Brian Gongol
To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee
- Let's leave it at this: you mind Jem whenever he can make you. Fair enough?
-- Atticus Finch, page 139, Warner Books 1982 printing
- One more thing, gentlemen, before I quit. Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal, a phrase that the Yankees and the distaff side of the Executive branch in Washington are fond of hurling at us. There is a tendency in this year of grace, 1935, for certain people to use this phrase out of context, to satisfy all conditions. The most ridiculous example I can think of is that the people who run public education promote the stupid and idle along with the industrious -- because all men are created equal, educators will gravely tell you, the children left behind suffer terrible feelings of inferiority. We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe -- some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they're born with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others -- some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men. But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal -- there is one human institution which makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, a stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court.
-- Atticus Finch, page 205
- Mr. Finch, there's just some kind of men you have to shoot before you say hidy to 'em. Even then, they ain't worth the bullet it takes to shoot 'em.
-- Heck Tate, page 269
- The wisest man I ever knew taught me something I never forgot. And although I never forgot it, I never quite memorized it either. So what I'm left with is the memory of having learned something very wise that I can't quite remember.
-- page 70
- I've adopted a new lifestyle that doesn't require my presence. In fact, if I don't want to, I don't have to get out of bed at all, and I still get credit for a full day.
-- page 71
- Someone said to me, "Make yourself a sandwich." Well, if I could make myself a sandwich, I wouldn't make myself a sandwich. I'd make myself a horny, 18-year-old billionaire.
-- page 81
- Where ideas are concerned, America can be counted on to do one of two things: take a good idea and run it completely into the ground, or take a bad idea and run it completely into the ground.
-- page 81
- Cloud nine gets all the publicity, but cloud eight actually is cheaper, less crowded, and has a better view.
-- page 202
- What's all this stuff about retirement I keep hearing on TV commercials? People planning, saving; they can't wait to retire. One woman on TV says to her husband, "At this rate, Jeff, we'll never be able to retire!" What is this all about? Why would someone spend his whole life doing something he can't wait to get away from?
-- page 203
- I never believe what I read in the press anyway.
Oh. Therein lies your problem, Mr. Bond. You see, we're both men of action, but your era and Miss Lin's is passing. Words are the new weapons. Satellites the new artillery.
And you've become the new Supreme Allied Commander.
Exactly. Caesar had his legions. Napoleon had his armies. I have my divisions. TV, news, magazines. And by midnight tonight, I'll have reached and influenced more people than anyone in the history of this planet, save God himself. And the best he ever managed was the Sermon on the Mount.
You really are quite insane.
The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.
-- Exchange between Elliot Carver and James Bond
- As an entrepreneur, you must be conclusion-oriented. In your world, no one wants to hear about the labor pains, they just want to see the baby.
-- page 86
- The worst sin you can commit is to allow a question to sidetrack the purpose of your meeting.
-- page 87
- Generally speaking, you won't discover the other person's desires in the first negotiating session. You have to take time to forge a relationship. Get acquainted with your opposite number. Go out for dinner or to a ball game. All the time you're with him, look for clues. A negotiator should observe everything. You must be part Sherlock Holmes, part Sigmund Freud.
-- page 158
- If you're late for an appointment, excuse yourself and claim you have to check in with the office. A white lie. Call whomever you're scheduled to meet with next, make your apologies, and get back to the table. Business is where you are, and you mustn't pass up a chance to mine those nuggets of information.
-- page 159
- Entrepreneurs with new concepts or products can thrive during economic downturns.The old merchandise and ideas aren't selling, so retailers are willing to try anything that might stimulate trade.
-- page 200
- It was my opinion -- and still is -- that a guy who tries to impress upon a newcomer how tough his business is, really is only attempting to bolster his own ego because of a lack of actual accomplishment.
-- page 28
- If you slow down enough to look over your right shoulder, I'll pass you on the left; if you slow down enough to look over your left shoulder, I'll pass you on the right; and if you slow down long enough to try to block my pass on either side, I'll jump over you, if necessary. You'd better keep your eyes straight ahead, because that sound you hear behind you is me...breathing down your neck.
