# Quote — Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

> "This poor ersatz Martian is saying that sex is a way to be happy. Sex should be a means of happiness. Ben, the worst thing about sex is that we use it to hurt each other. It ought never to hurt; it should bring happiness, or at least pleasure.
>
> "The code says, 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.' The result? Reluctant chastity, bitterness, blows and sometimes murder, broken homes and twisted children — and furtive little passes degrading to woman and man. Is this Commandment ever obeyed? If a man swore on his own Bible that he refrained from coveting his neighbor's wife because the code forbade it, I would suspect either self-deception or subnormal sexuality. Any man virile enough to sire a child has coveted many women, whether he acts or not.
>
> "Now comes Mike and says: 'There is no need to covet my wife... love her! There's no limit to her love, we have everything to gain — and nothing to lose but fear and guilt and hatred and jealousy.' The proposition is incredible. So far as I recall only pre-civilization Eskimos were this naive — and they were so isolated that they were almost 'Men from Mars' themselves. But we gave them our 'virtues' and now they have chastity and adultery just like the rest of us."

- Author: [Robert A. Heinlein](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein.md)
- Book: [Stranger in a Strange Land](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein/stranger-in-a-strange-land.md)
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land#Part_Four_:_His_Scandalous_Career) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein/stranger-in-a-strange-land/this-poor-ersatz

## More from this book

> "The golden sunshine of Italy congealed into tears. Here's to the alcoholic brotherhood... much more suited to the frail human soul, if any, than any other sort."

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein/stranger-in-a-strange-land/the-golden-sunshine.md)

> Kiss girls all you want to — it beats the hell out of card games.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein/stranger-in-a-strange-land/kiss-girls-all.md)

> Share water. Never thirst.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein/stranger-in-a-strange-land/share-water-never.md)