk who feel the world would be a better place without you. It didn't start out that way, but somehow it ended that way. Hence, why I do not write anymore, at least not publicly. I just enjoy my life, my family and my gaming time. Makes life a lot more pleasant, me a lot more pleasant to be around and my family relatively safe.
More from RAH:
When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, "This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know," the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man whose mind has been hoodwinked; contrariwise, no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, - not anything - you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him. - Robert A. Heinlein
The greatest productive force is human selfishness. - Robert A. Heinlein
Most people can't think, most of the remainder won't think, the small fraction who do think mostly can't do it very well. The extremely tiny fraction who think regularly, accurately, creatively, and without self-delusion – in the long run, these are the only people who count. - Robert A. Heinlein
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so, and will follow it by suppressing opposition, subverting all education to seize early the minds of the young, and by killing, locking up, or driving underground all heretics. - Robert A. Heinlein -
By all means, keep it at a high lvl. I love to read it, just not too good at spewing it.
Something some people may not know that may be reading this post, Robert Heinlein wrote Starship Troopers that was made into a movie. A well written book was turned into an ok movie, but my the book had so much more in it (which basically is typical, you just can't fit a full size book into a 2 hour movie). I seem to remember hearing about a movie called Puppetmasters, but not sure if it was based on the book Heinlein wrote or not, I never saw it. Any other movies made from Heinlein's books? (I'm a book fan, but the movies slide by without notice most of the time).
Men's minds do not work the way ours do and we will never understand them. Yet we can't get along without them.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
In a society in which it is a mortal offense to be different from your neighbors your only escape is never to let them find out.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
A King's favorite, lavished with jewels, is proud of her "fallen" state; it is the poor
drab on the street, renting her body for pennies, who is ashamed of her trade.
She is a failure and she knows it.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
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Ah, OK, then. I wasn't sure what you meant, but if you like to read, I've got a blog on here as well.
Heinlein books don't translate well to movies. He puts so much detail into his books that it would take hours and hours of film time to even make it doable. Think "The Stand", by Stephen King. A miniseries is pretty much the only choice they had, but King's name would draw the revenue. Heinlein? Not so much...
That's the problem with being outspoken on unpopular subjects, or on an unpopular opinion of a popular subject. You run the risk of upsetting the apple cart, and some people are mighty particular about their apples. I have found that people as a general rule are rational when it comes to every subject under the sun except religion when you are debating. Seems that with many people everything, or nearly so, is fair game for questioning except matters of theology. Most forums don't even allow discussions pertaining to religion, unless that is the purpose of the forum. Insult someones husband, wife, kids, job, car, truck, motorcycle, house, lawn, barbecue, clothing, breakfast cereal, shoes or anything else and you are likely to spark anything from a canned defense to a spirited argument. Insult their religion and they want to, and sometimes try to, kill you. Only thing that comes close is politics...
I've only seen Starship Troopers and The Puppet Masters, and the Puppet Masters will scare the shit out of you.
Heinlein Movies:
Starship Troopers 2 (2004)
Starship Troopers (1997)
The Puppet Masters (1994)
Project Moon Base (1953)
Destination Moon (1950)
More Quotes:
Don't ever become a pessimist... a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun, and neither can stop the march of events. - Robert A. Heinlein
I don't see how an article of clothing can be indecent. A person, yes. - Robert A. Heinlein
I never learned from a man who agreed with me. - Robert A. Heinlein
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. - Robert A. Heinlein -
My momma always told me, "Never discuss 3 things in public, they are strictly for private, behind closed doors.... that's Sex, Politics, and Religion."
I hope that we aren't offending anyone with are talks. Unfortunately, it's so easy to offend unintentionally. I can say that I agree with a vast majority of what Heinlein has written, but not all. Can't think right off the top of my head what I don't agree with wholeheartedly, but it's there! There are things that, yes, he's right, but in reality we can't guarantee, so therefore, taboo stands (not wanting to be too specific here, seeing as kids read this thread). For instance what occurred on the Dora right before "Ted Bronson" went to his childhood earth..... and on earth... and... you get my drift. We can't, with our current technology, know for certain, so therefore the taboo makes sense.
