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Robert A. Heinlein Quotes - Page 20

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Age is not an accomplishment, and youth is not a sin.

Age is not an accomplishment, and youth is not a sin.

Robert A. Heinlein
Accomplishment, Age, Youth
"Methuselah's Children". Book by Robert A. Heinlein, 1958.

In terms of morals there is no such thing as ‘state.’ Just men. Individuals. Each responsible for his own acts.

Robert A. Heinlein
Men, Moral, Individual
Robert A Heinlein (1966). “Moon Is Harsh Mistres”, Berkley

Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily.

Robert A. Heinlein
Debt, Duty, Obligation
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.331, Penguin

Once upon a time there was a Martian named Valentine Michael Smith.

Robert A. Heinlein
Time, Valentine, Stranger In A Strange Land
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Stranger in a Strange Land”, p.11, Penguin

It's up to the artist to use language that can be understood, not hide it in some private code. Most of these jokers don't even want to use language you and I know or can learn . . . they would rather sneer at us and be smug, because we 'fail' to see what they are driving at. If indeed they are driving at anything--obscurity is usually the refuge of incompetence.

Robert A. Heinlein
Artist, Obscurity, Use

The more you love, the more you can love - and the more intensely you love.

Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.232, Penguin

Formal courtesy between husband and wife is even more important than it is between strangers.

Robert A. Heinlein
Husband, Wife, Important
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.330, Penguin

Sense is never common.

Robert A. Heinlein
Common
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.38, Penguin

The way to find justice is to deal fairly with other people and not worry about how they deal with you.

Robert A. Heinlein
People, Justice, Worry
Robert A. Heinlein (2005). “Citizen of the Galaxy”, p.101, Simon and Schuster

Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark.

Robert A. Heinlein
Dark, Gun, Clothes
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.227, Penguin

There are perhaps 5% of the population that simply can't think. There are another 5% who can, and do. The remaining 90% can think, but don't

Robert A. Heinlein
Thinking, Population

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
Country, People, Volunteer
Honor Speech at the 29th World Science Fiction Convention, Seattle, Washington, 1961.

Paymasters come in only two sizes: one sort shows you where the book says that you can't have what you've got coming to you; the second sort digs through the book until he finds a paragraph that lets you have what you need even if you don't rate it.

Robert A. Heinlein
Book, Two, Size
Robert A. Heinlein (1959). “The Door Into Summer”, Roc

But space travel can't ease the pressure on a planet grown too crowded not even with today's ships and probably not with any future ships-because stupid people won't leave the slopes of their home volcano even when it starts to smoke and rumble. What space travel does do is drain off the best brains: those smart enough to see a catastrophe before it happens, and with the guts to pay the price-abandon home, wealth, friends, relatives, everything-and go. That's a tiny fraction of one percent. But that's enough.

Robert A. Heinlein
Smart, Stupid, Home

If men were the automatons that behaviorists claim they are, the behaviorist psychologists could not have invented the amazing nonsense called 'behaviorist psychology.'

Robert A. Heinlein
Men, Psychology, Nonsense
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.234, Penguin

When I don’t understand, I have an unbearable itch to know why.

Robert A. Heinlein
Unbearable, Knows
"Have Space Suit - Will Travel" by Robert A. Heinlein, (Ch. 7), 1958.

Cats have no sense of humor, they have terribly inflated egos, and they are very touchy.

Robert A. Heinlein
Cat, Ego, Sense Of Humor
Robert A. Heinlein (1959). “The Door Into Summer”, Roc

Logic is a feeble reed, friend. "Logic" proved that airplanes can't fly and that H-bombs won't work and that stones don't fall out of the sky. Logic is a way of saying that anything which didn't happen yesterday won't happen tomorrow.

Robert A. Heinlein
Fall, Airplane, Sky
Robert A. Heinlein (1982). “Glory Road”, Berkley

In ascending order the qualities of Patriotism are: 1. To work, fight, or die for your own survival. 2. To work, fight, or die for your immediate family. 3. To work, fight, or die for a group, extended family, tribe, or clan. 4. To work, fight, or die for a group too large for all the individuals to know each other. 5. To work, fight, or die for a way of life.

Robert A. Heinlein
Fighting, Order, Survival

A brute kills for pleasure. A fool kills from hate.

Robert A. Heinlein
Hate, Fool, Pleasure
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.225, Penguin

I was no fool; I was aware that when another man is too anxious to force money on one, it is time to examine the cards, for there is almost certainly something illegal, or dangerous, or both, involved in the matter.

Robert A. Heinlein
Men, Cards, Matter
Robert A. Heinlein (2013). “Double Star”, p.14, Hachette UK

Civilians are like beans; you buy 'em as needed for any job which merely requires skill and savvy. But you can't buy fighting spirit.

Robert A. Heinlein
Jobs, Fighting, Skills
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Starship Troopers”, p.265, Penguin

All my enemies are self-appointed.

Robert A. Heinlein
Self, Enemy

Nothing gives life more zest that running for your life.

Robert A. Heinlein
Running, Zest, Giving

Self awareness is NOT just a bunch of amino acids bumping together.

Robert A. Heinlein
Inspirational, Funny, Motivational
Robert A. Heinlein (1983). “Stranger in a Strange Land”, Berkley

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