One must either accept some theory or else believe one's own instinct or follow the world's opinion. Gertrude Stein More Quotes by Gertrude Stein More Quotes From Gertrude Stein I like a view but I like to sit with my back turned to it. Gertrude Stein literatureviews Generally speaking anybody is more interesting doing nothing than doing anything. Gertrude Stein doing-nothingliteratureinteresting How likely are definitions to be pleasurable. Gertrude Stein definitions The first hope of a painter who feels hopeful about painting is the hope that the painting will move, that it will live outside its frame. Gertrude Stein hopefulmovingfirsts From the very nature of progress, all ages must be transitional. Gertrude Stein progressage Everybody thinks that this civilization has lasted a very long time but it really does take very few grandfathers' granddaughters to take us back to the dark ages. Gertrude Stein darkcivilizationthinking A saint a real saint never does anything, a martyr does something but a really good saint does nothing, and so I wanted to have Four Saints who did nothing and I wrote the Four Saints In Three Acts and they did nothing and that was everything. Generally speaking anybody is more interesting doing nothing than doing something. Gertrude Stein realdoeinteresting The idea of enemies is awful it makes one stop remembering eternity and the fear of death. That is what enemies are. Possessions are the same as enemies only less so, they too make one Gertrude Stein awfulenemyideas A diary means yes indeed. Gertrude Stein A writer must always try to have a philosophy and he should also have a psychology and a philology and many other things. Without a philosophy and a psychology and all these various other things he is not really worthy of being called a writer. I agree with Kant and Schopenhauer and Plato and Spinoza and that is quite enough to be called a philosophy. But then of course a philosophy is not the same thing as a style. Gertrude Stein psychologyplatophilosophy This is the real thing of disillusion that no one, not any one really is believing, seeing, understanding, thinking anything as you are thinking, believing, seeing, understanding such a thing. Gertrude Stein realbelievethinking Poetry is essentially the discovery, the love, the passion for the name of everything. Gertrude Stein passionnamesdiscovery ... when there is a war the years are longer that is to say the days are longer the months are longer the years are much longer but the weeks are shorter that is what makes a war. Gertrude Stein timewaryears If everyone were not so indolent they would realise that beauty is beauty even when it is irritating and stimulating not only when it is accepted and classic. Gertrude Stein irritatingacceptedclassic I have always noticed that in portraits of really great writers the mouth is always firmly closed. Gertrude Stein portraitsliteraturemouths Poetry is concerned with using with abusing, with losing Gertrude Stein nounspoetrydoe Honesty is a selfish virtue. Yes I am honest enough. Gertrude Stein selfishvirtuehonesty Everywhere there was somewhere and everywhere there they were men women children dogs cows wild pigs little rabbits cats lizards and animals. That is the way it was. And everybody dogs cats sheep rabbits and lizards and children all wanted to tell ... all about themselves. Gertrude Stein catdogchildren Name any name and then remember everybody you ever knew who bore that name. Are they all alike. I think so. Gertrude Stein namesrememberthinking Any time is the time to make a poem. Gertrude Stein poetry