-- page 29
- I don't know of any type of business where the development of good systems, for the purpose of delegating authority with a minimum of errors, is not crucial.
-- page 134
- If you push a man to the point where he feels that he's been challenged, then realities, values and logic suddenly don't matter anymore.
-- page 188
- You must -- no...change that to: you MUST -- take matters into your own hands and move swiftly once you smell victory. This applies just the same whether you're trying to win a business deal, a football game, or a woman. When it gets down to the crucial moment, the great quarterback always takes control of the game.
-- page 151
- In simplest terms: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line; when you "co-broker," you form a triangle. The odds against closing a big deal -- in any type of business -- are staggering, even when you're working directly with the "principals;" to try to do it with a third party between you and the person or persons who are in a position to say "yes" or "no" is almost masochistic.
-- page 104
- Being liked was not much of a reward for being poor and disrespected; on the other hand, having money and being respected were more than enough consolation for having a few people dislike me.
-- page 95
- I knew that once I made the self-proclamation of being "above the pack" -- once I announced to the world that I had leapfrogged to a new level -- the proverbial heat in the kitchen would be turned up considerably. Like every person who has ever had the guts to go after something better, I knew I would be the object of attack from many directions if I carried through with my plans; I knew I would be inviting jealousy and resentment. I also faced the reality, however, that jealousy, resentment, and increased heat are natural by-products of getting ahead.
-- page 95
- In business, no one ever does anything for anybody else without expecting to gain something in return. A person may say tha the's doing something just to be nice -- and he may even believe it -- but don't you believe it. In the final analysis, his non-altruistic subconscious mind will automatically regulate his actions.
-- page 40
- The Boy-Girl Theory is probably the most basic of all psychological rules governing human relationships. In fact it was in existence the day man first appeared on earth. It states that every person wants what he can't have and does not want what he can have. It is most evident in the "boy-girl game," and there are very few adults in the world who have not played that game. It works like this:
If boy plays it cool, then girl wants boy (or vice versa); if boy comes on like hungry dog chasing squirrel, then girl doesn't want boy (or vice versa).
-- page 145
- In Texas, everything is bigger. When Texans win, they win big. And when they lose, it's spectacular.
-- page 134
- Texans have a saying, "If you're going to go broke, go big." You don't want to admit you went broke over a duplex. Most people around here are so afraid of losing, they don't have a duplex to go broke with.
-- page 135
- Balanced people go nowhere. They stay in one spot. To make progress, you must first go unbalanced. Just look at how you make progress walking. Thomas Edison was not balanced. He was focused. Bill Gates was not balanced. He was focused. Donald Trump is focused. George Soros is focused. George Patton did not take his tanks wide. He focused them and blew through the weak spots in the German line. The French went wide with the Maginot Line, and you know what happened to them. If you have any desire of being rich, you must focus. Put a lot of your eggs in a few baskets.
-- page 137
- Rich dad forbade the words "I can't afford it." In my real home that's all I heard. Instead rich dad required his children to say, "How can I afford it?"
-- page 142
- So how do you beat laziness? The answer is a little greed. It's that radio station WII-FM, which stands for "What's In It - For Me?" [...] Be a little greedy. It's the best cure for laziness.
-- page 143
- When it comes to investing, too many people make it sound hard. Instead, find heroes who make it look easy.
-- page 166
- Above all other traits, one who desires to lead must possess an intrinsic desire to achieve substantial personal recognition and be willing to earn it all in fairness.
-- page 26
- You must recognize and accept that your greatness will be made possible through the extremes of your personality -- the very extremes that sometimes make for campfire satire and legendary stories.
-- page 26
- Discipline does not mean a loss of individuality.
-- page 36
- Chieftains never condone a lack of either morale or discipline. They plan for morale and discipline! They cause it to happen!
-- page 36
- You are your reputation! If people speak evil of you, erroneously attribute misdeeds to you and will not serve a greater purpose, you must do away with those adversaries or you must behave in a manner that will encourage them to amend their judgments. It isn't easy being the Scourge of God, but it has its advantages in dealing with the enemy. Among my own people, however, I seek no such reputation. For if they perceived me as having such a wicked intent, I would not long serve as their king.
