“What does seem important? Bargaining in good faith with destiny.”

“If what Jesus said was good, what can it matter whether he was God or not?”

“We don't make bicycles anymore. It's all human relations now. The eggheads sit around trying to figure out new ways for everyone to be happy. Nobody can get fired, no matter what; and if somebody does accidentally make a bicycle, the union accuses us of cruel and inhuman practices and the government confiscates the bicycle for back taxes and gives it to a blind man in Afghanistan.”

“Thinking doesn't seem to help very much. The human brain is too high-powered to have many practical uses in this particular universe.”

“He often said he had to be a writer because he wasn't good at anything else. He was not good at being an employee. Back in the mid-1950's, he was employed for Sports Illustrated, briefly. He reported back to work, was asked to write a short piece on a racehorse that jumped over a fence and tried to run away. Kurt stared at the blank piece of paper all morning and then typed, "The horse jumped over the fucking fence," and walked out, self-employed again.”

“We are what we imagine ourselves to be. ”

“What passes for culture in my head is really a bunch of commercials.”