Spider Robinson: Doing

“Call it… joy. The thing like pleasure that you feel when you've done a good thing or passed up a real tempting chance to do a bad thing. Or when the unfolding of the universe just seems especially apt.”

Spider Robinson

God Is An Iron (1977)
Context: Call it… joy. The thing like pleasure that you feel when you've done a good thing or passed up a real tempting chance to do a bad thing. Or when the unfolding of the universe just seems especially apt. It's nowhere near as flashy and intense as pleasure can be. Believe me! But it's got something going for it. Something that can make you do without pleasure, or even accept a lot of pain, to get it.

Pleasure , Feeling , Universe , Chance

“Some guys step on a rake in the dark, and get mad and go punch somebody. Others step on a rake in the dark and fall down laughing at themselves. I know which kind of guy I'd rather be. So do my friends.”

Spider Robinson book Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

Source: Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

Guy , Madness

“Nikky has more fiber than I do, I guess: he doesn't let a little thing like death slow him down.”

Spider Robinson

Comment on Nikola Tesla (as a character in the novel)
The Callahan Touch (1993), Callahan's Key (2000)

Death

“Now I can say that I have sampled the spectrum of the pleasure system at both ends — none and all there is — and I think the rest of my life I will dedicate myself to the middle of the road and see how that works out. Starting with the very weak tea and toast I'm going to ask you to bring me in another ten minutes or so. With maltose. But as for this other stuff, this joy thing, that I would like to begin learning about, as much as I can. I don't really know a God damned thing about it, but I understand it has something to do with sharing and caring and what did you say your name was?”

Spider Robinson

God Is An Iron (1977)

Life , God , Pleasure , Understanding

“Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy.”

Spider Robinson

"Callahan's Law", as expressed in The Callahan Chronicals (1996) [originally published as Callahan and Company (1988)], Part IV : Earth … and Beyond, "Post Toast", p. 388. On the back cover of Callahan's Legacy (1996) this is modified into "Shared pain is lessened; shared joy is increased (and bad puns are appreciated).

Joy , Pain