Anouilh, Jean quotes
1910-1987 French PlaywrightTo say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows. It s easy to say no, even if it means dying.
Anouilh, Jean
Involvement
Listen, my friend, there are two races of beings. The masses teeming and happy --common clay, if you like --eating, breeding, working, counting their pennies; people who just live; ordinary people; people you can t imagine dead. And then there are the others --the noble ones, the heroes. The ones you can quite well imagine lying shot, pale and tragic; one minute triumphant with a guard of honor, and the next being marched away between two gendarmes.
Anouilh, Jean
Heroes and Heroism
With God, what is terrible is that one never knows whether it s not just a trick of the devil.
Anouilh, Jean
God
There is love of course. And then there s life, its enemy.
Anouilh, Jean
Love
Poor little men, poor little cocks! As soon as they re old enough, they swell their plumage to be conquerors. If they only knew that it s enough to be just a little bit wounded and sad in order to obtain everything without fighting for it.
Anouilh, Jean
Men
It is restful, tragedy, because one knows that there is no more lousy hope left. You know you re caught, caught at last like a rat with all the world on its back. And the only thing left to do is shout -- not moan, or complain, but yell out at the top of your voice whatever it was you had to say. What you ve never said before. What perhaps you don t even know till now.
Anouilh, Jean
Tragedies
One cannot weep for the entire world, it is beyond human strength. One must choose.
Anouilh, Jean
Sympathy
The only immorality is not to do what one has to do when one has to do it.
Anouilh, Jean
Morality
Nothing is irreparable in politics.
Anouilh, Jean
Politicians and Politics
Saintliness is also a temptation.
Anouilh, Jean
Saints
Propaganda is a soft weapon; hold it in your hands too long, and it will move about like a snake, and strike the other way.
Anouilh, Jean
Propaganda
Every man thinks God is on his side. The rich and powerful know he is.
Anouilh, Jean
Riches
It takes a certain courage and a certain greatness to be truly base.
Anouilh, Jean
Courage
Until the day of his death, no man can be sure of his courage.
Anouilh, Jean
Courage
Effective action is always unjust.
Anouilh, Jean
Action
What you get free costs too much.
Anouilh, Jean
Cost
An ugly sight, a man who is afraid.
Anouilh, Jean
Fear
Beauty is one of the rare things that do not lead to doubt of God.
Anouilh, Jean
Beauty
Things are beautiful if you love them.
Anouilh, Jean
Beauty