Robert A. Heinlein Quotes - Page 13

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Man has no moral instinct. He is not born with moral sense. You were not born with it, I was not - and a puppy has none. We acquire moral sense, when we do, through training, experience, and hard sweat of the mind.

Robert A. Heinlein

Men, Sweat, Training

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Starship Troopers”, p.94, Penguin

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Anything free is worth what you pay for it.

Robert A. Heinlein

Sacrifice, Pay, Jolly

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.330, Penguin

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It takes two to create a heaven, but hell can be accomplished by one.

Robert A. Heinlein

Two, Personality, Heaven

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From somewhere, back in my youth, heard Prof say, 'Manuel, when faced with a problem you do not understand, do any part of it you do understand, then look at it again.' He had been teaching me something he himself did not understand very well—something in math—but had taught me something far more important, a basic principle.

Robert A. Heinlein

Teaching, Math, Important

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Humoring them costs nothing and adds to happiness in a world in which happiness is always in short supply.

Robert A. Heinlein

Add, Cost, World

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.323, Penguin

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Note the individual and subjective nature of each case. No two are alike and there is no reason to expect them to be. Each man or woman must find for himself or herself that occupation in which hard work and long hours make him or her happy. Contrariwise, if you are looking for shorter hours and longer vacations and early retirement, you are in the wrong job. Perhaps you need to take up bank robbing. Or geeking in a sideshow. Or even politics.

Robert A. Heinlein

Retirement, Jobs, Hard Work

Robert A. Heinlein (1988). “To Sail Beyond the Sunset”

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Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation.

Robert A. Heinlein

Stupidity, Legislation

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.230, Penguin

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Sense is never common.

Robert A. Heinlein

Common

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.38, Penguin

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To permit irresponsible authority is to sell disaster.

Robert A. Heinlein

Authority, Disaster, Permit

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Have you ever noticed how much they look like orchids? lovely!

Robert A. Heinlein

Orchids, Lovely, Looks

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It’s not enough to be able to lie with a straight face; anybody with enough gall to raise on a busted flush can do that. The first way to lie artistically is to tell the truth — but not all of it. The second way involves telling the truth, too, but is harder: Tell the exact truth and maybe all of it…but tell it so unconvincingly that your listener is sure you are lying.

Robert A. Heinlein

Sarcastic, Lying, Able

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.34, Penguin

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I took up writing because I needed money. And I continued to write because it's safer than stealing and easier than working.

Robert A. Heinlein

Writing, Stealing, Easier

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Heroism' often consists in keeping your head in an emergency and doing the best you can with what you have instead of panicking and being shot in the tail. People who fight this way win more battles than do intentional heroes; a glory hound often throws away the lives of his mates as well as his own.

Robert A. Heinlein

Hero, Fighting, Winning

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.78, Penguin

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A man who marries at my age isn't taking a wife, he's indenturing a nurse.

Robert A. Heinlein

Men, Nurse, Wife

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “I Will Fear No Evil”, p.171, Penguin

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My dear, I used to think I was serving humanity . . . and I pleasured in the thought. Then I discovered that humanity does not want to be served; on the contrary it resents any attempt to serve it. So now I do what pleases myself.

Robert A. Heinlein

Thinking, Humanity, Doe

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Stranger in a Strange Land”, p.88, Penguin

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A human being has no natural rights of any nature.

Robert A. Heinlein

Rights, Natural, Humans

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Starship Troopers”, p.95, Penguin

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A committee is a life form with six or more legs and no brain.

Robert A. Heinlein

Brain, Legs, Six

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.331, Penguin

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History does not record anywhere or at any time a religion that has any rational basis.

Robert A. Heinlein

Atheism, Doe, Records

Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.224, Penguin

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The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.

Robert A. Heinlein

Writing, Cutting, Important

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A prude is a person who thinks that his own rules of propriety are natural laws.

Robert A. Heinlein

Thinking, Law, Prudes

"Stranger in a Strange Land". Book by Robert A. Heinlein, June 1, 1961.

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Do this. Don't do that. Stay back in line. Where's tax receipt? Fill out form. Let's see license. Submit six copies. Exit only. No left turn. No right turn. Queue up and pay fine. Take back and get stamped. Drop dead— but first get permit.

Robert A. Heinlein

Lines, Pay, Firsts

Robert A. Heinlein (2014). “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”, p.73, Hachette UK

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High Frontier places a bullet-proof vest on our bare chest. High Frontier is as non-aggressive as a bullet-proof vest. There is no way to kill anyone with High Frontier - all that High Frontier can do is to keep others from killing us.

Robert A. Heinlein

Peace, War, Bullets

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I don't see how an article of clothing can be indecent. A person, yes.

Robert A. Heinlein

Articles, Clothings, Persons

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Whoring is like military service...okay in the upper brackets, not so good lower down.

Robert A. Heinlein

Military, Military Service, Okay

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They didn't want it good, they wanted it Wednesday.

Robert A. Heinlein

Want, Wanted, Wednesday

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Born: July 7, 1907
Died: May 8, 1988
Occupation: Science writer
Cite this Page: Citation

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