Gore Vidal, the wit, iconoclast, and cultural commentator, left an indelible mark on American literature and popular discourse. Known for his razor-sharp insights, Vidal's quotes span a wide array of topics, from politics and history to society and art. Delve into the world of Gore Vidal with these ten thematic explorations of his most memorable quotes. Each theme reveals a facet of Vidal's multifaceted genius, offering a glimpse into the mind of a true provocateur.
Political Insights Quotes
"Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically, by definition, be disqualified from ever doing so."
"The four most beautiful words in our common language: I told you so."
"We should stop going around babbling about how we're the greatest democracy on earth, when we're not even a democracy."
"There is no such thing as a freak nation except in the sense that Mexico is the freak nation of the United States."
"Politics is a matter of present concern. It’s very exciting if you’re extraordinarily interested in wallpaper."
"A narcissist is someone better looking than you are."
"Terrorism is the war of the poor, and war is the terrorism of the rich."
"When you hear the word 'freedom' or 'democracy', watch out because in a truly free nation, no one uses these terms."
"Democracy is something that you must do, it is not something that happens."
"You know, a writer always has an agenda, always."
"It's not enough to succeed, others must fail."
"Our form of democracy is bribery, on the highest scale."
Society and Culture Quotes
"We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing."
"You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style."
"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn."
"Ultimately, however, as the Austrian critic Stepp once said, it’s a great pity that Mr. Vidal always gets his dick caught in the zipper of politics."
"The more money an American accumulates, the less interesting he becomes."
"Laughing at our cultural icons-no matter what they pretend to represent-is enviable behavior."
"Whenever a friend succeeds, a little something in me dies."
"The historian must be a great moralist. He must care that something is right. If not, he becomes a professional failure."
"It is not enough to succeed; others must fail."
"The unfed mind devours itself."
"As the age of television progresses, the Reagans are the like of a new 'sort of humankind': people, who are famous for being well known."
"A writer must always try to court limelight if only to avoid being blinded by it."
Identity and Existence Quotes
"Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little."
"Envy is the central fact of American life."
"There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat."
"Never have children; only grandchildren."
"Half of the American people never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half."
"It is always prudent to check your rulers’ garbage – keeps their exalted noses in place."
"I'm exactly as I appear. There's no warm lovable person inside. Beneath my cold exterior, once you break the ice, you find cold water."
"Self-awareness is not nearly enough. We must have self-knowledge. We must stand apart in order that we may rise above."
"There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise."
"The apathy of the American public is beyond comprehension."
"I never miss a chance to have sex or appear on television."
"The unfed mind devours itself."
Literary Craft Quotes
"A good deed is the highest form of evil."
"Write something, even if it's just a suicide note."
"When I write, I aim in my mind not toward New York but toward a vague spot a little to the east of Kansas."
"Every writer must persuade himself that he is a what he describes. The business of writing is to make the audience believe also."
"It is not enough to succeed; others must fail."
"Most writers don't read. If they do, it's one specific field. Reading takes time away from writing, and you only talk about whatever it is you're reading."
"The true writer is rarely seen in public. He is found pacing his room alone, talking nonsense and pretending he is God."
"What other culture could have produced someone like Hemingway and not seen the joke?"
"The novel is such an important pell-mell in a way."
"Any writer is always coping with the unkillable impulse to stick his nose into other people’s business."
"Fiction can often point to solutions not so much in an explicit way as by its odd capacity to un-think the supposed solutions."
"After thirty-one, no new friends: acquire only butlers and double agents."
Philosophy and Wisdom Quotes
"Fifty percent of people won't vote, and fifty percent don't read newspapers. I hope it's the same fifty percent."
"We’re beyond law; we’re beyond justice, but not beyond hope, all that one can sensibly expect, hope for the best, fear the worst."
"Faith is not for the intelligent or educated, but for those given to a more religious outlook and lifestyle."
"Earth is the alien planet for me, the measure of my endurances, my resistance to superstitions and faiths. I am not splendor of another world, I am man, this is my place, my world and my existence."
"The best thing about writing is writing."
"The more money an American accumulates, the less interesting he becomes."
"Every illusion that we have betrayed and parted with is laughable for those who gained power through it."
"The three most destructive words in the English language, 'If only...' "
"I exist to wonder, to see what dreams may come upon the canvas of my mind."
"A writer should have the precision of a poet and the imagination of a scientist."
"Never miss a chance to have sex or to appear on television."
"I never miss a chance to have sex or to be on television."
Historical Perspective Quotes
"History is nothing but gossip."
"As always, truth should be approached with respect, and where possible, a sense of humor."
"The three of us went to Buttrys, there was no God there, but the attention of an interesting waiter can do wonders."
"Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode, the rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road."
"There is no such thing as a freak nation except in the sense that Mexico is the freak nation of the United States."
"History is a kind of tangled laundry that Peter down the ages provides. But, ironically, despite our efforts, it smells rather sweet."
"All in all, I would not have missed this century. I think we owe it to the world to go on living, developing, discovering."
"For all of its contradictions and its grievances, America is worth knowing from the inside out."
"When you hear “idealism,” you know you are hearing lies. Truths may not always set you free, nor make you happy, but a false vision will make you most miserable."