Can you believe, I just yesterday looked online for Professor Huxley's writing? Deep shit there! Spent most of the morning reading snippets to Pirate! Was quite fascinating tbh. A bit old fashioned, but what do you expect? It was written in the late 19th century. The ideas are still valid, however.
Quote time:
Any government will work if authority and responsibility are equal and
coordinate. This does not insure "good" government; it simply insures that it
will work. But such governments are rare, most people want to run things but
want no part of the blame. This used to be called the "backseat driver
syndrome."
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
What are the facts? Again and again and again, what are the facts? Shun wishful
thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what "the stars foretell," avoid
opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable "verdict
of history", what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot
always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts!
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
Beware of altruism. It is based on self-deception, the root of all evil.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
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I had not read Huxley in quite a while, but I do remember studying the exchange between he and Sam Wilberforce. In fact, it was Huxley who first coined the term we now use that encomapsses the philosophy of "We Don't Know"... I might delve some into his work again when time allows.
As well, I too hope that we are not offending anyone, as it is very easy to offend these days, particularly when discussing things which are considered taboo in our culture - the human race. Heinlein offers those of use of like mindedness a humorous glimpse into philosophy. Nobody should be agreed with 100%. There would be no advancement in anything.
Check THESE out:
"There is no such thing as luck. There is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe." - Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
"First, what is it you want us to pay taxes for? Tell me what I get and perhaps I’ll buy it." - Robert Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
"There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him." - Robert Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress -
First, what is it you want us to pay taxes for? Tell me what I get and perhaps I’ll buy it."
i love that one XD
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Wouldn't it be nice to know what we were buying with our taxes? As far as we know we're paying to study the flow rate of ketchup! No thanks, I'll keep my hard earned money (Pirate's money, but hey, I'll keep it!) would be even better.
I need to read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress again. It's been a while, and Hazel Stone has become Hazel Long in my mind too much. Time to head to the library.
Limiting to 1 quote, cuz it's a doozy!
A zygote is a gamete's way of producing more gametes. This may be the purpose
of the universe. There are hidden contradictions in the minds of people who
"love Nature" while deploring the "artificialities" with which "Man has spoiled
'Nature.'" The obvious contradiction lies in their choice of words, which imply
that Man and his artifacts are not part of "Nature", but beavers and their dams
are. But the contradictions go deeper than this prima-facie absurdity. In
declaring his love for a beaver dam (erected by beavers for beavers' purposes)
and his hatred for dams erected by men (for the purposes of men) the "Naturist"
reveals his hatred for his own race, i.e., his own self-hatred. In the case of
"Naturists" such self hatred is understandable; they are such a sorry lot. But
hatred is too strong an emotion to feel toward them; pity and contempt are the
most they rate. As for me, willy-nilly I am a man, not a beaver, and H. sapiens
is the only race I have or can have. Fortunately for me, I like being part of a
race made up of men and women, it strikes me as a fine arrangement and
perfectly "natural." Believe it or not, there were "Naturists" who opposed the
first flight to old Earth's Moon as being "unnatural" and a "despoiling of
Nature."
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love -
Let me tell you how it will be,
There’s one for you, nineteen for me,
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don’t take it all.
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah yeah, I’m the Taxman.
(If you drive a car car), I’ll tax the street,
(If you try to sit sit), I’ll tax your seat,
(If you get too cold cold), I’ll tax the heat,
(If you take a walk walk), I’ll tax your feet.
Taxman.
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Don’t ask me what I want it for
(Ah Ah! Mister Wilson!)
If you don’t want to pay some more
(Ah Ah! Mister Heath!),
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeeeah, I’m the Taxman.
Now my advice for those who die, (Taxman!)
