A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity. — Robert A. Heinlein

A long and wicked life followed by five minutes of perfect grace gets you into Heaven. An equally long life of decent living and good works followed by one outburst of taking the name of the Lord in vain – then have a heart attack at that moment and be damned for eternity. Is that the system? — Robert A. Heinlein

A rational anarchist believes that concepts such as ‘state’ and ‘society’ and ‘government’ have no existence save as physically exemplified in the acts of self-responsible individuals. He believes that it is impossible to shift blame, share blame, distribute blame . . . as blame, guilt, responsibility are matters taking place inside human beings singly and nowhere else. But being rational, he knows that not all individuals hold his evaluations, so he tries to live perfectly in an imperfect world . . . aware that his effort will be less than perfect yet undismayed by self-knowledge of self-failure….In terms of morals there is no such thing as a ‘state.’ Just men. Individuals. Each responsible for his own acts — Robert A. Heinlein, Moon is a Harsh Mistress

A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill. — Robert A. Heinlein

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

An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come. — Victor Hugo

Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat. — Robert A. Heinlein

Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors… and miss. — Robert A. Heinlein

Being right too soon is socially unacceptable. — Robert A. Heinlein

By cultivating the beautiful we scatter the seeds of heavenly flowers, as by doing good we cultivate those that belong to humanity. — Robert A. Heinlein

Don’t ever become a pessimist… a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun, and neither can stop the march of events. — Robert A. Heinlein

Don’t handicap your children by making their lives easy. — Robert A. Heinlein

Each place has its own advantages – heaven for the climate, and hell for the society. — Mark Twain

Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done. — Robert A. Heinlein

Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of confusion and bamboozle requires intelligence, vigilance, dedication and courage. But if we don’t practice these tough habits of thought, we cannot hope to solve the truly serious problems that face us — and we risk becoming a nation of suckers, up for grabs by the next charlatan who comes along. — Carl Sagan, The Fine Art of Baloney Detection

For me, politeness is a sine qua non of civilization. — 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

I don’t see how an article of clothing can be indecent. A person, yes. — Robert A. Heinlein

I never learned from a man who agreed with me. — Robert A. Heinlein

I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife, I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking. The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there’s little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides. — Carl Sagan, 1996 in his article In the Valley of the Shadow Parade Magazine Also, Billions and Billions p. 215

In many cultures it is customary to answer that God created the universe out of nothing. But this is mere temporizing. If we wish courageously to pursue the question, we must, of course ask next where God comes from? And if we decide this to be unanswerable, why not save a step and conclude that the universe has always existed? — Carl Sagan, Cosmos

It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. — Robert A. Heinlein

It’s an indulgence to sit in a room and discuss your beliefs as if they were a juicy piece of gossip. — Robert A. Heinlein

Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of this astonishing universe, and it is sad to see so many dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy. — Carl Sagan

Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come. — Matt Groening

May you live as long as you wish and love as long as you live. — Robert A. Heinlein

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. — Robert A. Heinlein

Never worry about theory as long as the machinery does what it’s supposed to do. — Robert A. Heinlein

No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority. — Robert A. Heinlein

Of all the strange “crimes” that human beings have legislated of nothing, “blasphemy” is the most amazing – with “obscenity” and “indecent exposure” fighting it out for the second and third place. — Robert A. Heinlein

One could write a history of science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest authority about what could not be done and could never happen. — Robert A. Heinlein

One man’s “magic” is another man’s engineering. “Supernatural” is a null word. — Robert A. Heinlein

One man’s theology is another man’s belly laugh. — Robert A. Heinlein

One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others. — Robert A. Heinlein

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? — Marianne Williamson

Political tags – such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth – are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. — Robert A. Heinlein

Sex without love is merely healthy exercise. — Robert A. Heinlein

Sin lies only in hurting other people unnecessarily. All other “sins” are invented nonsense. (Hurting yourself is not sinful – just stupid) — Robert A. Heinlein

That which is beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful — Buddha

The difference between science and the fuzzy subjects is that science requires reasoning while those other subjects merely require scholarship. — Robert A. Heinlein

The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive. — Robert A. Heinlein

The universe never did make sense; I suspect it was built on government contract. — Robert A. Heinlein

Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn’t there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything. — Robert A. Heinlein

To be matter-of-fact about the world is to blunder into fantasy – and dull fantasy at that, as the real world is strange and wonderful. — Robert A. Heinlein

When a place gets crowded enough to require ID’s, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere. — Robert A. Heinlein

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

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. — Robert A. Heinlein

Yield to temptation. It may not pass your way again. — Robert A. Heinlein

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once. — Robert A. Heinlein

You can’t convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it’s based on a deep seated need to believe. — Carl Sagan, Contact

You know a trend has reached critical mass when rednecks start doing it. — JFZ