Robert A. Heinlein: Quotes about people

Robert A. Heinlein was American science fiction author. Explore interesting quotes on people.
Robert A. Heinlein: 1114 quotes67 likes

“Sin lies only in hurting other people unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense. (Hurting yourself is not sinful -- just stupid.)”

Robert A. Heinlein Time Enough for Love

Source: Time Enough for Love

“People who go broke in a big way never miss any meals. It is the poor jerk who is shy a half slug who must tighten his belt.”

Robert A. Heinlein Time Enough for Love

Source: Time Enough for Love

“It seemed to John that most of the older people in the world spent much of their time not listening.”

Robert A. Heinlein book The Star Beast

Source: The Star Beast (1954), Chapter 3, “—An Improper Question” (p. 53)

“There is solemn satisfaction in doing the best you can for eight billion people.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Double Star

Double Star (1956)
Context: There is solemn satisfaction in doing the best you can for eight billion people. Perhaps their lives have no cosmic significance, but they have feelings. They can hurt.

“If a country can't save itself through the volunteer service of its own free people, then I say : Let the damned thing go down the drain!”

Robert A. Heinlein

Guest of Honor Speech at the 29th World Science Fiction Convention, Seattle, Washington (1961)<br> The Quotable Heinlein http://www.quotableheinlein.com/html/home.html <br class="br">Context: I also think there are prices too high to pay to save the United States. Conscription is one of them. Conscription is slavery, and I don&#x27;t think that any people or nation has a right to save itself at the price of slavery for anyone, no matter what name it is called. We have had the draft for twenty years now; I think this is shameful. If a country can&#x27;t save itself through the volunteer service of its own free people, then I say : Let the damned thing go down the drain!

“A desire not to butt into other people's business is at least eighty percent of all human wisdom.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land

Source: Stranger in a Strange Land

“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

“I don't see why human people make such a heavy trip out of sex. It isn't anything complex, it is simply the best thing in life, even better than food.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Friday

Source: Friday

“It is a bad sign when the people of a country stop identifying themselves with the country and start identifying with a group. A racial group. Or a religion. Or a language. Anything, as long as it isn't the whole population.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Friday

Source: Friday

“Certain types of loudmouthism should be a capital offense among decent people.”

Robert A. Heinlein book The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

Source: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

“The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.”

Robert A. Heinlein

“Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer, honest figures come out. Never doubted it myself till I met a computer with a sense of humor.”

Robert A. Heinlein book The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

Source: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

“A desire not to butt into other people's business is at least eighty percent of all human 'wisdom'… and the other twenty percent isn't very important.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land

Source: Stranger in a Strange Land

“I had taken a partner once before—but, damnation, no matter how many times you get your fingers burned, you have to trust people. Otherwise you are a hermit in a cave, sleeping with one eye open.”

Robert A. Heinlein

Source: The Door Into Summer (1957), Chapter 10

“By the laws of statistics we could probably approximate just how unlikely it is that it would happen. But people forget—especially those who ought to know better, such as yourself—that while the laws of statistics tell you how unlikely a particular coincidence is, they state just as firmly that coincidences do happen.”

Robert A. Heinlein

Source: The Door Into Summer (1957), Chapter 8

“Mercifully, we stay our hand. Earth’s cities will not be bombed. The free citizens of Venus Republic have no wish to slaughter their cousins still on Terra. Our only purpose is to establish our own independence, to manage our own affairs, to throw off the crushing yoke of absentee ownership and taxation without representation which has bleed us poor.
In doing so, in so taking our stand as free men, we call on all oppressed and impoverished nations everywhere to follow our lead, accept our help. Look up into the sky! Swimming there above you is the very station from which I now address you. The fat and stupid rulers of the Federation have made of Circum-Terra an overseer’s whip. The threat of this military base in the sky has protected their empire from the just wrath of their victims for more then five score years.
We now crush it.
In a matter of minutes this scandal in the clean skies, this pistol pointed at the heads of men everywhere on your planet, will cease to exist. Step out of doors, watch the sky. Watch a new sun blaze briefly, and know that its light is the light of Liberty inviting all of Earth to free itself.
Subject peoples of Earth, we free men of the free Republic of Venus salute you with that sign!”

Robert A. Heinlein book Between Planets

Source: Between Planets (1951), Chapter 6, “The Sign in the Sky” (p. 74) - Speech given before the destruction of the nuclear-armed satellite Circum-Terra.

“People don’t really want change, any change at all — and xenophobia is very deep-rooted. But we progress, as we must — if we are to go out to the stars.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Double Star

Double Star (1956)

“The best things in history are accomplished by people who get “tired of being shoved around.””

Robert A. Heinlein book Have Space Suit—Will Travel

Source: Have Space Suit—Will Travel (1958), Chapter 12