Declare the pennies on your eyes, (Taxman!)
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
And you’re working for no-one but me,
(Taxman).
Now, for the Heinlein Quote:- Of all the strange crimes that humanity has legislated out of nothing, blasphemy is the most amazing - with obscenity and indecent exposure fighting it out for second and third place. [Robert Heinlein, Notebooks of Lazarus Long]
- Sin lies only in hurting other people unnecessarily. All other sins are invented nonsense. (Hurting yourself is not sinful--just stupid.) [Robert Heinlein]
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That's a real song isn't it?
Quotes:
Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear.
Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people rub together.
Often the very young, the untraveled, the naive, the unsophisticated deplore
these formalities as "empty," "meaningless," or "dishonest," and scorn to use
them. No matter how "pure" their motives, they thereby throw sand into
machinery that does not work too well at best.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
Masturbation is cheap, clean, convenient, and free of any possibility of
wrongdoing, and you don't have to go home in the cold. But its lonely.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
Never appeal to a man's "better nature." He may not have one. Invoking his self
interest gives you more leverage.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
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Yeah, sure is. Beatles. They were an English band.
Taxation is a funny thing. Most people can grasp the idea of a sales and use tax, but the idea of an income tax is still boggling to the mind. The US adopted an income tax as a temporary means of paying for a world war. Guess it worked so well they figured they might as well keep it. Funny thing is, now even with the income tax we still ain't got enough dough...
Speaking of taxing, I find it rather interesting that churches are exempt from paying corporate taxes because they are supposed to be non-profit, expunging it each year. Meanwhile, there are many rich pastors living in multi-million dollar homes, driving luxury cars, wearing designer clothes and jewelry and jet-setting to and fro. This is not only unfair to the many churches out there that happen to be actually feeding and clothing poor people on a shoe-string budget, but to the rest of us working slobs who see up to 1/3 of our paychecks getting sucked away on any given payday...
Don't ever become a pessimist... a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun, and neither can stop the march of events.
Robert A. Heinlein
Don't handicap your children by making their lives easy.
Robert A. Heinlein
Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done.
Robert A. Heinlein -
Let's move to Beulaland. =) Justice is scary, but if you behave yourself what's to worry about? Plus the most polite drivers in any known universe!
The most preposterous notion that H. sapiens has ever dreamed up is that the
Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of all the Universes, wants the
saccharine adoration of His creatures, can be swayed by their prayers, and
becomes petulant if He does not receive this flattery. Yet this absurd fantasy,
without a shred of evidence to bolster it, pays all the expenses of the oldest,
largest, and least productive industry in all history.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
The second most preposterous notion is that copulation is inherently sinful.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
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i cant keep reading this over and over again i need new content update plox
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Ah, we've got a budding Heinlein fan here! Now if only we could find his works in her language.
Here ya go, Jinx:
Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and
wash your hands afterwards.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
$100 placed at 7 percent interest compounded quarterly for 200 years will
increase to more than $100,000,000, by which time it will be worth
nothing.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love
If men were the automatons that behaviorists claim they are, the behaviorist
psychologists could not have invented the amazing nonsense called "behaviorist
psychology" So they are wrong from scratch, as clever and as wrong as
phlogiston chemists.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love -
Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7 1907 – May 8 1988)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein
He was a man well before his time. If you like sci-fi, give him a try. Even if you're more into fantasy than sci-fi. I would suggest anyone wanting to read Heinlein start with Stranger in a Strange Land (1961), preferably the uncut unedited version, but if you can't find that, then the original will do. Al may have another suggestion for first reads. I'm more a fan of his later works, from Stranger on, though I have read it all. His early works (1940's-1950's I believe) were written more for boys (in that era, girls did NOT read that sort of stuff, and boys hid it under their mattress with the girly magazines). The earlier works are much more dated than the works from Stranger on.QUOTEFor many years, Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke were known as the "Big Three" of science fiction.