-- page 48
- Do not consider all opponents to be enemies. You may have productive, friendly confrontations, with others inside and outside your tribe.
-- page 56
- Leaders must expect continual improvement in their subordinates based on new knowledge and experiences.
-- page 62
- Chieftains must understand that the spirit of the law is greater than its letter.
-- page 63
- The circumstances of a given moment are not to be used as an excuse for being unprepared to make decisions incumbent to a chieftain. Indecisiveness is bred by failure to accept the responsibility of office -- be it great or small.
-- page 68
- It takes less courage to criticize the decisions of others than to stand by your own.
-- page 70
- Praise those who are simply good Huns. Their need for gratification tends to parallel their level of ambition. Security is utmost for those who risk not. Give them, therefore, assurance -- not great booty -- lest they learn large value is given to those who just get by.
-- page 78
-
Always maintain the diplomatic initiative in all negotiations. Be on the offense always -- never lose contact with your enemy. This will place him in a lesser position, and you will have the upper hand.
-- page 83
- Never trust negotiation to luck. Enter every session armed with knowledge of the enemy's strengths and weaknesses; knowing his secrets makes you strong and allows you to better deceive him as to your ultimate goals.
-- page 83
- We must refrain from charging prematurely and furiously into unfamiliar situations.
-- page 93
- Regardless of the conditions under which a former chieftain departs his camp-- no matter how distasteful or dishonorable -- the new leader should neither encourage nor tolerate disrespectful talk of him. Speaking ill will not change past events or serve to further the Huns' understanding. It will most certainly tarnish the stature of the new leader.
-- page 100
- Written reports have purpose only if read by the king.
-- page 101
- A chieftain cannot win if he loses his nerve. He should be self-confident and self-reliant and even if he does not win, he will know he has done his best.
-- page 102
- If it were easy to be a chieftain, everyone would be one.
-- page 105
- Huns only make enemies on purpose.
-- page 105
- In tough times, the nation will always call the meanest chieftain to lead.
-- page 107
- National Security Agency.
Oh. You're the guys I hear breathing on the other end of my phone.
No, that's the FBI. We're not chartered for domestic surveillance.
Oh, I see. You just overthrow governments. Set up friendly dictators.
No, that's the CIA. We protect our government's communications. We try to break into the other guys' codes. We're the good guys.
-- exchange between Marty Bishop and NSA agent
- You know, I coulda worked for the NSA. But they found out my parents were married.
-- Marty Bishop
- You guys still keep tabs on all our agents?
These are just the ones we thought we could turn. You know, sexual problems, financial trouble. Then we had financial troubles.
-- exchange between Gregor and Marty Bishop
- We turn ourselves in now, they'll give us 20 years in the electric chair!
-- Mother
- You could have had the power.
I don't want it.
Don't you know the places we could go with this?
Yeah, I do. There's nobody there.
Exactly. The world isn't run by weapons anymore, or energy, or money. It's run by little ones and zeroes. Little bits of data. It's all just electrons.
-- exchange between Cosmo and Marty Bishop
- There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear. How we work; what we think. It's all about the information.
-- Cosmo
- The fossil evidence could be consistent with the idea of a Great Designer; perhaps some species are destroyed when the Designer becomes dissatisfied with them, and new experiments are attempted on an improved design. But this notion is a little disconcerting. Each plant and animal is exquisitely made; should not a supremely competent Designer have been able to make the intended variety from the start? The fossil record implies trial and error, an inability to anticipate the future, features inconsistent with an efficient Great Designer (although not with a Designer of a more remote and indirect temperament).
-- page 19, Ballantine Books 1980 edition
- Last year, they wouldn't even let him in here. But policy's changed.
Yeah? Why's that?
He bought the place.
- You know, I once talked a man out of blowing up the Sears Tower, but I cannot talk my wife out of the bedroom or my kid off the phone.
That's because no one is standing behind you with a big gun.
Oh, that's debatable.
-- Chris Sabian
- If you can't bill it, you're a charity.
-- unattributed