--- title: "6 Vice Quotes By John Steinbeck" description: "6 Vice quotes by John Steinbeck. Plus more from John Steinbeck and more Vice sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f3/john-steinbeck-71_frailty_in-uncertainty-i-am-certain-that-underne_914595.jpg" --- > [“In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/in-uncertainty-i-am-certain-that-underneath-their-topmost-layers-of-5/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f3/john-steinbeck-71_frailty_in-uncertainty-i-am-certain-that-underne_914595.jpg) > [“I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one, that has frightened and inspired us, so that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-believe-that-there-is-one-story-in-the-world-and-only-one-that-has-2/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/john-steinbeck-71_character_i-believe-that-there-is-one-story-in-the_1166121.jpg) > [“Poetry was a secret vice, and properly so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/poetry-was-a-secret-vice-and-properly-so/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/john-steinbeck-71_poetry_poetry-was-a-secret-vice-and-properly-so_1748086.jpg) > [“Nearly everyone in the world has appetites and impulses, trigger emotions, islands of selfishness, lusts just beneath the surface.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/nearly-everyone-in-the-world-has-appetites-and-impulses-trigger/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/john-steinbeck-71_beneath-the-surface_nearly-everyone-in-the-world-has-appetit_2100770.jpg) > [“Doc turned in the seat and looked back. The disappearing sun shone on his laughing face, his gay and eager face. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/doc-turned-in-the-seat-and-looked-back-the-disappearing-sun-shone-on/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/576/john-steinbeck-71_left-hand_doc-turned-in-the-seat-and-looked-back-t_2411348.jpg) > [We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the neverending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/we-have-only-one-story-all-novels-all-poetry-are-built-on-the/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43d/john-steinbeck-71_books_we-have-only-one-story-all-novels-all-po_3085396.jpg) ## Other authors on Vice - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-146.jpg) François De La Rochefoucauld 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) - [Benjamin Franklin 8 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/benjamin-franklin/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b022/author-shane-smith-84380.jpg) Shane Smith 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/shane-smith/) - [Samuel Johnson 5 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/samuel-johnson/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b002/author-nancy-dubuc-4225.jpg) Nancy Dubuc 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/nancy-dubuc/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b014/author-juvenal-54721.jpg) Juvenal 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/juvenal/) ## More by John Steinbeck > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Prayer never brought in no side-meat. Takes a shoat to bring in pork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/prayer-never-brought-in-no-side-meat-takes-a-shoat-to-bring-in-pork/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“And now submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-now-submarines-are-armed-with-mass-murder-our-silly-only-way-of/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“I’d think there are degrees of greatness,” Adam said. “I don’t think so,” said Samuel. “That would be like saying there is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-d-think-there-are-degrees-of-greatness-adam-said-i-don-t-think-so/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“He was forever inventing a new way of doing an old thing and doing it better and quicker, but he never in his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/he-was-forever-inventing-a-new-way-of-doing-an-old-thing-and-doing-it/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“You come back a changed man. Samuel, you don’t change him. He changes you. I can see the look of him in your face.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/you-come-back-a-changed-man-samuel-you-don-t-change-him-he-changes/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I find out of long experience that I admire all nations and hate all governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-find-out-of-long-experience-that-i-admire-all-nations-and-hate-all/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Who in his mind has not probe the dark water?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/who-in-his-mind-has-not-probe-the-dark-water/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-lie-is-told-in-kindness-i-don-t-believe-it-ever-works/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [People like you to be something, preferably what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/people-like-you-to-be-something-preferably-what-they-are/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Suddenly he knew joy and sorrow felted into one fabric. Courage and fear were one thing too. He found that he had started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/suddenly-he-knew-joy-and-sorrow-felted-into-one-fabric-courage-and/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I am writing this from what we Americans call Yurrp. In Yurrp writers are taken as seriously as Lana Turner's legs are in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-writing-this-from-what-we-americans-call-yurrp-in-yurrp-writers/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I write because I like to write. I find joy in the texture and tone and rhythm of words. It is a satisfaction like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-write-because-i-like-to-write-i-find-joy-in-the-texture-and-tone/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/john-steinbeck/#itemlist", "name": "6 Vice Quotes By John Steinbeck", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved. 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