"The opposite of a realist is not a fantasist, but a mere fantasist is often, in fact, a complacent coward."
"To joke often is to talk often to Gods, and that is the caprice of every joke."
"I lived my days with the quiet, joyous remembrance of everyone I have loved."
Satire and Wit Quotes
"The United States was founded by the brightest people in the country — and we haven’t seen them since."
"We’re not a model democracy, but I would think we’re some kind of jot worth examining."
"By the time I was 20, I was a man of the world and I should soon need a lawyer to prove it."
"The great thing about being a writer is that everything happens twice: once in reality, and once in that mirrored inscape of memory where ideas, dialogue, emotions are stored, and, down the line, transformed into art."
"For me to say how successful is my social life is equivalent to say how quiet and peaceful is my mind. I have neither."
"The wit of a satirist a buried photograph, never know through which window it's going to jump out."
"A narcissus who doesn’t understand his mythology leaves furrows in every part of life."
"For the man of polished words, errors will elapse tragically."
"There is only one lesson to be learned: there is only one true perfectionist race - the writer's race."
"In a world turned upside down, the greatest mover is the one who inspires others to stand tall."
"Have you ever considered being passive is not always bad? We call it 'strategic reclining.'"
"After much deep thinking, I am convinced that stupidity is the only social glue."
War and Peace Quotes
"Count me a cynical Christian."
"War is the ultimate means by which one nation negates the authorship of another."
"Peace sometimes may be as destructive as war."
"The human race radiates into the unknown, and every blazing torch eventually goes out."
"Denial is the oldest technique we have for fighting back. When everything else fails we will always deny."
"For the sake of the moon, don't fight on it."
"Till no step of great men saved us from war drowned, not sweeter, the art of peace, until exceeding annihilation we impart."
"Smiling I turn back to find they gone have left me fires behind."
"Once people make war, the only thing they can hope for is honorable peace. And we’ve never seen it, although it’s a beautiful concept."
"I am the bearer of consequences, the liveryman of peace."
"We are people who do not want war, but for those who do, allow me to show you the haunting drama made of come-ons and long goodbyes."
"All we need for peace are voices wavering in the wind."
Power and Authority Quotes
"The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from even asking the question 'Is it just?' by narcotizing a large part of the population with TV and by detaining others in a poisonous national greenhouse."
"The more dishonest truth becomes, the more we want from the good haberdashers."
"Power is the drive to retain absolute supremacy, and it never took a human form for me until now."
"Tyrants never end their rule for long. This is history's great mistake squeezed in a hollow yawn."
"Privilege is the price of power. How often have you heard that predicament before? Sounding truthful is frighteningly easy for some people."
"Let me give you advice when dealing with power brokers: talk fast, think fast, fly faster."
"Power isn’t fame, nor prestige nor material riches, it’s a hand reaching over your head, plucking thoughts from a jotted pad of destiny."
"Our leaders know nothing about love, nothing about the tenacity of time and space, nor about the great night land steering the power of being."
"Let the opposing side tremble, because there is nothing more rewarding than the sound of power ruling with the iron glove."
"I gaze into the realm of the mighty and see what mankind is capable of achieving, then I shed many tears for those left powerless."
"Fight the power or join the power, an age-old question I've decided never to solve."
"This world can be ruled in the assurance, that the less someone is able to learn, the more power they will wield."
Human Nature Quotes
"Human beings are the only creatures who are able to behave irrationally in the name of reason."
"Love is a matter of avoiding traps."
"At first, trying to be an oracle was just a distraction from work, but it soon turned into guessing games I could play with time."
"Never expect people to object to the status quo. They cling to it even if it’s driving them mad."
"Our nature is a hypothetical cage we don’t surpass until we dare to cross the final ledge."
"Being human isn’t our most desirable characteristic, but it’s our only one."
"We bear our humanity with the hope that it might transcend, create new meanings, undercover palatial lies of God’s undone form."
"To be human is to retreat from freedom, to submit to fear and cherry-pick which institutions to trust."
"Or ignore the glaring circumstances of humor and toil. In the peril of this age, difficulty is governed by action."
"If all human life ceases to exist tomorrow, no one will miss us. Except the leaflets left by humans proclaiming their influence."
"Life spans as we understand are merely perpetuations of myth, a desperate damnation in this thing we call time."
"Love is a state of perpetual temporary insanity."
Final words
Gore Vidal's sharp, insightful, and often controversial observations serve as a mirror reflecting the culture, identity, and political dynamics of the time. Through his piercing wit and candid reflections, he challenged the status quo, dissecting the fabric of society with a surgical precision that left no frayed edges. Whether through his critiques on politics, culture, or human nature, Vidal's voice remains as relevant today as ever, encouraging us to look beyond surface gloss and question the world around us. His legacy as a commentator on the human condition is immortalized in his quotes, a testament to a mind unafraid to venture where few dared. Embrace the challenge Vidal poses with his stark observations, as they open avenues for deeper contemplation on our societal behaviors, our roles within it, and our potential for growth. Ultimately, Vidal's work invites us to not merely exist but to conscientiously engage with the world, sparking change through inquisition, revelation, and unwavering honesty.
