James Thurber - Quodid

About

Picture of James Thurber

James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961) was an American cartoonist, writer, humorist, journalist, and playwright. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, and attended Ohio State University (OSU), leaving in 1918 without graduating. He spent over a year in Paris, working for the US State Department as a code clerk, and on his return to Columbus in 1920 was hired as a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch. He married his first wife, Althea Adams, in 1922. Thurber was hired by The New Yorker in early 1927, and soon became a prolific and popular contributor.

Quotes from James Thurber

I suppose that even the most pleasurable of imaginable occupations, that of batting baseballs through the windows of the RCA Building, would pall a little as the days ran on.

—James Thurber

pleasure dullness

All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.

—James Thurber

life knowledge death self-knowledge direction

Human Dignity has gleamed only now and then and here and there, in lonely splendor, throughout the ages, a hope of the better men, never an achievement of the majority.

—James Thurber

hope achievement

Progress was all right. Only it went on too long.

—James Thurber

politics progress change dissatisfaction

The only rules comedy can tolerate are those of taste, and the only limitations those of libel.

—James Thurber

comedy taste libel

It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.

—James Thurber

questions knowledge curiosity certainty doubt answers

I do not have a psychiatrist and I do not want one, for the simple reason that if he listened to me long enough, he might become disturbed.

—James Thurber

It had only one fault. It was kind of lousy.

—James Thurber

Why do you have to be a nonconformist like everybody else?

—James Thurber

difference conformity

Her own mother lived the latter years of her life in the horrible suspicion that electricity was dripping invisibly all over the house.

—James Thurber

fear electricity suspicion mother

The paths of glory at least lead to the grave, but the paths of duty may not get you any where.

—James Thurber

death glory duty

There's nothing like a gleam of humor to reassure you that a fellow human being is ticking inside a strange face.

—James Thurber

There are two kinds of light--the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.

—James Thurber

Misogynist: A man who hates women as much as women hate one another.

—James Thurber

hatred men and women misogyny

He knows all about art, but he doesn't know what he likes.

—James Thurber

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