Robert A. Heinlein

Acronym created by Heinlein for "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"; Heinlein and Milton Friedman are sometimes credited with creating this phrase, but it existed well before either's use of it, dating to at least the 1930s.

Acronym for "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch." The origin of this phrase is often misattributed to Heinlein or Milton Friedman, but it actually dates back to at least the 1930s. Heinlein's contribution was to make the acronym for it.

Don’t kid yourself, Friday; knowing too much is a capital offense. In politics it always has been.

Stupid fools look just as good as military geniuses until the fighting starts.

I think that you are immune to the temptations of religion. If you are not, I cannot help you, any more than I could keep you from acquiring a drug habit. A religion is sometimes a source of happiness and I would not deprive anyone of happiness. But it is a comfort appropriate for the weak, not for the strong—and you are strong. The great trouble with religion—any religion—is that a religionist, having accepted certain propositions by faith, cannot thereafter judge those propositions by evidence. One may bask in at the warm fire of faith or choose to live in the bleak uncertainty of reason—but one cannot have both.

But I do not willingly involve us in nationalistic wars; the side of the angels is seldom self-evident.

You’re not a stranger; you’re an old friend we haven’t known very long.

I suspect that there are just two sorts of lawyers: those who spend their efforts making life easy for other people—and parasites.

“Georges, I don’t know much about California politics—”

“My dear, no one knows much about California politics, including California politicians.”

Marriages are arranged in heaven but the bills must be paid here on earth.

“Religious” = “absolute belief without proof.”

All normal human beings have soi-disant mixed-up glands. The race is divided into two parts; those who know this and those who do not.