Well, every little boy thinks he invented sin. Virtue we think we learn, because we are told about it. But sin is our own designing. John Steinbeck More Quotes by John Steinbeck More Quotes From John Steinbeck The Mexican War was a training ground for generals, so that when the sad self-murders settled on us, the leaders knew the techniques for making it properly horrible. John Steinbeck mexican self war And their greed was for gold or God. They collected souls as they collected jewels. John Steinbeck greed soul jewels Why do men like me want sons? he wondered. It must be because they hope in their poor beaten souls that these new men, who are their blood, will do the things they were not strong enough nor wise enough nor brave enough to do. It is rather like another chance at life; like a new bag of coins at a table of luck after your fortune is gone. John Steinbeck strong wise son I have thought that men and women should never come together except in bed. There is the only place where their natural hatred of each other is not so apparent. John Steinbeck hatred together men Then the hard, dry Spaniards came exploring through, greedy and realistic, and their greed was for gold or God. They collected souls as they collected jewels. They gathered mountains and valleys, rivers and whole horizons, the way a man might now gain tittle to building lots. John Steinbeck jewels rivers men Best thing is to get the words down every day. And it is time to start now. John Steinbeck best-things My whole work drive has been aimed at making people understand each other. . . John Steinbeck has-beens whole people Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone. John Steinbeck real gone dream The utter insanity of living in a place like this doesn't occur to the 9,000,000 people who inhabit New York. Except for visits I think I shall not be here any more as a resident. John Steinbeck new-york people thinking There is one thing pleasantly unconfusing about medicine. The direction and the end are fixed and the patient never works backward. John Steinbeck medicine patient ends Well, I git enough sorrow. I like to git away from it. John Steinbeck movie sorrow enough American married life is the doormat to the whorehouse. John Steinbeck married marriage life-is It was too nerve-wracking, a shocking spectacle, like seeing an old, calm friend go insane. John Steinbeck calm nerves insane The warfare between the unaroused male and female is constant and ferocious. Each blames the other for his loss of soul. John Steinbeck soul loss men A book is somehow sacred. A dictator can kill and maim people, can sink to any kind of tyranny and only be hated, but when books are burned the ultimate in tyranny has happened. This we cannot forgive. John Steinbeck forgiving book people Show me the man who isn't interested in discussing himself. John Steinbeck he-man conversation men I guess this is why I hate governments, all governments. It is always the rule, the fine print, carried out by fine-print men. There's nothing to fight, no wall to hammer with frustrated fists. John Steinbeck wall hate fighting It don't cost money to ask. John Steinbeck asks cost asking But whereas a puppy will cringe away or roll on its back, groveling, a little boy may cover his shyness with nonchalance, with bravado, or with secrecy. And once a boy has suffered rejection, he will find rejection even where it does not exist-or, worse, will draw it forth from people simply by expecting it. John Steinbeck rejection boys people A study of animal communities has this advantage: they are merely what they are, for anyone to see who will and can look clearly; they cannot complicate the picture by worded idealisms, by saying one thing and being another; here the struggle is unmasked and the beauty is unmasked. John Steinbeck community struggle animal
