Ernest Hemingway: Doing (page 2)

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

“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.”

“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.”

“Keep right on lying to me. That's what I want you to do.”

“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.”

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

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

“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."”

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

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

“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.”

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

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

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

“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.”