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Quote by Barbara Holland

“Life, after we'd had a few millennia to observe it, turned out to be dreadfully unfair, so we invented sports.”

Author

Barbara Holland (April 5, 1933 - September 7, 2010) was a British author known for her unique literary style and profound insights into social issues. more

“In America, snobs who wouldn't be seen dead with a lottery ticket play the stock market. We like to gamble. Winning, we have closed our eyes, leapt across the yawning abyss, and landed knee-deep in daisies. Even losing has a certain gloomy glamour: the gods of chance are worthy opponents; we have engaged them in hand-to-hand combat and though we lost, at least we shrank not from the contest.”

“Recreational talking is, along with private singing, one of our saddest recent losses. Like singing, talking has become a job for trained professionals, who are paid considerable sums of money to do it on television and radio while we sit silently listening or, if we're truly lonely and determined, call the station and sit holding the phone waiting for a chance to contribute our two cents' worth.”

Ifs Two Jobs Waiting Chance Loss Talking Television Listening Singing Lonely Paid Phones Radio Determined Stations Cents Saddest Two Cents Television And Radio

Author:Barbara Holland

“War was ... the chief or maybe the only source of patriotism, and many a politician, from prehistory up to this morning, unified a discontented citizenry by pointing out a national danger and declaring war on it.”

War Morning Danger Source Politician Chiefs Pointing Unified Declaring Citizenry Prehistory Declaring War

Book:Wasn't the Grass Greener?: A Curmudgeon's Fond Memories

Source: Wasn't the Grass Greener?: A Curmudgeon's Fond Memories

“Success in war was the only success that counted; failure was a disgrace to be wiped out only by starting another war and winning it.”

War Winning Starting Disgrace

Book:Wasn't the Grass Greener?: A Curmudgeon's Fond Memories

Source: Wasn't the Grass Greener?: A Curmudgeon's Fond Memories

“Smiting enemies has always been so admired that, unlike medicine or archaeology, it entitled its successful practitioners to become kings, emperors, and presidents.”

President Enemy Successful Kings Medicine Entitled Emperor Archaeology

Book:Wasn't the Grass Greener?: A Curmudgeon's Fond Memories

Source: Wasn't the Grass Greener?: A Curmudgeon's Fond Memories

“If a quick glance back over world history shows us anything, it shows us that war was one of our most universal joys from our earliest beginnings, savored at every possible opportunity and even some quite incomprehensible ones.”

Ifs World War Shows Joy Opportunity Universal Glances World History

Book:Wasn't the Grass Greener?: A Curmudgeon's Fond Memories

Source: Wasn't the Grass Greener?: A Curmudgeon's Fond Memories

“a woman may be called a wife and mother for most of her life, while a man is called a husband and father only at his funeral.”

Men May Mother Father Wife Husband Funeral Wives And Mothers Husband And Father

Book:One's Company: Reflections on Living Alone

Source: One's Company: Reflections on Living Alone

“Cats vary so widely that all data is meaningless and the professional classifiers gnash their teeth trying to come up with even a single fact common to all.”

Trying Facts Common Cat Come Up Teeth Data Meaningless Vary

Book:Secrets of the Cat: Its Lore, Legend, and Lives

Source: Secrets of the Cat: Its Lore, Legend, and Lives

“It's curious that throughout our history together, with no apparent effort, people have been able to think of the cat simultaneously as the guardian spirit of the hearth and home, and as the emblem of freedom, independence, and rootlessness.”

People Thinking Heart Has Beens Home Able Together Spirit Effort Cat Independence Curious Guardian Emblems

Book:Secrets of the Cat: Its Lore, Legend, and Lives

Source: Secrets of the Cat: Its Lore, Legend, and Lives

“The larger the ego, the less the need for other egos around. The more modest, humble, and self-effacing we feel, the more we suffer from solitude, feeling ourselves inadequate company.”

Needs Feels Self Feelings Suffering Company Solitude Ego Humble Modest Inadequate

Book:One's Company: Reflections on Living Alone

Source: One's Company: Reflections on Living Alone

Quote by Barbara Holland

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