Mason Cooley

Even in rapture, part of the mind watches.

— Mason Cooley

After my spectacular failures, I could not be satisfied with an ordinary success.

— Mason Cooley

As every cockroach knows, thriving on poisons is the secret of success.

— Mason Cooley

Suffering teaches us only that we suffer. Joy shows us which way to go.

— Mason Cooley

Talent shuffles the deck. Genius brings a new deck.

— Mason Cooley

Writers mean more than they say and say more than they mean.

— Mason Cooley

Once discover comfort, and there is no turning back.

— Mason Cooley

Other people's beliefs may be myths, but not mine.

— Mason Cooley

The irrational may be attractive in the abstract, but not in cab drives, dinner guests, or elderly relatives.

— Mason Cooley

Ironic and jittery, we are puzzled by the old heroes with their fighting, boasting, and cocksure lovemaking.

— Mason Cooley

The poor live slow and hard; the rich, fast and easy. The rest of us shuffle along as we may.

— Mason Cooley

History takes place between the Fall and the Apocalypse, with a narrow escape route called Salvation.

— Mason Cooley

Friendship is love minus sex and plus reason. Love is friendship plus sex minus reason

— Mason Cooley

Loneliness is more likely to lead to fussy housekeeping than to grand views of the Universe.

— Mason Cooley

Self-criticism expands the opportunities for discourse and eliminates the need for an adversary.

— Mason Cooley

A small boy puts his hand on the wall, and looks down intently as he wriggles his toes. The birth of thought?

— Mason Cooley

A quiet fool can go undiscovered for a long time.

— Mason Cooley

Popular culture is seductive; high culture is imperious.

— Mason Cooley

My mind is led astray by every faint rustle.

— Mason Cooley

Yearning wants mostly to perpetuate itself.

— Mason Cooley

Illusions are hazardous, and so are disillusions.

— Mason Cooley

Shameless: Punish me for my desire if you will. It burns still.

— Mason Cooley

An omnipotent God is the only being with no reason to lie.

— Mason Cooley

Bored by safety, the lover grows jealous and exacting.

— Mason Cooley

If suffering brought wisdom, the dentist's office would be full of luminous ideas.

— Mason Cooley

Laughter and tears may not persuade, but they cannot be refuted.

— Mason Cooley

Human nature is a scoundrel'sfavorite explanation.

— Mason Cooley

Intelligence in isolation turns to aimless marauding.

— Mason Cooley

My aspiration now is to get by luck what I could not get by merit.

— Mason Cooley

To love a fool is a misfortune, but does not make one a fool.

— Mason Cooley

Language is the friendliest of the things from which we cannot escape.

— Mason Cooley

Infallibility and invincible ignorance are the same thing.

— Mason Cooley

Every good time that goes on too long turns into a hell.

— Mason Cooley

Mistrust makes life difficult. Trust makes it risky.

— Mason Cooley

Language cannot say everything, fortunately.

— Mason Cooley

Self-congratulation pleases only the speaker.

— Mason Cooley

Irony regards every simple truth as a challenge.

— Mason Cooley

Not even self-love can always be counted on for support.

— Mason Cooley

Mortality: not acquittal but a series of postponements is what we hope for.

— Mason Cooley

Pedagogical romances leave the mentor disgruntled, the pupil confused.

— Mason Cooley