Authors:

Robert A. Heinlein Quotes - Page 5

All Quotes Age Art Assumption Atheism Atheist Authority Beauty Birth Challenges Children Choices Church Country Crime Culture Democracy Duty Dying Earth Education Effort Eternity Ethics Evidence Evil Evolution Experience Feelings Fighting Flattery Freedom Funny Genius Giving Goodness Gratitude Happiness Happiness And Love Hard Work Hate Heart Heaven History Home Humanity Hurt Ignorance Inspirational Jealousy Knowledge Language Laziness Learning Liars Liberty Life Logic Love Luck Lying Manners Math Military Money Moon Morality Motivational Pain Past Peace Pleasure Police Politics Pride Propaganda Psychology Purpose Religion Responsibility Risk Running Sacrifice Safety Science Selfishness Sin Sleep Society Son Space Travel Sports Stupidity Style Survival Teaching Technology Time Trust Truth Tyranny Understanding Victory Violence Virtue Volunteer War Wife Winning Wisdom Worry Writing
There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged with

There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and contrary public interest. This strange doctrine is not supported by statute nor common law. Neither individuals nor corporations have any right to come into court and ask that the clock of history be stopped, or turned back...

Robert A. Heinlein
Country, Men, Law
"The Past Through Tomorrow" by Robert A. Heinlein, G. P. Putnam Inc., (p. 25), 1967.

Most people can't think, most of the remainder won't think, and the small fraction who do think mostly can't do it very well.

Robert A. Heinlein
Thinking, People, Fractions

A religion is a source of happiness and I would not deprive anyone of happiness. But it is a comfort appropriate for the weak, not for the strong--and you are strong. The great trouble with religion--any religion--is that the religionist, having accepted certain propositions by faith, cannot thereafter judge these propositions by evidence. One may bask at the warm fire of faith or choose to live in the bleak uncertainty of reason--but one cannot have both.

Robert A. Heinlein
Strong, Fire, Judging

Man is not a rational animal, he is a rationalizing animal.

Robert A. Heinlein
Animal, Men, Rational
Robert A. Heinlein (2005). “Tunnel in the Sky”, p.38, Simon and Schuster

Never frighten a little man. He'll kill you.

Robert A. Heinlein
Men, Littles, Little Man
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.323, Penguin

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
Men, Sides, Sometimes
"Double Star". Book by Robert A. Heinlein, 1956.

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
Learning, Math, Shoes
Time Enough for Love "Intermission" (1973)

It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.

Robert A. Heinlein
Inspirational, Life, War
Robert A. Heinlein (2014). “Revolt in 2100”, p.124, Hachette UK

The meek shall inherit the earth - a 6 foot plot above them.

Robert A. Heinlein
Feet, Plot, Earth

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
Teaching, Leader, Following Your Own Path

The profession of shaman has many advantages. It offers high status with a safe livelihood free of work in the dreary, sweaty sense. In most societies it offers legal privileges and immunities not granted to other men. But it is hard to see how a man who has been given a mandate from on High to spread tidings of joy to all mankind can be seriously interested in taking up a collection to pay his salary; it causes one to suspect that the shaman is on the moral level of any other con man. But it is a lovely work if you can stomach it.

Robert A. Heinlein
Men, Joy, Lovely
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.325, Penguin

A committee is the only known form of life with a hundred bellies and no brain.

Robert A. Heinlein
Brain, Hundred, Form
Robert A. Heinlein (2014). “Methuselah's Children”, p.13, Hachette UK

I'll give you an exact definition. When the happiness of another person becomes as essential to yourself as your own, then the state of love exists.

Robert A. Heinlein
Love, Giving, Essentials

Any government will work if authority and responsibility are equal and coordinate. This does not insure “good” government, it simply insures that it will work. But such governments are rare — most people want to run things, but want no part of the blame. This used to be called the “backseat driver” syndrome.

Robert A. Heinlein
Running, Responsibility, Government
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.230, Penguin

Darling, a true lady takes off her dignity with her clothes and does her whorish best. At other times you can be as modest and dignified as your persona requires.

Robert A. Heinlein
Sex, Clothes, Doe
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.234, Penguin

You're in bad shape when your emotions force you into acts which you know are foolish.

Robert A. Heinlein
Shapes, Emotion, Foolish
Robert A. Heinlein (2005). “Have Space Suit, Will Travel”, p.148, Simon and Schuster

Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat.

Robert A. Heinlein
Cat, Protocol, Kitty Cat
"The Cat Who Walks Through Walls". Book by Robert A. Heinlein, 1985.

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
Dream, Atheist, Children
Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.227, Penguin

- I'm so busy doing what I must do that I don't have time for what I ought to do... and I never get a chance to do what I want to do! - Son, that's universal. The way to keep that recipe from killing you is occasionally to do what you want to do anyhow.

Robert A. Heinlein
Son, Recipes, Want
Robert A. Heinlein (2005). “Citizen of the Galaxy”, p.281, Simon and Schuster

If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may admire his courage but not his judgement.

Robert A. Heinlein
Fighting, Judgement, Trying

You live and learn. Or you don't live long.

Robert A. Heinlein
Learning, Long, Live And Learn
"Time Enough for Love". Book by Robert A. Heinlein, 1973.

Animals can be driven crazy by placing too many in too small a pen. Homo sapiens is the only animal that voluntarily does this to himself.

Robert A. Heinlein
Crazy, Animal, Doe

It seems to me that the secret of true happiness in life is to know what you are and then be content to be that, in style, head up and proud, and not yearn to be something else.

Robert A. Heinlein
Happy, Style, Secret

The Ten Commandments are for lame brains. The first five are solely for the benefit of the priests and the powers that be; the second five are half truths, neither complete nor adequate.

Robert A. Heinlein
Brain, Religion, Lame
Robert A. Heinlein (1988). “To Sail Beyond the Sunset”

The power to tax, once conceded, has no limits; it continues until it destroys.

Robert A. Heinlein
Mistress, Libertarian, Limits

You May Also Like: