Whatever else an American believes or disbelieves about himself, he is absolutely sure he has a sense of humor. humor
Be obscure clearly. being funny
I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. life & morning
Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar. faith
The only sense that is common in the long run, is the sense of change and we all instinctively avoid it. change
English usage is sometimes more than mere taste, judgment and education - sometimes it's sheer luck, like getting across the street. education
Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it. humor
Writing is hard work and bad for the health. health & work
I see nothing in space as promising as the view from a Ferris wheel. science
Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts. greatness & time
Luck is not something you can mention in the presence of self-made men. men
The terror of the atom age is not the violence of the new power but the speed of man's adjustment to it, the speed of his acceptance. aging & power
Genius is more often found in a cracked pot than in a whole one. intelligence
Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time. politics
To perceive Christmas through its wrappings becomes more difficult with every year. Christmas
It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. being good
Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in a car. cars & being funny
The time not to become a father is eighteen years before a war. fatherhood & war
Old age is a special problem for me because I've never been able to shed the mental image I have of myself - a lad of about 19. aging