I like em all, Heinlein is MY favorite, but I have spoken to many who like Asimov or Clarke, and don't like Heinlein, and the other way around. Science Fiction/Fantasy is MY genre, though I do like other stuff, that's what I read the most of.
Reading can take you places television can't, places that you can't imagine can come alive. You get so much more detail and depth in books than television. I actually think the picture and sound of television/movies inhibits the imagination, not to mention the fact that a single novel would take hours and hours of television to even come close to the detail.
Al is more eloquent and could do much more justice to this, so TAKE IT AL! -
i'm gonne bump this up a bit sorry
ish i wants more <3 -
Oh my. I can't remember what I've put in already.
[indent]“Sin lies only in hurting other people unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense. (Hurting yourself is not sinful - just stupid).” Robert A. Heinlein
[/indent] -
doesent mather just post them up ishy
when i was in america i wanted to buy a book from him but i forgot his name
<3
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[indent][font="Tahoma"][size="3"]I am an almost extinct breed, an old-fashioned gentleman- which means I can be [/size][/font] [font="Tahoma"][size="3"]a cast-iron son-of-a-bitch when it suits me.[/size][/font]
[font="Tahoma"][size="3"]Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land.[/size][/font] [font="Tahoma"][size="3"]
Gratitude: An imaginary emotion that rewards an imaginary behavior, altruism. Both imaginaries are false faces for selfishness, which is a real and honest emotion[/size][/font]
[font="Tahoma"][size="3"]Ira Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset[/size][/font]
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hehe the first one wins of these 2
ishy thanks for posting up this awesomeness stuff <3 -
[indent]Men's minds do not work the way ours do and we will never understand them. Yet
we can't get along without them.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
In a society in which it is a mortal offense to be different from your
neighbors your only escape is never to let them find out.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
[/indent]Just so you know, I have 25 pages of these things! You keep responding, I'll keep posting... No promises that there won't be duplicates, I can't remember what I have or haven't posted. lol -
awesome ish
the second one wins today
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[indent]A King's favorite, lavished with jewels, is proud of her "fallen" state; it is the poor drab on the street, renting her body for pennies, who is ashamed of her trade. She is a failure and she knows it.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
He wants a mother for his children...but he also wants a willing and available concubine, too. If you are not she, he will find one elsewhere.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset
[/indent]I seem to be in the Maureen Johnson section hehee
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second one wins todat ishy
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[indent]Having your back scratched is not the only reason to be married, but it is a good one, especially for those spots that are so hard to reach by yourself.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset
While the rest of the human race are descended from monkeys, redheads derive from cats.
Samuel Clemens in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
[/indent]another for today
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okay first one made me lol XD
so yea numero uno wins
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[indent]The most dangerous animal in all history walks on two legs...and sometimes slinks along country roads.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
Casualties are just as heavy in one war as in another...because death comes just one to the customer.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
[/indent]/me wonders if anyone else reads these -
i pic the first one again
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[indent]Silence is all a snoopy question deserves...just fail to hear it. But the insult direct is still better.
Ira Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
The only thing known to science faster than the speed of light is Mrs. Grundy's gossip.
Ira Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
[/indent] -
first one again i dont know mr grundy
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[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs_Grundy"]http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Mrs_Grundy[/url] I didn't either tbh... I just always knew he meant nosy neighbors.
[indent]And I started a custom that has stood me in good stead for a long lifetime: I smiled up at him and said, "Thank you, Charles. You were splendid."
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
To thank him and compliment him is an easy investment that pays high dividends. Believe me, sister mine!
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
[/indent] Can you guess what she's talking about (same subject in both quotes) -
i know i know i know
first one wins
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[indent]Although long-life can be a burden, mostly it is a blessing. It gives time enough to learn, time enough to think, time enough not to hurry, time enough for love.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love.
[indent](Lazarus Long is over 400 years old.......)
[/indent]Maureen, rubbing blue mud in your belly button is an indispensable survival skill...everywhere, anywhen.
