Notable Notes

Love, like money, is offered most freely to those in least need of it.
— Mignon McLaughlin, The Complete Neurotic’s Notebook, p. 9.

We lavish on animals the love we are afraid to show to people. They might not return it; or worse, they might.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 15.

We’re irritated by rascals, intolerant of fools, and prepared to love the rest. But where are they?
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 17.

No matter how young he may be at the time, nor how old he may live to become; on the day an unhappy child leaves home, his life is half over.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 24.

No good neurotic finds it difficult to be both opinionated and indecisive.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 29.

Others follow patterns; we alone are unpredictable.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 31.

The proud man can learn humility, but he will be proud of it.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 33.

“Pull yourself together” is seldom said to anyone who can.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 41.

Every day of our lives we are on the verge of making those slight changes that would make all the difference.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 49.

An old racetrack joke reminds you that your program contains all the winners’ names. I stare at my typewriter keys with the same thought.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 57.

What you have become is the price you paid to get what you used to want.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 62.

Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 72.

An artist usually has no friends except other artists, and usually they do not like his work.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 72.

Don’t be yourself — be someone a little nicer.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 131.

Tough and funny and a little bit kind: that is as near to perfection as a human being can be.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 138.

Youth is not enough. And love is not enough. And success is not enough. And, if we could achieve it, enough would not be enough.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 143.

A rich suicide consoles us a little, and frightens us a lot.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 172.

Those without money often say they would do anything for it, when all they mean is that they would do anything pleasant and convenient. That’s why only the rich are rich.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 177.

Artists refuse to accept the idea that they should starve; they want all the money, as well as all the fun.
— Mignon McLaughlin, Ibid., p. 177.