Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinleinwas an American science-fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was an influential and controversial author of the genre in his time...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth7 July 1907
CountryUnited States of America
selfish race purpose
The commonest weakness of our race is our ability to rationalize our most selfish purposes.
moral-behavior selfishness conflict
Selfishness is the bedrock on which all moral behavior starts and it can be immoral only when it conflicts with a higher moral imperative.
liberty selfishness libertarian
The greatest productive force is human selfishness.
gratitude real selfishness
Gratitude: An imaginary emotion that rewards an imaginary behavior, altruism. Both imaginaries are false faces for selfishness, which is a real and honest emotion.
dull fact fantasy matter strange
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.
authority highest history reverse science solemn until
Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done. 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.
girls notebooks robert wonderful
What a wonderful world it is that has girls in it! Notebooks of Lazarus Long, Robert A
cats dogs women
Women and Cats will do as they please. Men and dogs had better get used to it.
running should-have safety
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. He might learn how his ancestors lived and that he himself is no different--in the crunch his life depends on his agility, alertness, and personal resourcefulness.
men months
Once a month, some women act like men act all the time.
amazing beings fighting human second strange third
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.
annoys pig teach time
Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.
accomplish alone character cold goodness hard invariably wisdom
But goodness alone is never enough. A hard cold wisdom is required, too, for goodness to accomplish good. Goodness without wisdom invariably accomplishes evil.
condition essential happiness love
Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.