Ernest Hemingway: Doing

Ernest Hemingway was American author and journalist. Explore interesting quotes on doing.
Ernest Hemingway: 1002 quotes92 likes

“The thing is to become a master and in your old age to acquire the courage to do what children did when they knew nothing.”

Ernest Hemingway

“If the others heard me talking out loud they would think that I am crazy. But since I am not, I do not care.”

Ernest Hemingway book The Old Man and the Sea

Source: The Old Man and the Sea

“It is good that we do not have to try to kill the sun or the moon or the stars. It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers.”

Ernest Hemingway book The Old Man and the Sea

Source: The Old Man and the Sea

“They say the seeds of what we will do are in all of us, but it always seemed to me that in those who make jokes in life the seeds are covered with better soil and with a higher grade of manure.”

Ernest Hemingway book A Moveable Feast

Source: A Moveable Feast (1964), Ch. 11

“it is all very well for you to write simply and the simpler the better. But do not start to think so damned simply. Know how complicated it is and then state it simply.”

Ernest Hemingway

“I am glad we do not have to try to kill the stars.”

Ernest Hemingway

“When you stop doing things for fun you might as well be dead.”

Ernest Hemingway book True at First Light

Source: True at First Light (1999), Ch. 12

“I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, "Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know."”

Ernest Hemingway book A Moveable Feast

Source: A Moveable Feast (1964), Ch. 2

“You won't do our things with another girl, or say the same things, will you?”

Ernest Hemingway book A Farewell to Arms

Source: A Farewell to Arms

“Go all the way with it. Do not back off. For once, go all the goddamn way with what matters.”

Ernest Hemingway

Source: The Complete Short Stories

“It could be worse,' Passini said respectfully. "There is nothing worse than war."
Defeat is worse."
I do not believe it," Passini said still respectfully. "What is defeat? You go home.”

Ernest Hemingway book A Farewell to Arms

Source: A Farewell to Arms

“There are many who do not know they are fascists but will find it out when the time comes.”

Ernest Hemingway book For Whom the Bell Tolls

Source: For Whom the Bell Tolls

“Do not think about sin, he thought. There are enough problems now without sin. Also I have no understanding of it.”

Ernest Hemingway book The Old Man and the Sea

Source: The Old Man and the Sea

“That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best — make it all up — but make it up so truly that later it will happen that way.”

Ernest Hemingway

Letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald (28 May 1934); published in Ernest Hemingway: Selected Letters 1917–1961 (1981) edited by Carlos Baker

“Do you know how an ugly woman feels? Do you know what it is to be ugly all your life and inside to feel that you are beautiful? It is very rare.”

Ernest Hemingway book For Whom the Bell Tolls

Source: For Whom the Bell Tolls

“Since I had started to break down all my writing and get rid of all facility and try to make instead of describe, writing had been wonderful to do.”

Ernest Hemingway book A Moveable Feast

Source: A Moveable Feast

“You don't have to destroy me. Do you?…”

Ernest Hemingway

The Complete Short Stories

“Don't you like to write letters? I do because it's such a swell way to keep from working and yet feel you've done something.”

Ernest Hemingway

Letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald (1 July 1925); published in Ernest Hemingway: Selected Letters 1917–1961 (1981) edited by Carlos Baker
Context: Write me at the Hotel Quintana, Pamplona, Spain. Or don't you like to write letters. I do because it's such a swell way to keep from working and yet feel you've done something

“The shortest answer is doing the thing.”

Ernest Hemingway