Ira Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
[indent](In other words, don't be different, do what needs to be done to blend in)
[/indent][/indent] -
first one wins again
-jinxed- -
[indent]We made our own fun, mostly. I recall a time, many years later, when American children seemed unable to amuse themselves without a fortune in electrical and electronic equipment. We had no fancy equipment and did not miss it.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
[/indent](skips a couple that could be offensive to some)
[indent]As long as the body is warm and the bowels move regularly no problem can be other than minor and temporary.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
[/indent][indent]
[/indent] -
first one does it once again
if u want u can send the ones that u skipped in pm i wont be offended by them
-jinxed- -
[indent]Never attempt to teach a pig to sing. It is a waste of time and it annoys the pig.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love.
I need not have worried about being naked; no one seemed to notice...which irked me. Gentlemen should at least leer. And a wolf whistle or other applause would not be out of place. Anything less makes a woman feel unsure of herself.
Maureen Johnson in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
[/indent] -
i think this is a tie i like them both
-zero- -
[indent]Of all the nonsense that twists the world, the concept of 'altruism' is the worst. People do what they want to, every time. If it pains them, to make a choice- if the 'choice' looks like a 'sacrifice' -- you can be sure that it is no nobler than the discomfort caused by greediness... the necessity of having to decide between two things you want when you can't have both. The ordinary bloke suffers every time he chooses between spending a buck on beer or tucking it away for his kids, between getting up to go to work and losing his job. But
he always chooses that which hurts least or pleasures most. The scoundrel and
the saint make the same choices....
Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land.
A government-supported artist is an incompetent whore.
Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land.
[/indent] -
first one wins again
had to read it 3 times tho
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sowwy for double post forums where not working that good
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[indent]Captain, you don't know what an Old Man of the Sea great wealth is. Its owner is beset on every side, like beggars in Bombay, each demanding that he invest or give away part of his wealth. He becomes suspicious -- honest friendship is rarely offered him; those who could be friends are too fastidious to be jostled by beggars, too proud to risk being mistaken for one.
Worse yet, his family is always in danger. Captain, have your daughters ever been threatened with kidnapping?... If you possessed the wealth that Mike had thrust upon him, you would have those girls guarded day and night -- still you wouldn't rest, because you could never be sure of the guards. Look at the last hundred or so kidnappings and see how many involved a trusted employee... and how few victims escaped alive. Is there anything money can buy which is worth having your daughters' necks in a noose?
Jubal Harshaw to Captain Van Tromp in Stranger in a Strange Land.
Never trust machinery more complicated than a knife and fork.
Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land.
[/indent] -
aww i like the first one a lot but the second one is so funny
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[indent]I've never understood how God could expect His creatures to pick the one true religion by faith - it strikes me as a sloppy way to run a universe.
Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land.
Government! Three-fourths parasitic and the rest stupid fumbling- Oh, Harshaw conceded that man, a social animal, could no more avoid government than an individual could escape the necessity of bowel movements. But simply because an evil was necessary was no reason to term it "good." He wished that government would wander off and get lost!
Thoughts of Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land.
[/indent] -
second quote this time
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[indent]I don't like to be called 'Doctor'... When they began handing out doctorates for comparative folk-dancing and advanced fly fishing, I became too stinkin' proud to use the title. I won't touch watered whiskey and I take no pride in watered-down degrees.
Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land.
Human bipolarity was both binding force and driving energy for all human behavior, from sonnets to nuclear equations. If any being thinks that human psychologists have exaggerated this, let it search Terran patent offices, libraries, and art galleries for the creations of eunuchs.
Robert A. Heinlein in Stranger in a Strange Land.
[/indent]
I've never heard of Heinlein before, though. 
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In this Discussion
- [Andy] June 2009
- [Corpse90] June 2009
- [Insinuante] June 2009
- [Ishtar Z] April 2010
- [Korean] April 2010
- [zerotense] April 2010