The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
Autobiography is usually honest but it is never truthful.
Interpretation
Autobiographies may present honest accounts of experiences but still lack complete truthfulness regarding emotions and perspectives.
This quote suggests that while autobiographies often claim to portray the author's true life story and experiences, they are filtered through personal biases and interpretations, which can distort the absolute truth. The statement invites readers to reflect on the nature of truth in storytelling and the subjective nature of individual experiences.
In practice
In a book discussion, one might use this quote to explore the reliability of memoirs.
The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
An armed society is a polite society.
Democracy is a poor system of government at best; the only thing that can honestly be said in its favor is that it is eight times as good as any other method the human race has ever tried.
Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.
When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.
To knock a thing down, especially if it is cocked at an arrogant angle, is a deep delight of the blood.
Backward we traveled to reclaim the day Before we fell, like Icarus, undone; All we find are altars in decay And profane words scrawled black across the sun.
The majority of those who are loosely identified by the term 'liberals' are afraid to let themselves discover that what they advocate is statism. They want to keep all the advantages and effects of capitalism, while destroying the cause, and they want to establish statism without its necessary effects. They do not want to know or to admit that they are the champions of dictatorship and slavery.
Security is when everything is settled, when nothing can happen to you; security is the denial of life.
To lie a little is not possible: he who lies, lies the whole lie.
I figure that if God actually does exist, he is big enough to understand an honest difference of opinion.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.