40+ PJ O'Rourke Quotes From The Journalist & Political Satirist

Martha Martins
Sep 19, 2023 By Martha Martins
Originally Published on Mar 17, 2021
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Patrick Jake O'Rourke is an American journalist and political satirist.

P. J. O'Rourke was born on 14 November, 1947 in Toledo, Ohio. After completing his education he emerged as a political observer and humorist; and, he eventually declared himself as a libertarian.

In UK he is best known for a long-running advertisement series of British Airways in 1990s. He is a research fellow at Cato Institute and writes regularly on the magazines like 'The Atlantic Monthly', 'The American Spectator' and 'The Weekly Standard'. He is the author of 20 books; the most famous ones being 'Holidays In Hell' and 'All The Trouble In The World'. Since 2011, he has been a columnist at 'The Daily Beast'. P. J. O'Rourke was a proponent of Gonzo Journalism.

If you like our P. J. O'Rourke quotes, you may check out Louis CK quotes and Dave Chappelle quotes.

Best P. J. O'Rourke Quotes

These P. J. O'Rourke quotes are really sharp and absolutely hilarious.  

1. "All change is bad. But sometimes it has to be done."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

2. "A hat should be taken off when you greet a lady and left off for the rest of your life. Nothing looks more stupid than a hat."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

3. "Fish is the only food that is considered spoiled once it smells like what it is."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

4. "Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

5. "Wealth makes materialism easier to bear."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

6. "One of the problems with being a writer is that all of your idiocies are still in print somewhere. I strongly support paper recycling."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

7. "Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

8. "It's better to spend money like there's no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

9. "Never wear anything that panics the cat."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

10. "The college idealists who fill the ranks of the environmental movement seem willing to do absolutely anything to save the biosphere, except take science courses and learn something about it."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

11. "The weirder you're going to behave, the more normal you should look. It works in reverse, too. When I see a kid with three or four rings in his nose, I know there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about that person."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

12. "The world is going to hell. All we can do is look good on the trip."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

P. J. O'Rourke Quotes About Growing Up

Children and parents alike should take these P. J. O'Rourke quotes seriously.

Journalist doing his work during an event

13. "Everybody knows how to raise children, except the people who have them."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

14. "There are no kinder or better people in the world than those who listen to you when you are 18."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

15. "If you are young and you drink a great deal it will spoil your health, slow your mind, make you fat - in other words, turn you into an adult."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

16. "Everybody wants to save the world but nobody wants to help mom with the dishes."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

17. "I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a learning experience. Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I've done as a learning experience. It makes me feel less stupid."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

18. "Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

P.J. O Rourke Democracy Quotes

P.J. O'Rourke quotes help to make a clear idea about democracy and freedom.

19. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

20. "Freedom is not empowerment."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

21. "America wasn't founded so that we could all be better. America was founded so we could all be anything we damned well pleased."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

22. "People are all exactly alike. There's no such thing as a race and barely such a thing as an ethnic group."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

23. "You can't get rid of poverty by giving people money."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

24. "God created a free universe. He could have created any kind of universe he wanted. But a universe without freedom would have been static and meaningless."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

P.J. O Rourke Quotes About Government

P. J. O'Rourke quotes about the government are filled with satire!

25. "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

26. "If government were a product, selling it would be illegal."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

27. "A little government and a little luck are necessary in life, but only a fool trusts either of them."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

28. "There is no virtue in compulsory government charity, and there is no virtue in advocating it."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

29. "When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

30. "Wherever there's injustice, oppression, and suffering, America will show up six months late..."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

31. "It is a popular delusion that the government wastes vast amounts of money through inefficiency and sloth. Enormous effort and elaborate planning are required to waste this much money."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

32. "Microeconomics is about money you don't have, and macroeconomics is about money the government is out of."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

P. J. O'Rourke Quote On Politicians

P. J. O'Rourke quotes reveal the true nature of politics and politicians quite honestly.

33. "Politicians are wonderful people as long as they stay away from things they don't understand, such as working for a living."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

34. "The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

35. "Politics is the business of getting power and privilege without possessing merit."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

36. "Once you've built the big machinery of political power, remember you won't always be the one to run it."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

37. "When are the world's political parties going to get appropriate symbols: snake, louse, jackal, ... trash can, clown face, dollar bill with bat wings on it?"

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

38. "We had a choice between Democrats who couldn't learn from the past and Republicans who couldn't stop living in it."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

39. "A politician who portrays himself as 'caring' and 'sensitive' because he wants to expand the government's charitable programs is merely saying that he's willing to try to do good with other people's money."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

40. "Politicians are interested in people. Not that it is always a virtue. Fleas are interested in dogs."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

41. "The web is just a device by which bad ideas travel around the globe at the speed of light."

-  P. J. O'Rourke.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotesfor everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for P. J. O'Rourke quotes then why not take a look at [Jack Handy quotes], or Ron White quotes.

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Written by Martha Martins

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics

Martha Martins picture

Martha MartinsBachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics

Martha is a full-time creative writer, content strategist, and aspiring screenwriter who communicates complex thoughts and ideas effectively. She has completed her Bachelor's in Linguistics from Nasarawa State University. As an enthusiast of public relations and communication, Martha is well-prepared to substantially impact your organization as your next content writer and strategist. Her dedication to her craft and commitment to delivering high-quality work enables her to create compelling content that resonates with audiences.

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