Favorite Heinlein Quotes...

by Justice-One 10 Replies latest jw friends

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  Justice-One

  "An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life." - Robert A. Heinlein

  "I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do." - Robert A. Heinlein

  “At least once every human should have to run for his life, to teach him that milk does not come from supermarkets, that safety does not come from policemen, that "news" is not something that happens to other people.” - Robert A. Heinlein

  "I never learned from a man who agreed with me." - Robert A. Heinlein ....Many incuding myself could learn from this one.

  "When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know, the end result is tyranny and oppression no matter how holy the motives." Robert A. Heinlein
  
  "You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once." Robert A. Heinlein

  "There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men." Starship Troopers

  "Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst." Starship Troopers

  "Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense." Time Enough For Love

  "For the first time in my life, I was reading things, which had not been approved by the Prophet's censors, and the impact on my mind was devastating. Sometimes I would glance over my shoulder to see who was watching me, frightened in spite of myself. I began to sense faintly that secrecy is the keystone of all tyranny. Not force, but secrecy...censorship. When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to it's subjects, This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know, the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man whose mind has been hoodwinked; contrariwise, no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything---you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him." --- Robert A. Heinlein Revolt In 2100
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  DanTheMan

  "Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense." Time Enough For Love

  What constitutes "hurting others" is where things get subjective in a real hurry
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  serendipity

  Not really a quote, but I've frequently called myself a "stranger in a strange land".
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  daniel-p

  "I never learned from a man who agreed with me." - Robert A. Heinlein ....Many incuding myself could learn from this one.

  The question is, will you?
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  CyrusThePersian

  My all-time favorite Heinlein quote:

  " What are the facts? Again and again and again--What are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what 'the stars foretell,' avoid opinion, care not what he neighbors think, never mind the unguessable 'verdict of history'--what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts!"

  This one quote, from "Time Enough for Love" sparked an epiphany of sorts in me. I began to question everything I learned or thought I knew. It eventually helped me leave the org.

  Heinlein had an amazing talent for getting across his Libertarian viewpoints through his science fiction. Of course, I don't agree with all his opinions, but he does make a compelling case for them.

  CyrusThePersian
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  Sirona

  How odd, a Heinlein book is something I've been discussing with a friend recently.

  I enjoyed his fresh approach in "Stranger in a Strange Land", since he cut through convention and gave the world something to talk about for a while.

  Sirona
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  Justice-One

  The question is, will you?

  Will you?
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  Justice-One

  
  From Farnham's Freehold -

  "FARNHAM'S FREEHOLD
  
  TRADING POST & RESTAURANT BAR
  
  American Vodka
  
  Corn Liquor
  
  Applejack
  
  Pure Spring Water
  
  Grade "A" Milk
  
  Corned Beef & Potatoes
  
  Steak & Fried Potatoes
  
  Butter & some days Bread
  
  Smoked Bear Meat
  
  Jerked Quisling (by the neck)
  
  !!!!Any BOOK Accepted as Cash!!!!
  
  DAY NURSERY
  
  !!FREE KITTENS!!
  
  Blacksmithing, Machine Shop, Sheet Metal Work- You Supply the Metal
  
  FARNHAM SCHOOL OF CONTRACT BRIDGE
  
  Lessons by Arrangement
  
  Social Evening Every Wednesday

  WARNING!!!
  
  Ring Bell. Wait. Advance with your Hands Up. Stay on path, avoid mines. We lost three
  
  customers last week. We can't afford to lose you. No sales tax.
  
  Hugh & Barbara Farnham & Family, Freeholders " The latter is on the bottom of my No Treaspassing sign.
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  sixsixsixtynine

  "Several years ago, when I was ill, Heinlein offered his help, anything he could do, and we had never met; he would phone me to cheer me up and see how I was doing. He wanted to buy me an electric typewriter, God bless him—one of the few true gentlemen in this world. I don't agree with any ideas he puts forth in his writing, but that is neither here nor there. One time when I owed the IRS a lot of money and couldn't raise it, Heinlein loaned the money to me. I think a great deal of him and his wife; I dedicated a book to them in appreciation. Robert Heinlein is a fine-looking man, very impressive and very military in stance; you can tell he has a military background, even to the haircut. He knows I'm a flipped-out freak and still he helped me and my wife when we were in trouble. That is the best in humanity, there; that is who and what I love." -Philip K. Dick
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  LittleToe

  Thou art god.