He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense. — John McCarthy Arithmetic Copy Share Image
When I see a slippery slope, my instinct is to build a terrace. — John McCarthy Build Copy Share Image
A declining institution often experiences survival of the unfittest. — John McCarthy Declining Copy Share Image
Amateur bureaucrats are often even worse than professional bureaucrats. — John McCarthy Amateur Copy Share Image
“All travel is, after all, a journey in time & in mind… physical landscapes are a mirror of, or perhaps a key… — John McCarthy Journey Copy Share Image
We modern Marxists regard socialism as a historically brief transitional stage between feudalism and capitalism, necessary only in backward countries. — John McCarthy Backward Copy Share Image
The slogan was 'Don't trust anyone over thirty'. Sixty years later the slogan became, 'Don't trust anyone over ninety'. — John McCarthy Anyone Copy Share Image
Never abandon a theory that explains something until you have a theory that explains more. — John McCarthy Abandon Copy Share Image
Don't try to talk anyone out of concentrating his hatred on Ayn Rand or any other dead person. It can't harm the… — John McCarthy Actually Copy Share Image
If a person can be said to have the wrong attitude, there is no need to pay attention to his arguments. — John McCarthy Argument Copy Share Image
An extreme optimist is a man who believes that humanity will probably survive even if it doesn't take his advice. — John McCarthy Advice Copy Share Image
An excessive knowledge of Marxism is a sign of a misspent youth. — John McCarthy Excessive Copy Share Image
If I owned Marseilles and Hell, I'd rent out Marseilles and live in Hell. — John McCarthy Hell Copy Share Image
Asking a critic to name his favorite book is like asking a butcher to name his favorite pig. — John McCarthy Asking Copy Share Image
When thugs by nature meet thugs by political conviction, 5-0 is not surprising. — John McCarthy Conviction Copy Share Image
My hobby of not attending meetings about recycling saves more energy than your hobby of recycling. — John McCarthy About Copy Share Image
Slogans rarely convince the unconvinced. However, they do rally the troops already on your side. — John McCarthy Convince Copy Share Image
The peace movement is a great force for peace. Some of the world's most quarrelsome people act out their aggressions through the… — John McCarthy Act Copy Share Image
Committing genocide on behalf of an institution generates greater loyalty to it than merely getting people fired from their jobs on its… — John McCarthy Behalf Copy Share Image
A true intellectual is a man who, after reading a book and being convinced by its arguments, will shoot someone or, more… — John McCarthy After Copy Share Image
Once a person has killed other people on behalf of an ideology, he becomes rather devoted to it. — John McCarthy Becomes Copy Share Image
The difference between a contemporary liberal and a socialist is that to a liberal the most beautiful word in the English language… — John McCarthy Beautiful Copy Share Image
Of course, Third World leaders love you. By ascribing third world ills to First World sins, you absolve them of blame for… — John McCarthy Advance Copy Share Image
There is only one thing more harmful to society than an elected official forgetting the promises he made in order to get… — John McCarthy Elected Copy Share Image
It is said that man doesn't live by bread alone. Sometimes this is unfortunate, because people who cannot live by bread alone… — John McCarthy Alone Copy Share Image
“An atheist doesn't have to be someone who thinks he has a proof that there can't be a god. He only has… — John McCarthy Atheist Copy Share Image
Both politicians and journalists face situations which strain their honesty and humanity. My opinion is that politicians on the average stand up… — John McCarthy Average Copy Share Image
Hardly anyone has noticed that in the Northern Hemisphere people stir their drinks counterclockwise, whereas the same people stir their drinks clockwise… — John McCarthy Anyone Copy Share Image
Alas few socialists are either benevolent enough to work hard at these occupations out of benevolence or self-interested enough to work hard… — John McCarthy Alas Copy Share Image
Comparing oneself with Galileo or Einstein is certainly good for the ego, provided one refrains from going into too much detail. — John McCarthy Self deception Copy Share Image
Foolishness is rarely a matter of lack of intelligence or even lack of information. — John McCarthy Foolishness Copy Share Image
