9 William Saroyan Quotes on Society

William Saroyan quotes on society

9. It is impossible not to notice that our world is tormented by failure, hate, guilt, and fear.

17. I saw rich beggars and poor beggars, proud beggars and humble beggars, fat beggars and thin beggars, healthy beggars and sick beggars, whole beggars and crippled beggars, wise beggars and stupid beggars. I saw amateur beggars and professional beggars. A professional beggar is a beggar who begs for a living.

21. Whoever the kid had been, whoever had the grand attitude, has finally heeded the admonishment of parents, teachers, governments, religions, and the law: 'You just change your attitude now please, young man.' This transformation in kids - from flashing dragonflies, so to say, to sticky water-surface worms slowly slipping downstream - is noticed with pride by society and with mortification by God, which is a fantastic way of saying I don't like to see kids throw away their truth just because it isn't worth a dime in the open market.

23. Everything and everybody is sooner or later identified, defined, and put in perspective. The truth as always is simultaneously better and worse than what the popular myth-making has it.

69. The whole world and every human being in it is everybody's business.

94. Art can no longer afford to be contemptuous of politics, and it appears to be time politics took a little instruction from art.

96. Art and politics must move closer together. Reflection and action must be equally valid in good men if history is not to take one course and art an other.

143. Nobody seemed to be interested in anything except making money.

157. Armenag Saroyan. A good man of whom the worst that anybody was willing to say, was that he was too good for this world.