Quotes from James Thurber

All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.

Sixty minutes of thinking of any kind is bound to lead to confusion and unhappiness.

It had only one fault. It was kind of lousy.

Early to rise and early to bed makes a man healthy, wealthy, and dead.

Hundreds of hysterical persons must confuse these phenomena with messages from the beyond and take their glory to the bishop rather than the eye doctor.

There are two kinds of light - the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.

Beautiful things don't ask for attention.

I do not have a psychiatrist and I do not want one, for the simple reason that if he listened to me long enough, he might become disturbed.

Humor is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one of our greatest earliest natural resources, which must be preserved at all cost.

Discussion in America means dissent.

When man gives up on reforming and inspiring society he also gives up his freedom.

The difference between our decadence and the Russians' is that while theirs is brutal ours is apathetic.

The trouble with the lost generation is that it didn't get lost enough.

Don't get it right, just get it written.

Why do you have to be a nonconformist like everybody else?

We all have faults, and mine is being wicked.

It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.

The wit makes fun of other persons; the satirist makes fun of the world; the humorist makes fun of himself, but in so doing, he identifies himself with people - that is, people everywhere, not for the purpose of taking them apart, but simply revealing their true nature.

Comedy has to be done en clair. You can't blunt the edge of wit or the point of satire with obscurity. Try to imagine a famous witty saying that is not immediately clear.

I think that maybe if women and children were in charge we would get somewhere.

You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.

The sanity of the average banquet speaker lasts about two and a half months; at the end of that time he begins to mutter to himself, and calls out in his sleep.

Let the meek inherit the earth -- they have it coming to them.

Progress was all right. Only it went on too long.