Saul Bellow Quotes
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For the first time in history, the human species as a whole has gone into politics. Everyone is in the act, and there is no telling what may come of it.
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I don’t actually take much stock in the collapsing culture bit. I’m beginning to see it instead as the conduct of life without input from your soul.
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Let the enemies of life step down.
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A human soul devoid of longing was a soul deformed, deprived of its highest good, sick unto death.
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At moments I dislike having a face, a nose, lips, because he has them.
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Fidelity is for phonographs
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Death is the black backing on the mirror that allows us to see anything at all.
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Art attempts to find in the universe, in matter as well as in the facts of life, what is fundamental, enduring, essential.
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All human accomplishment has the same origin, identically. Imagination is a force of nature. Is this not enough to make a person full of ecstasy? Imagination, imagination, imagination.
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You're all alone when you're a writer. Sometimes you just feel you need a humanity bath. Even a ride on the subway will do that. But it's much more interesting to talk about books. After all, that's what life used to be for writers: they talk books, politics, history, America. Nothing has replaced that.
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The challenge of modern freedom, or the combination of isolation and freedom which confronts you, is to make yourself up. The danger is that you may emerge from the process as a not-entirely-human creature. (Referenced in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young)
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And what about all the good I have in my heart - does it mean anything?
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I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about the journalists; we can only hope that they will die off as the deerflies do towards the end of August.
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It's goodbye to reality when love sets in.
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The best and purest human beings, from the beginning of time, have understood that life is sacred.
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The only real distinction at this dangerous moment in human history and cosmic development has nothing to do with medals and ribbons. Not to fall asleep is distinguished. Everything else is mere popcorn.
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Unless you're completely exploded, there's always something to be grateful for.
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I am a phoenix who runs after arsonists.
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...chaos doesn't run the whole show.
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I'm glad I haven't lived in vain.
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How should I know why! I didn't invent human beings, Iggy.
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A fool can throw a stone in a pond that 100 wise men can not get out.
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A man may say, "From now on I'm going to speak the truth." But the truth hears him and runs away and hides before he's even done speaking.
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Anxiety destroys scale, and suffering makes us lose perspective.