Joseph Heller quotes - page 3

The country was in peril; he was jeopardizing his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them. (Joseph Heller)
For war there is always enough. It's peace that's expensive. View quote
Joseph Heller
You have deep-seated survival anxieties. And you don't like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate." "Consciously, sir, consciously," Yossarian corrected in an effort to help. "I hate them consciously. View quote
Joseph Heller
I think in every country that there is at least one executive who is scared of going crazy. View quote
Joseph Heller
When I look up, I see people cashing in. I don't see heaven or saints or angels. I see people cashing in on every decent impulse and every human tragedy. View quote
Joseph Heller
mankind is resilient: the atrocities that horrified us a week ago become acceptable tomorrow. View quote
Joseph Heller
What do you do when it rains?" The captain answered frankly. "I get wet. View quote
Joseph Heller
He was never without misery, and never without hope. View quote
Joseph Heller
Where were you born?" "On a battlefield," [Yossarian] answered. "No, no. In what state were you born?" "In a state of innocence. View quote
Joseph Heller
He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt, and his only mission each time he went up was to come down alive. View quote
Joseph Heller
Prostitution gives her an opportunity to meet people. It provides fresh air and wholesome exercise, and it keeps her out of trouble. (Joseph Heller)
The wise man dies no better or more wisely than the fool. In what way, then, is the wise man wise? View quote
Joseph Heller
How dispiriting I find it, even after all my personal triumphs, that we must grow up and grow sad, that we must age, weaken, and in time go home to our long home in the ground, and that even golden lads and girls all must, as chimney sweepers, come to dust. View quote
Joseph Heller
... [A]nything worth dying for... is certainly worth living for. View quote
Joseph Heller
Surely there can't be so many countries worth dying for.' Anything worth living for,' said Nately, 'is worth dying for.' And anything worth dying for,' answered the sacrilegious old man, 'is certainly worth living for. View quote
Joseph Heller
She was the epitome of stately sorrow each time she smiled. View quote
Joseph Heller
Clevinger had a mind, and Lieutenant Scheisskoph had noticed that people with minds tended to get pretty smart at times. View quote
Joseph Heller
When people disagreed with him he urged them to be objective. View quote
Joseph Heller
I'm not running away from my responsibilities. I'm running to them. There's nothing negative about running away to save my life. View quote
Joseph Heller
Major Major never sees anyone in his office while he's in his office. View quote
Joseph Heller
where are the snowdens of yesteryear? (Joseph Heller)
Nately had a bad start. He came from a good family. View quote
Joseph Heller
He was sick with lust and mesmerized with regret. View quote
Joseph Heller
Death to all modifiers, he declared one day, and out of every letter that passed through his hands went every adverb and every adjective. View quote
Joseph Heller
Someone had to do something sometime. Every victim was a culprit, every culprit a victim, and somebody had to stand up sometime to try to break the lousy chain of inherited habit that was imperiling them all. View quote
Joseph Heller