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People always like to hear that they’re under stress, makes them feel better. You can imagine what they’d feel if they were told they weren’t under stress.

— Donald Barthelme Forty Stories (1987)

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More quotes by Donald Barthelme

Who among us is not thinking about divorce, except for a few tiny-minded stick-in-the-muds who don’t count?

The Teachings of Don. B: Satires, Parodies, Fables, Illustrated Stories, and Plays of Donald Barthelme (1992)

Instant gratification is not as good as that gratification which comes dripping slow, over the sere seasons.

Flying to America: 45 More Stories (2007)

Oh, there is nothing better than intelligent conversation except thrashing about in bed with a naked girl and Egmont Light Italic.

Come Back, Dr. Caligari (1964)

Self-criticism sessions were held, but these produced more criticism than could usefully be absorbed or accomodated.

Great Days (1979)

The present goal of the individual in group enterprises is to avoid dominance; leadership is felt to be a character disorder.

Great Days (1979)

All Donald Barthelme quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Donald Barthelme (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.