A collection of thoughts and quotations by Joseph Heller on humor, survival, war, death, mediocrity, ego, criticism, freedom, dreams, religion and life.
Joseph Heller was an American playwright, short story writer and novelist who is considered to be one of the best known satirical novelists of the 20th century. Heller was born in a poor family and worked in odd jobs after high school, before serving in the US Army Air Corps from 1942. Heller however, had always been interested in writing and after studying English at NYU, Columbia University and then at Oxford under a Fulbright Scholarship, he enriched his knowledge on the language. Heller became a teacher and taught at several well-known universities and wrote stories in his spare time. Heller’s first story was published in the magazine ‘The Atlantic’ but it was in 1953 when his novel ‘Catch 22’ brought him mainstream success and the novel is still widely regarded as one of the finest satirical novels written in the English language. ‘Catch 22’ catapulted him to worldwide fame and remains his most famous work. Other notable novels written by Heller include, ‘Something Happened’, ‘Picture This’, ‘God Knows’, ‘Portrait of an Artist as an Old Man’ and ‘Closing Time’. Heller was a man of great wit and intelligence and his works still remain as the finest examples of modern satire. We have selected his most famous quotes from his collection of writings, novels, books, and are sure to inspire you besides tickling your funny bones. Have a look at the collection of quotations, thoughts and sayings by Joseph Heller.
When I look up, I see people cashing in. I don't see heaven or saints or angels. I see people cashing in on every decent impulse and every human tragedy.
Morale was deteriorating and it was all Yossarian's fault. The country was in peril; he was jeopardizing his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them.
Joseph Heller
Destiny is a good thing to accept when it's going your way. When it isn't, don't call it destiny; call it injustice, treachery, or simple bad luck.
Joseph Heller
He was a self-made man who owed his lack of success to nobody.
Joseph Heller
You know, that might be the answer – to act boastfully about something we ought to be ashamed of. That’s a trick that never seems to fail.
Men," he began his address to the officers, measuring his pauses carefully. "You're American officers. The officers of no other army in the world can make that statement. Think about it.
You're an intelligent person of great moral character who has taken a very courageous stand. I'm an intelligent person with no moral character at all, so I'm in an ideal position to appreciate it.
You wouldn’t be normal if you were never afraid. Even the bravest men experience fear. One of the biggest jobs we all face in combat is to overcome fear.
Something did happen to me somewhere that robbed me of confidence and courage and left me with a fear of discovery and change and a positive dread of everything unknown that may occur.
Like Olympic medals and tennis trophies, all they signified was that the owner had done something of no benefit to anyone more capably than everyone else.
While none of the work we do is very important, it is important that we do a great deal of it.
Joseph Heller
Someone had to do something sometime. Every victim was a culprit, every culprit a victim, and somebody had to stand up sometime to try to break the lousy chain of inherited habit that was imperiling them all.
Joseph Heller
He was one of those people with lots of intelligence but no brains
Even among men lacking all distinction he inevitably stood out as a man lacking more distinction than all the rest, and people who met him were always impressed by how unimpressive he was.
Joseph Heller
When you consider the opportunity and power He had to really do a job, and then look at the stupid, ugly little mess He made of it instead, His sheer incompetence is almost staggering.
That's another thing that pisses me off about that Michelangelo statue of me in Florence. He's got me standing there uncircumcised! Who the fuck did he think I was?
It's a wise person, I guess, who knows he's dumb, and an honest person who knows he's a liar. And it's a dumb person, I guess, whose convinced he's wise...-Bob Slocum
That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.
It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.
Joseph Heller
The night was full of horrors, and he thought he knew how Christ must have felt as he walked through the world, like a psychiatrist through a ward full of nuts.......
He made so many people uneasy. Everyone was always very friendly toward him, and no one was ever very nice; everyone spoke to him, and no one ever said anything.
Joseph Heller
¨ Oh, I´m not complaining. I know there´s a war on. I know a lot of people are going to have to suffer for us to win it. But why must I be one of them?¨
But that was war. Just about all he could find in its favor was that it paid well and liberated children from the pernicious influence of their parents.
Maybe I am senile already and people are too kind to tell me. People are not kind and would tell me. (Maybe people have told me, and I'm too senile to remember).
The captain was a good chess player, and the games were always interesting. Yossarian had stopped playing chess with him because the games were so interesting they were foolish.
Joseph Heller
He could not make them understand that...having a good time bored him and was not worth the effort.
Success and failure are both difficult to endure. Along with success come drugs, divorce, fornication, bullying, travel, meditation, medication, depression, neurosis and suicide. With failure comes failure.
Joseph Heller
Only Hungry Joe had something better to do each time he finished his missions. He had screaming nightmares and won fist fights with Huple's cat.
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