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Mason Cooley

63 quotes

Mason Cooley (1927–2002) was an American aphorist known for his witty, compact observations about modern urban life, relationships, and human nature. A professor of English and French at the College of Staten Island, Cooley published several collections of aphorisms that are admired for their precision and sardonic humor.

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“Art seduces, but does not exploit.”

— Mason Cooley

Art

All Quotes by Mason Cooley

“If success is a habit, it is a hard one to acquire.”

— Mason Cooley

Success

“Travelers never think that they are the foreigners.”

— Mason Cooley

Travel

“Humor does not rescue us from unhappiness, but enables us to move back from it a little.”

— Mason Cooley

Humor

“Consciousness is our only reprieve from Time.”

— Mason Cooley

Time

“Who would not give up wit for power and beauty?”

— Mason Cooley

Beauty

“To understand someone, find out how he spends his money.”

— Mason Cooley

Money

“When I prayed for success, I forgot to ask for sound sleep and good digestion.”

— Mason Cooley

Success

“Art begins in imitation and ends in innovation.”

— Mason Cooley

Art

“Cats are inquisitive, but hate to admit it.”

— Mason Cooley

Pet

“The power of lying is much less than the power of what is not to be discussed.”

— Mason Cooley

Power

“Only the broken-hearted know the truth about love.”

— Mason Cooley

Relationship

“Every day begins with an act of courage and hope: getting out of bed.”

— Mason Cooley

Courage

“After my spectacular failures, I could not be satisfied with an ordinary success.”

— Mason Cooley

Success

“If you are going to break a Law of Art, make the crime interesting.”

— Mason Cooley

Art

“Office politics are bloody-minded, but weak on content.”

— Mason Cooley

Politics

“I read less and less. I have not forgiven books for their failure to tell me the truth and make me happy.”

— Mason Cooley

Failure

“I'm being treated like a sex object, cried the lady. No matter. I will take care of it, said Time soothingly.”

— Mason Cooley

Time

“The man of sensibility is too busy talking about his feelings to have time for good deeds.”

— Mason Cooley

Time

“Irony regards every simple truth as a challenge.”

— Mason Cooley

Truth

“If you call failures experiments, you can put them in your resume and claim them as achievements.”

— Mason Cooley

Wisdom