Belief is a moral act for which the believer is to be held responsible. Lillian Hellman More Quotes by Lillian Hellman More Quotes From Lillian Hellman Nothing you write, if you hope to be good, will ever come out as you first hoped. Lillian Hellman afterlife writing firsts I live in a room and I go to work and I play a game called getting through the day while you wait for the night. Lillian Hellman games night life The past, with its pleasures, its rewards, its foolishness, its punishments, is there for each of us forever, and it should be. Lillian Hellman punishment memories past Was it always my nature to take a bad time and block out the good times, until any success became an accident and failure seemed the only truth? Lillian Hellman good-times block success Drinking makes uninteresting people matter less and late at night, matter not at all. Lillian Hellman drinking night people Failure in the theater is more dramatic and uglier than any other form of writing. It costs so much, you feel so guilty. Lillian Hellman guilty cost writing Unjust. How many times I've used that word, scolded myself with it. All I mean by it now is that I don't have the final courage to say that I refuse to preside over violations against myself, and to hell with justice. Lillian Hellman self justice mean Courtesy is breeding. Breeding is an excellent thing. Always remember that. Lillian Hellman courtesy excellent remember One sits uncomfortably on a too comfortable cushion. Lillian Hellman cushions comfortable comfort My father was often angry when I was most like him. Lillian Hellman fathers-day women anger Decision by democratic majority vote is a fine form of government, but it's a stinking way to create. Lillian Hellman majority-vote government teaching Lonely people, in talking to each other can make each other lonelier. Lillian Hellman being-alone lonely loneliness Intellectuals can tell themselves anything, sell themselves any bill of goods, which is why they were so often patsies for the ruling classes in 19th-century France and England, or 20th-century Russia and America. Lillian Hellman russia class america Fashions in sin change. Lillian Hellman fashion sin Guilt is often an excuse for not thinking. Lillian Hellman excuse guilt thinking God forgives those who invent what they need. Lillian Hellman invention forgiving needs A man should be jailed for telling lies to the young. Lillian Hellman should men lying I don't think many writers like their best-known piece of work, particularly when it was written a long time ago. Lillian Hellman pieces long thinking A theme is always necessary, a plain, simple, unadorned theme to confuse the ignorant. Lillian Hellman ignorant deception simple But maybe half a lie is worse than a real lie. Lillian Hellman real half lying