Pain is the basic mechanism built into us by millions of years of evolution which safeguards us by warning when something threatens our survival. Robert A. Heinlein More Quotes by Robert A. Heinlein More Quotes From Robert A. Heinlein When you vote, you are exercising political authority, you're using force. And force, my friends, is violence. The supreme authority from which all other authorities are derived. Robert A. Heinlein politicalviolenceexercise Ayn Rand is a bloody socialist compared to me. Robert A. Heinlein bloodysocialist I do know that the slickest way to lie is to tell the right amount of truth--then shut up. Robert A. Heinlein shut-uplyingway Age does not bring wisdom... but it does give perspective... and the saddest sight of all is to see, far behind you, temptations you've resisted. Robert A. Heinlein perspectivesightgiving Take care of the cojones and the frijoles will take care of themselves. Try to have getaway money - but don't be fanatic about it. Robert A. Heinlein cojonescaretrying The golden sunshine of Italy congealed into tears. Here's to alcoholic brotherhood ... much more suited to the frail human soul, if any, than any other sort. Robert A. Heinlein sunshinecommunitysoul One man's 'magic' is another man's engineering. 'Supernatural' is a null word. Robert A. Heinlein engineeringusamen ...revolutions are not won by enlisting the masses. Revolution is a science for the few who are competent to practice it. It depends on correct organisation and above all, on communications. Robert A. Heinlein revolutioncommunicationpractice You obviously don't know what an Old Man of the Sea great wealth is. It is not a fat purse and time to spend it. Its owner finds himself beset on every side, at every hour, wherever he goes, by persistent pleaders, like beggars in Bombay, each demanding that he invest or give away part of his wealth. He becomes suspicious of honest friendship--indeed honest friendship is rarely offered him; those who could have been his friends are too fastidious to be jostled by beggars, too proud to risk being mistaken for one. Robert A. Heinlein seagivingmen Take sex away from people. Make it forbidden, evil. Limit it to ritualistic breeding. Force it to back up into suppressed sadism. Then hand the people a scapegoat to hate. Let them kill a scapegoat occasionally for cathartic release. The mechanism is ages old. Tyrants used it centuries before the word "psychology" was ever invented. It works, too. Robert A. Heinlein hatesexhands Courage is the complement of fear. A man who is fearless cannot be courageous. [He is also a fool.] Robert A. Heinlein couragefearmen Little girls, like butterflies, need no excuse. Robert A. Heinlein mom-and-daughterbutterflygirl Then I glanced at the ring on my finger. The Snake That Eats Its Own Tail, Forever and Ever. I know where I came from—but where did all you zombies come from? I felt a headache coming on, but a headache powder is one thing I do not take. I did once—and you all went away. So I crawled into bed and whistled out the light. You aren’t really there at all. There isn’t anybody but me—Jane—here alone in the dark. I miss you dreadfully! Robert A. Heinlein snakeslightdark Taxes are not levied for the benefit of the taxed. Robert A. Heinlein debtbenefitsliberty The 3-legged stool of understanding is held up by history, languages, and mathematics. Equipped with those three you can learn anything you want to learn. But if you lack any one of them you are just another ignorant peasant with dung on your boots. Robert A. Heinlein ignorantthreeunderstanding Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things. Robert A. Heinlein lazy-manprogressmen when faced with a problem you do not understand, do any part of it you do understand, then look at it again. Robert A. Heinlein mistressproblemlooks The most noble fate a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and the war's desolation. Robert A. Heinlein fatehomewar Citizenship is an attitude, a state of mind, an emotional conviction that the whole is greater than the part...and that the part should be humbly proud to sacrifice itself that the whole may live. Robert A. Heinlein sacrificeemotionalattitude The price of freedom is the willingness to do sudden battle anywhere, any time and with utter recklessness. Robert A. Heinlein price-of-freedomwillingnessbattle
