Saul Bellow Quotes - Page 7

But there are things you can't consult anybody about.

The secret motive of the absent-minded is to be innocent while guilty. Absent-mindedness is spurious innocence.

I don't like to write from a flat, cold position. You must like what you're doing very much or like the people -- either like them or hate them. You can't be indifferent.

The best argument is an undeniably good book.

I pretended not to understand. One of life's hardest jobs, to make a quick understanding slow. I think I succeeded, thought Herzog.

My face too blind, my mind too limited, my instincts too narrow. But this intensity, doesn't it mean anything?

But privately when things got very bad I often looked into books to see whether I could find some helpful words, and one day I read, "The forgiveness of sins is perpetual and righteousness first is not required." This impressed me so deeply that I went around saying it to myself. But then I forgot which book it was.

The terms which, in his inmost heart, each man knows. As I know mine. As all know. For that is the truth of it — that we all know, God, that we know, that we know, we know, we know.

Facts always are sensational.

Art attempts to find in the universe, in matter as well as in the facts of life, what is fundamental, enduring, essential.

Erotic practices have become diversified. Sex used to be a single-crop farming, like cotton or wheat; now people raise all kinds of things.

Death deserves dignity.

Americans must be the most sententious people in history. Far too busy to be religious, they have always felt that they sorely needed guidance.

I mean you have been disappointed in love, but don't you know how many things there are to be disappointed in besides love? You are lucky to be still disappointed in love. Later it may be even more terrible.

Do we always, always to the point of misery, do a thing?

And I said to myself that unless you conceive Death to be a violent guerrilla and kidnaper who snatches those you love, and if you are not cowardly and cannot submit to such terrorism as civilized people now do in every department of life, you must pursue and inquire and explore every possibility and seek everywhere and try everything.

At moments I dislike having a face, a nose, lips, because he has them.

Is love supposed to ruin you? It seems to me you shouldn't destroy yourself out of life for purposes of love--or what good is it?

You have, like the external world, your own phenomena inside.

And what about all the good I have in my heart - does it mean anything?

Fun comes hard - like, alas, its prarens, pleasure and happiness, whom we have to pursue.

Myself is thus and so, and will continue thus and so. And why fight it? My balance comes from instability.

...is the carbon molecule lined with thought?

Fidelity is for phonographs

The flesh would shrink and go, the blood would dry, but no one believes in his mind of minds or heart of hearts that the pictures do stop.