A confessional passage has probably never been written that didn't stink a little bit of the writer's pride in having given up his pride. J. D. Salinger More Quotes by J. D. Salinger More Quotes From J. D. Salinger I'm up to my ears in unwritten words. J. D. Salinger written-word unwritten ears I can’t explain what I mean. And even if I could, I’m not sure I’d feel like it. J. D. Salinger i-hate-you puddles mean Its really hard to be roommates with people if your suitcases are much better than theirs. J. D. Salinger suitcases literature people The more expensive a school is, the more crooks it has — I'm not kidding. J. D. Salinger crooks expensive school I'm sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect. J. D. Salinger sick liking-someone people An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's. J. D. Salinger perfection writing art The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. J. D. Salinger growing-up maturity men I have scars on my hands from touching certain people. J. D. Salinger touching hands people Something else an academic education will do for you. If you go along with it any considerable distance, it will begin to give you an idea what size mind you have. What’ll fit and, maybe, what it won’t. After a while, you’ll have an idea what kind of thoughts your mind should be wearing. For one thing, it may save you an extraordinary amount of time trying on ideas that won’t suit you, aren’t becoming to you. You’ll begin to know your true measurements and dress your mind accordingly. J. D. Salinger suits-you distance ideas The fact is always obvious much too late, but the most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid. J. D. Salinger happy happiness life Grand. There's a word I really hate. It's a phony. I could puke every time I hear it. J. D. Salinger phony hate writing People are always ruining things for you. J. D. Salinger people I just hope that one day - preferably when we’re both blind drunk - we can talk about it. J. D. Salinger drunk one-day blind I could happily lie down and die sometimes. J. D. Salinger down-and sometimes lying That's something that annoys the hell out of me-I mean if somebody says the coffee's all ready and it isn't. J. D. Salinger annoying coffee mean It was that kind of a crazy afternoon, terrifically cold, and no sun out or anything, and you felt like you were disappearing every time you crossed a road. J. D. Salinger afternoon crazy sun Who in the Bible besides Jesus knew--knew--that we're carrying the Kingdom of Heaven around with us, inside, where we're all too goddam stupid and sentimental and unimaginative to look? J. D. Salinger stupid heaven jesus I don't know what good it is to know so much and be smart as whips and all if it doesn't make you happy. J. D. Salinger make-you-happy smart happiness I mean how do you know what you're going to do till you do it? The answer is, you don't. I think I am, but how do I know? I swear it's a stupid question. J. D. Salinger stupid mean thinking We are, all four of us, blood relatives, and we speak a kind of esoteric, family language, a sort of semantic geometry in which the shortest distance between any two points is a fullish circle. J. D. Salinger distance circles blood