“All those people who are chained here thinking that their reputations matter and this little shit matters are so freaking shortsighted. Dude, what matters is that you're happy. What matters is your future. What matters is that we get out of here in one piece. What matters is finding the truth of our own lives, not caring about what other people think is the truth of us.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“I am equal to a baby and to a hundred year old lady. I am equal to an airline pilot and a car mechanic. I am equal to you. You are equal to me. It's that universal.
Except that it's not.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“Look, this is a loan. I don't know if love is something I will run out of one day. I don't know if I should be giving it all to you guys or not. Today, I feel like maybe I should have kept some for myself for days when no one else loves me.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“But it feels good to love a thing and not expect anything back. It feels good to not get an argument or any pushiness or any rumors or any bullshit. It's love without strings. It's ideal.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“How can we say nobody's perfect if there is no perfect to compare to? Perfection implies that there really is a right and wrong way to be. And what type of perfection is the best type? Moral perfection? Aesthetic? Physiological? Mental?”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“I want my life to be easier than this. I mean, I know I'm not some starving kid who has to wash clothes in the Ganges for a nickel, but today just sucks.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“How many things do I have to invent in my head to survive this?”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“You know that saying about how you don’t know what you have until it’s gone? I already did know what I had, and now that she’s gone, I know even more.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“Everybody's always looking for the person they're better than”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“I'm not questioning *my* sexuality as much as I'm questioning the strict definitions and boxes of all *sexualities* and why we care so much about other people's intimate business.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“Some of you have it ingrained in you. You weren't born with it. No baby has hate for anything. We were all babies once, right? This little guy doesn't care what country you were born in or what religion you might practice or how much you weigh or who you might love.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“She smiled at me, and I never forgot it. Or more accurately, I always remembered it.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“I don’t have enough gross words in my gross vocabulary to describe how gross that gross thought is. Gross.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“Dude, what matters is if you're happy. What matters is your future. What matters is that we get out of here in one piece. What matters is finding the truth of our own lives, not caring about what other people think is the truth of us.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“I place us where we are a happy couple who are madly in love, and we are kissing the way people kiss on their wedding day. With joy and relief and love. Without guilt. Without Shame.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“I only hope that for right now, you remember that there is no place for hate in a happy life. I don’t care who you are, where you come from or what God you believe in. I can guarantee you that if you hate, you will never achieve true happiness.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“maybe if people weren't so careless, then nothing would need to be caged.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“I realized too late that gossip can’t kill you unless you let it.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“If only you’d stop thinking there’s such a thing as perfect, then you’d feel a lot better about yourself.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“No. Frank Socrates doesn’t have conditions, because he’s dead. He loves me unconditionally.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“Can I admit I’m a little freaked out that Socrates only has one name? I know that’s how it was done in those days, but it bugs me. I can’t tell if it’s his last name or his first name or what. And it can’t be shortened—except to Sock, which is completely stupid. I want him to have a more familiar name—something laid back and modern, so I can relate to him better. So I stare at the picture in my book of the curly-bearded guy with the pug nose, and by the end of study hall, I name him Frank. Frank Socrates. Makes him more huggable.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“I stare out the window and smile because just dreaming it is nice… even if it doesn't happen. Just dreaming it is nice.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“Look at our culture. Look at the computer-enhanced people we compare ourselves to. Look at the expensive cars and trinkets we're all supposed to have. Look at how many people are wrapped up in that! Imagine how much money and worry we'd save ourselves if we stopped caring what kind of car we drove! and why do we care? perfection. But there is no such thing, is there? And if there is, then everyone is perfect in their own way, right?”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“And i wish I didn't have to lie so much. I don't think Frank Socrates would approve of all this lying.
I think Frank would want me to cause a lot more trouble than that.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“And if any of you has a problem with any of it, then it's *your* problem. Being gay is hard enough without having to worry about your family being weird about it.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“I think today is already sucky enough without splinters in my ass.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“You're not being dramatic. This hurts.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
“It's a question. And I'm answering it. But I don't know the answer yet, and I'm sorry.”
― A.S. King, quote from Ask the Passengers
A.S. King
Born place: Pennsylvania, The United States
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“Long looking with admiration produces change. From your heroes you pick up mannerisms and phrases and tones of voice and facial expressions and habits and demeanors and convictions and beliefs. The more admirable the hero is and the more intense your admiration is, the more profound will be your transformation. In the case of Jesus, he is infinitely admirable, and our admiration rises to the most absolute worship. Therefore, when we behold him as we should, the change is profound.”
― John Piper, quote from God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself
“He never looked great but he's dreadful now, face thin and eyes staring like you see in cartoons of mad imams and hunched over. If that's what God does to you you should pick your friends more carefully.”
― Ian McDonald, quote from The Dervish House
“there is no courage in being fearless. Do you not know that? A person who knows fear and yet can still think of others, well, he be a brave man.”
― Paula Brackston, quote from The Witch's Daughter
“You are in search all over of eyes that can give you a certain meaning. Whenever a woman looks at you she gives you meaning. Now psychologists have discovered that when you enter a room—in a waiting room at the airport, or at a station or in a hotel—if a woman looks twice at you, she is ready to be seduced. But if a woman looks once, don’t bother her, just forget it. They have made films and they have been watching and this is a fact, because a woman looks twice only if she wants to be appreciated and looked at. A man enters a restaurant—the woman can look once, but if he is not worthwhile she will not look another time. And woman-hunters know it well, they have known it for centuries! Psychologists have come to know just now. They watch the eyes—if the woman looks again she is interested. Now much is possible, she has given the hint: She is ready to move with you or play the game of love. But if she doesn’t look at you again then the door is closed; better knock at some other door, this door is closed for you. Whenever a woman looks at you, you become important, very significant; in that moment you are unique. That’s why love gives so much radiance; love gives you so much life, vitality.”
― Osho, quote from Love, Freedom, and Aloneness: The Koan of Relationships
“If I should sell both my forenoons and afternoons to society, as most appear to do, I am sure that for me there would be nothing left worth living for. I trust that I shall never thus sell my birthright for a mess of pottage. I wish to suggest that a man may be very industrious, and yet not spend his time well. There is no more fatal blunderer than he who consumes the greater part of his life getting his living.”
― Henry David Thoreau, quote from Life Without Principle
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Everything I Never T...BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.
We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.
Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.
