Author: Tom Stoppard

If an idea's worth having once, it's worth having twice.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Ideas Intelligence

A man talking sense to himself is no madder than a man talking nonsense not to himself.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Communication Intelligence People Self Speech

I agree with everything you say, but I would attack to the death your right to say it.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Communication Situations Speech

He’s an animal lover… people he don’t like so much.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
People

I’m told he’s [a] decent sort when you get to know him, but no one ever has, so his decency is sort of secret.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Characteristics

It’s better to be quotable than honest.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Communication

Life is a gamble at terrible odds… if it was a bet you wouldn’t take it.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Life

Eternity's a terrible thought… I mean, where's it all going to end?

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Time

The days of the digital watch are numbered.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Things Time

If Beethoven had been killed in a plane crash at the age of 22, it would have changed the history of music… and of aviation.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Entertainment Music Science/Weather

I don’t think I can be expected to take seriously any game which takes less than three days to reach its conclusion.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Sports

I doubt that art needed [John] Ruskin any more than a moving train needs one of its passengers to shove it.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Art Entertainment Insults

Life is a gamble at terrible odds… if it was a bet you wouldn’t take it.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Life

It’s not the voting that’s democracy, it’s the counting.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Democracy Elections/Voting Government

It seems pointless to be quoted if one isn’t going to quotable.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Communication

Age is a high price to pay for maturity.

(1937 – ) British playwright & screenwriter
Age