Robert A. Heinlein: Trending quotes

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Robert A. Heinlein: 1114 quotes68 likes

“Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors — and miss.”

Robert A. Heinlein Time Enough for Love

Source: Time Enough for Love (1973)

“Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Of all the so-called natural human rights that have ever been invented, liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Starship Troopers

Source: Starship Troopers

“Men rarely if ever dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals of a spoiled child.”

Robert A. Heinlein

“Thinking doesn't pay. Just makes you discontented with what you see around you.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land

Source: Stranger in a Strange Land

“If you've got the truth you can demonstrate it. Talking doesn't prove it.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land

Source: Stranger in a Strange Land

“But goodness alone is never enough. A hard, cold wisdom is required for goodness to accomplish good. Goodness without wisdom always accomplishes evil.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land

Source: Stranger in a Strange Land

“I never do anything I don't want to do. Nor does anyone, but in my case I am always aware of it.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land

Source: Stranger in a Strange Land

“No woman ever ages beyond eighteen in her heart.”

Robert A. Heinlein

“Some people insist that “mediocre” is better than “best.” They delight in clipping wings because they themselves can’t fly. They despise brains because they have none. Pfah!”

Robert A. Heinlein book Have Space Suit—Will Travel

Source: Have Space Suit—Will Travel (1958), Chapter 9

“Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human. At best, he is a tolerable subhuman who has learned to wear his shoes, bathe, and not make messes in the house.”

Robert A. Heinlein

“Take sides! Always take sides! You will sometimes be wrong — but the man who refuses to take sides must always be wrong.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Double Star

Source: Double Star (1956)

“The more you love, the more you can love--and the more intensely you love. Nor is there any limit on how many you can love. If a person had time enough, he could love all of that majority who are decent and just.”

Robert A. Heinlein

“You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic.”

Robert A. Heinlein book The Past Through Tomorrow

“If This Goes On—” Chapter 10, p. 426
The Past Through Tomorrow (1967)
Source: Revolt in 2100/Methuselah's Children
Context: “Do you seriously expect to start a rebellion with picayune stuff like that?”
“It’s not picayune stuff, because it acts directly on their emotions, below the logical level. You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic. It doesn’t have to be a prejudice about an important matter either.

“There is no safety this side of the grave”

Robert A. Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land

Source: Stranger in a Strange Land

“Goodness without wisdom always accomplishes evil.”

Robert A. Heinlein

“I know why we laugh. We laugh because it hurts, and it's the only thing to make it stop hurting.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land

Variant: I've found out why people laugh. They laugh because it hurts so much... because it's the only thing that'll make it stop hurting.
Source: Stranger in a Strange Land

“My dear, I used to think I was serving humanity… and I pleasured in the thought. Then I discovered that humanity does not want to be served; on the contrary it resents any attempt to serve it. So now I do what pleases myself.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land

Source: Stranger in a Strange Land

“Geniuses and supergeniuses always make their own rules on sex as on everything else; they do not accept the monkey customs of their lessers.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Friday

Source: Friday (1983), Ch. XXI, p. 214

“It is impossible for anyone to be responsible for another person's behavior. The most you or any leader can do is to encourage each one to be responsible for himself.”

Robert A. Heinlein