WIST Quotations

Allen, Steve -- “Steve Allen’s Almanac,” Cosmopolitan (Feb 1957)

Dave — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 02:15:52 +0000

Tragedy plus time equals comedy.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
“Steve Allen’s Almanac,” Cosmopolitan (Feb 1957)

Similar formulations have been made by Carol Burnett, Lenny Bruce, Bob Newhart, and Woody Allen. For more discussion see here.

Allen, Steve -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Nothing is better than the unintended humor of reality.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
(Attributed)

Allen, Steve -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

One of the nice things about problems is that a good many of them do not exist except in our imaginations.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
(Attributed)

Quoted in Reader's Digest (Nov 1989)

Allen, Steve -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

We are entitled to make almost any reasonable assumption, but should resist making conclusions until evidence requires that we do so.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
(Attributed)

Allen, Steve -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Men will take almost any kind of criticism except the observation that they have no sense of humor.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
(Attributed)

Allen, Steve -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:41:11 +0000

Do not allow children to mix your martini. It is unseemly and they use too much vermouth.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
(Attributed)

Allen, Steve -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:33:16 +0000

The purpose of having an open mind is the same as having an open mouth, the object being eventually to close it on something solid. But one should never close either mind or mouth until the general circumstances of the moment make it reasonable to do so.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
(Attributed)

Allen, Steve -- (Attributed)

Dave — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:47:49 +0000

Humor is a social lubricant that helps us get over some of the bad spots.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
(Attributed)

Allen, Steve -- Funny People, Introduction (1981)

Dave — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 15:21:48 +0000

Without laughter life on our planet would be intolerable. So important is laughter to us that humanity highly rewards members of one of the most unusual professions on earth, those who make a living by inducing laughter in others. This is very strange if you stop to think of it: that otherwise sane and responsible citizens should devote their professional energies to causing others to make sharp, explosive, barking-like exhalations.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
Funny People, Introduction (1981)
(Source)

Allen, Steve -- More Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality, “Authenticity of the Bible” (1993)

Dave — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:16:15 +0000

Ideas have consequences, and totally erroneous ideas are likely to have destructive consequences.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
More Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality, “Authenticity of the Bible” (1993)
(Source)

Allen, Steve -- More Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality, Introduction (1993)

Dave — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 21:29:27 +0000

The Bible has been interpreted to justify such evil practices as, for example, slavery, the slaughter of prisoners of war, the sadistic murders of women believed to be witches, capital punishment for hundreds of offenses, polygamy, and cruelty to animals. It has been used to encourage belief in the grossest superstition and to discourage the free teaching of scientific truths. We must never forget that both good and evil flow from the Bible. It is therefore not above criticism.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
More Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality, Introduction (1993)
(Source)

Allen, Steve -- Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality, “Hell” (1990)

Dave — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 13:14:50 +0000

To those who wish to punish others — or at least to see them punished, if the avengers are too cowardly to take matters into their own hands — the belief in a fiery, hideous hell appears to be a great source of comfort.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality, “Hell” (1990)
(Source)

Allen, Steve -- The Bible, Religion, and Morality (1990)

Dave — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:56:17 +0000

There are hundreds of millions who believe the Messiah has come. If he did, then it is unfortunately the case that his heroic sacrifice and death have had no effect whatsoever on the very problem his coming might have been expected to address, for history demonstrates, beyond question, that we Christians have been just as dangerous, singly and en masse, as non-Christians.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
The Bible, Religion, and Morality (1990)

Allen, Steve -- The Bible, Religion, and Morality (1990)

Dave — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:41:22 +0000

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
The Bible, Religion, and Morality (1990)

Allen, Steve -- The Bible, Religion, and Morality (1990)

Dave — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:52:55 +0000

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
The Bible, Religion, and Morality (1990)

Allen, Steve -- Vulgarians at the Gate (2001)

Dave — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 17:27:40 +0000

Religious believers of the world, you are free to continue to debate the simple, narrow question that divides you from atheists, but you have no right, in so doing, to treat the Humanists of the world with contempt. You owe them a deep debt of gratitude, for not only have they shed much light on a naturally dark world but they have very probably helped civilize your own specific religion.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
Vulgarians at the Gate (2001)
(Source)

Allen, Steve -- Essay, in P. Berman, The Courage of Conviction (1985)

Dave — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:11:26 +0000

No philosophy, sadly, has all the answers. No matter how assured we may be about certain aspects of our belief, there are always painful inconsistencies, exceptions, and contradictions. This is true in religion as it is in politics, and is self-evident to all except fanatics and the naive.

Steve Allen (1922–2000) American composer, entertainer, and wit.
Essay, in P. Berman, The Courage of Conviction (1985)