Quotes from Robert A. Heinlein

Nine times out of ten, if a girl gets raped, it's partly her fault.

So far as I have listened, before a revolution can take place, the population must lose faith in both the police and the courts.

Don't anybody mention ice skating; Grandmaw is too old and frail and it wouldn't be polite. Hilda, you suggest dominoes and we'll all chime in—Grandmaw likes dominoes. We'll go skating some other time. Okay, kids?" Jubal

if you are ever suspected of something, try to make the evidence point to a lesser offense. Never try to prove lily-white innocence. Human nature being what it is, your chances are better.

I miss you dreadfully!

My dear, I used to think I was serving humanity . . . and I pleasured in the thought. Then I discovered that humanity does not want to be served; on the contrary it resents any attempt to serve it.

A desire not to butt into other people's business is eighty percent of all human wisdom." "You butt into other people's business.

But liking cats is hard to fake to a cat person. There are cat people and there are others, more than a majority probably, who "cannot abide a harmless, necessary cat." If they try to pretend, out of politeness or any reason, it shows, because they don't understand how to treat cats—and cat protocol is more rigid than that of diplomacy.

Citizens are urged to tolerate cheerfully any minor inconvenience this may cause them; your right of privacy will be respected in every way possible; your right of free movement may be interrupted temporarily, but full economic restitution will be made.

Whether you stay a night or a year. Yours without invitation, yours to come and go without bothering to say hello or good-bye. Although I hope it will suit you to say hello to me frequently.

If you're not too busy this evening, why don't you bring your soft shoes and your pads over to officers' row and we'll go waltzing Matilda? Say about eight o'clock." "Yes, sir." "That's not an order, that's an invitation. If you really are slowing down

Fiz uma descoberta muito importante no Acampamento Currie: a felicidade consiste em dormir o suficiente. Só isso, mais nada. Todas as pessoas ricas e infelizes que você já conheceu tomam remédio pra dormir; soldados da Infantaria Móvel não precisam disso. Dê um beliche a um soldado e tempo pra se enfiar nele, e ele vai ficar tão feliz quanto um bichinho dentro de uma maçã... dormindo.

Get a shot off fast. This upsets him long enough to let you make your second shot perfect.

Democrats were being rounded up, sentenced by drumhead courts-martial (provost's tribunals, they were called) and executed on the spot—laser, gunfire, some hangings.

Harshaw had the arrogant humility of a man who has learned so much that he is aware of his own ignorance; he saw no point in "measurements

A constituição diz que todas as pessoas, homens e mulheres, têm o direito inalienável de prestar o serviço e assumir a cidadania plena... Mas o fato é que está ficando difícil achar algo pra todos os voluntários fazerem que não seja apenas uma forma disfarçada de descascar batatas.

War is not violence and killing, pure and simple; war is controlled violence, for a purpose. The purpose of war is to support your government's decisions by force. The purpose is never to kill the enemy just to be killing him . . . but to make him do what you want him to do. Not killing . . . but controlled and purposeful violence. But

Seems to be a deep instinct in human beings for making everything compulsory that isn't forbidden.

It is silly. The whole notion of cause-and-effect is probably superstition. But the same cycle shows a peak in house building right after a peak in marriages.

Girls are interesting, Mike; they can reach conclusions with even less data than you can.

Anne appeared, dripping. "Remind me," Jubal told her, "to write an article on the compulsive reading of news. The theme will be that most neuroses can be traced to the unhealthy habit of wallowing in the troubles of five billion strangers. Title is 'Gossip Unlimited'—no, make that 'Gossip Gone Wild.

Federal Service'? Parasitism, pure and simple. A functionless organ, utterly obsolete, living on the taxpayers. A decidedly expensive way for inferior people who otherwise would be unemployed to live at public expense for a term of years, then give themselves airs for the rest of their lives. Is that what you want to do?

Unable to digest it, they had taken refuge in anger at Einstein. Their refuge had been a dead end; all that inflexible old guard could do was die and let younger minds take over.

But what did they appear to be doing? 'They went to work to earn the money to buy the food to get the strength to go to work to earn the money to buy the food to get the strength to go to work to get the strength to buy the food to earn the money to go to—' until they fell over dead.