Joseph Heller Quotes

Joseph Heller, acclaimed American novelist, is best known for his iconic work "Catch-22," a satirical masterpiece that captures the absurdity of war and bureaucracy. With wit and irreverence, Heller skewered the conventions of military life and explored the existential dilemmas faced by soldiers, earning him a place among the literary giants of the 20th century.

"I want to keep my dreams, even bad ones, because without them, I might have nothing all night long."

Dream, Dreams, Night, Nothing, Want

1

"Some people are born mediocre, some people achieve mediocrity, and some people have mediocrity thrust upon them."

People, Mediocrity

2

"Destiny is a good thing to accept when it's going your way. When it isn't, don't call it destiny; call it injustice, treachery, or simple bad luck."

Destiny, Injustice, Luck, Treachery

2

"Rise above principle and do what's right."

Morality, Right

2

"I'd like to see the government get out of war altogether and leave the whole field to private individuals."

Government, War

1

"Frankly, I'd like to see the government get out of war altogether and leave the whole field to private industry."

Government, War

1

"Every writer I know has trouble writing."

Trouble, Writer, Writing

2

"He was a self-made man who owed his lack of success to nobody."

Success, Man, Self

6

"But that was war. Just about all he could find in its favor was that it paid well and liberated children from the pernicious influence of their parents."

War, Children, Influence, Parents

1

"Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them."

Man, Men, Mediocrity

1

"We do have a zeal for laughter in most situations, give or take a dentist."

Laughter, Zeal

2

"Lots of people who complained about us receiving the MBE received theirs for heroism in the war - for killing people. We received ours for entertaining other people. I'd say we deserve ours more."

War, People, Heroism, Killing

1

"He knew everything about literature except how to enjoy it."

Literature,

3

"I think in every country that there is at least one executive who is scared of going crazy."

Nation, Country

2

"When I read something saying I've not done anything as good as "Catch-22" I'm tempted to reply, "Who has?""

Saying,

1

"Peace on earth would mean the end of civilization as we know it."

Peace, Civilization, Earth, End

2

"When I grow up I want to be a little boy."

Want,

4

"Hungry Joe collected lists of fatal diseases and arranged them in alphabetical order so that he could put his finger without delay on any one he wanted to worry about."

Literature, Delay, Order, Worry

1

"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to."

Want,

3

"I don't believe in miracles because it's been a long time since we've had any."

Time, Miracles

2

"The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on."

Enemy,

2

"I had examined myself pretty thoroughly and discovered that I was unfit for military service."

Military, Pretty, Service