Quotes from Mindy Kaling

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For some reason, I immediately thought about how my parents had always been especially fond of Mavis, and here was this moment when I understood exactly why: she was a good person. It felt so good to realize how smart my parents had been all along.

In my line of work every man wears exactly one outfit khakis, a late night with Jimmy Fallon t-shirt, and a hooded sweatshirt. If you don't people think you're a scientologist and no one will eat lunch with you.

That's because my show is on a major network and you can't show all that stuff, and also because my dad is alive and I would like to have lunch with him without feeling mired in dishonor.

I like to think of myself as the Rod Blagojevich of television.

Network executives usually have bad taste. It's either just a reflection of what market research tells them that normal people are into, or whatever their adolescent children are obsessed with. I have so often been on the receiving end of whatever powerful network executive's children are watching that week. That

I get worried that telling girls how difficult it is to be confident implies a tacit expectations that girls won't be able to do it.

We never needed best friend gear because I guess with real friends you don't have to make it official. It just is.

It was too much, but at the time, I felt invincible.

I think widespread, online displays of female self-confidence are good for people, especially men, to see.

I can't for the life of me not eat something that I want to eat. You know how if you turned on a faucet in your sink to wash your hands, the idea of leaving the bathroom without turning it off is insane? That's how I am about ignoring delicious food

I also did that thing that corrupt politicians do where I hired all my friends to work with me, so that's very nice as well. I like to think of myself as the Rod Blagojevich of television.

Neither of us gets to be the princess all the time.

I guess I think happiness can come in a bunch of forms, and maybe a marriage with tons of work makes people feel happy. But part of me still thinks ... is it really so hard to make it work? What happened to being pals?

I can't believe you won't get Lasik already. You can afford it. I know you read someone went blind from it, but that was like twenty years ago. Not getting Lasik at this point is like being that girl in 2006 who didn't have a cell phone.

One of the great things about women's magazines is that they accept that drinking water and sitting quietly will make your breasts huge and lips plump up to the size of two bratwursts.

write your own part. It is the only way I've gotten anywhere. It is much harder work, but sometimes you have to take destiny into your own hands. It forces you to think about what your strengths really are, and once you find them, you can showcase them, and no one can stop you.

If you believe in yourself and work hard, your dreams will come true. • Well … I guess the people who work hard whose dreams don't come true don't get to write books about it, so we never really find out what happens to them. So … • If you believe in yourself and work hard, you have a fighting shot at having your dreams come true.

This ethereal weirdo abounds in movies, but nowhere else. If she were from real life, people would think she was a homeless woman and would cross the street to avoid her, but she is essential to the male fantasy that even if a guy is boring, he deserves a woman who will find him fascinating and pull him out of himself by forcing him to go skinny-dipping in a stranger's pool. THE

A sexually unapologetic fashionista tries to find love in the big city … wait a second! This sounds like the premise of my show, The Mindy Project. But it's not my fault. I didn't come up with this format. Not many people know this, but The Mindy Project is actually based on a famous Venezuelan show called Puta Gordita, or "The Chubby Slut.

But basically, either way, you can't go wrong. I look at all of you and see America's future: attorneys, corporate lawyers, public prosecutors, judges, politicians, maybe even the president of the United States. Those are all positions of great influence. Understand that one day you will have the power to make a difference. Use it well. Thank

It's weird when you feel your dream slipping away from you. Especially when you have no other dreams. I was surprised that my overwhelming feeling was not sadness; it was terror. What on earth am I going to do now?

Did I think I deserved a nomination? I don't know, yeah! Maybe it sounds egotistical, but if you're a person who creates your own show and stars in it, shouldn't you believe you deserve recognition for it? If you don't, then why not? Worse yet, who will?

I am a confident writer, a hothead, and have a very thin skin for any criticism. This charming combination of personality traits makes me an argument machine on our staff.