Never pick up a stray kitten . . . unless you've already made up your mind to be owned by it. Robert A. Heinlein More Quotes by Robert A. Heinlein More Quotes From Robert A. Heinlein 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 lovelyjoymen Liberty is never unalienable, it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Robert A. Heinlein unalienable-rightslibertyblood My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I hadn’t fallen into the fatal folly of reading anything I could lay hands on. With just a touch more self confidence and a liberal helping of ignorance I could have been a famous evangelist. Robert A. Heinlein self-confidenceignorancereading A critic is a man who creates nothing and thereby feels qualified to judge the work of creative men. There is logic in this; he is unbiased, he hates all creative people equally. Robert A. Heinlein hatemenscience I believe that almost all politicians are honest. For every bribed alderman there are hundreds of politicians, low paid or not paid at all, doing their level best without thanks or glory to make our system work. If this were not true, we would never have gotten past the thirteen colonies. Robert A. Heinlein levelsbelievepast For me, politeness is a sine qua non of civilization. Robert A. Heinlein politeatheismcivilization Beware of altruism. It is based on self-deception, the root of all evil. Robert A. Heinlein selfrootsevil First you must learn to control your self. The rest follows. Blessed is he who knows himself and commands himself, for the world is his and love and happiness and peace walk with him wherever he goes. Robert A. Heinlein spiritualhappinesslove Don't handicap your children by making their lives easy. Robert A. Heinlein educationlifechildren Being a mother is an attitude, not a biological relation. Robert A. Heinlein mommotherinspirational The country and culture commonly known as "America" had had a badly split personality all through its history. Its overt laws were almost always puritanical for a people whose covert behavior tended to be Rabelaisian; its major religions were all Apollonian in varying degrees---its religious revivals were often hysterical in a fashion almost Dionysian. Robert A. Heinlein fashionreligiouscountry The universe never did make sense; I suspect it was built on government contract. Robert A. Heinlein contractsmake-sensegovernment A managed democracy is a wonderful thing... for the managers... and its greatest strength is a 'free press' when 'free' is defined as 'responsible' and the managers define what is 'irresponsible'. Robert A. Heinlein responsibledemocracywonderful The most expensive thing in the world is a second-best military establishment, good but not good enough to win. Robert A. Heinlein militarywinningwar Love is what still goes on when you're not horny. Robert A. Heinlein hornylove-isfriendship It's amazing how much 'mature wisdom' resembles being too tired. Robert A. Heinlein tiredmaturewisdom If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may admire his courage but not his judgement. Robert A. Heinlein judgementfightingtrying Never encourage a man to cook breakfast; it cause him to wonder if women are necessary. Robert A. Heinlein mensexbreakfast Money is the sincerest of all flattery. Women love to be flattered. So do men. Robert A. Heinlein flatteredflatterymen No woman ever ages beyond eighteen in her heart. Robert A. Heinlein eighteenageheart
