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Quote by Quentin Crisp

“There is no great dark man. Even under an exterior as rugged as a mountain range, there lurks the same wounded, wincing psyche that cripples the rest of us. Where we are led to think we will find strength, we shall discover force; where we hope for ruthlessness, we shall unearth spite; and when we think we are clinging desperately to a rock, it is falling upon us. Even with a man whose neck is thicker than his head, if we are not careful, we shall be involved in an argument about who most loves whom. The trouble is that, if you find that by mistake you have bitten into a soft centre, you can't very well put it back in the box.”

Quote by Quentin Crisp

Book:The Naked Civil Servant

Work

The Naked Civil Servant

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Author

Quentin Crisp (December 25, 1908 – November 21, 1999) was an English writer, actor, and social commentator, best known for his flamboyant style and open homosexuality during a time of widespread prejudice. Born Denis Charles Pratt in Sutton, London, he later adopted the name Quentin Crisp. His 1968 autobiography, 'The Naked Civil Servant,' chronicled his life as an openly gay man in conservative Britain, and was adapted into a critically acclaimed TV film starring John Hurt. Crisp also wrote 'How to Have a Style' and 'Manners from Heaven,' and appeared in films like 'Orlando' and 'The Bride.' He moved to New York in the 1980s, becoming a cultural icon known for his wit and advocacy of individuality. He died in Manchester at age 90. more

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Book:The Naked Civil Servant

Source: The Naked Civil Servant

“Good heaven, how is it possible for a man to maintain a constant lie in his appearance abroad and in company and content himself with showing disagreeable truth only at home?”

Book:The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling

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“Víš jak chutná sníh?" "Ne." "Tak zkus chytit vločku na jazyk." Předváděl jsem ti jak. V tu chvíli jsi stála u mě. "Dáš mi ochutnat?”

Book:Outsider

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“He comprendido que pocos hombres se realizan antes de morir, y he juzgado con mayor piedad sus interrumpidos trabajos.”

Book:Memoirs of Hadrian

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“A fruitlessly worrying male is a nuisance. The best thing he can do is to disguise his worry, and stand staunchly by, impersonating a pillar of strength while performing certain practical and organizational services. I offer you the fruit of somewhat intensive experience.”

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“A large part of their motive for attacking me was to release their sexual curiosity in a manner consistent with their heavily guarded idea of manliness. They were only slightly concerned with forcing me to accept their superiority. If this latter was their whole aim, then all those street brawls were a waste of time. I regarded all heterosexuals, however low, as superior to any homosexual, however noble.”

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Author:Quentin Crisp

“The irony: I'd been thrilled when Aaron noticed me, and when, tonight, he called me his girlfriend. But on the street, I tried to creep past any other male gazes, ghostlike. That's womanhood, I suppose, both craving and feeling repulsed by attention.”

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“All at once I felt like crying. And while I am at it, that's the other thing about men - just when you are at your most disgusted with them, they can lay you out some gratuitous act of generosity and all at once, stupid but true, instead of being mad you feel ashamed of yourself for ever having a mean and cynical thought about them.”

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