Erica Jong Quotes

I guess I don't think there's any reason to feel guilty about having joy in your life, regardless of how bad things are in the world.

If the world's a veil of tears, Smile till rainbows span it.

I have too much to live for to allow a bunch of cowards to take my joy. I refuse to give them my joy.

It’s a New Year and with it comes a fresh opportunity to shape our world. So this is my wish, a wish for me as much as it is a wish for you: in the world to come, let us be brave – let us walk into the dark without fear, and step into the unknown with smiles on our faces, even if we’re faking them. And whatever happens to us, whatever we make, whatever we learn, let us take joy in it. We can find joy in the world if it’s joy we’re looking for, we can take joy in the act of creation. So that is my wish for you, and for me. Bravery and joy.

You go overseas and people are oppressed and scared and worried but we're not like that... we're more like my films and how people come out at the end of seeing them - they feel good.

There isn't a single human being who hasn't plenty to cry over, and the trick is to make the laughs outweigh the tears.

Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.

I just show up and try to find the joy in every situation.

Life stinks, but that doesn't mean you don't enjoy it.

In this life, I'm always going to choose the positive.

Fearlessness is not only possible, it is the ultimate joy. When you touch nonfear, you are free.

There's a lot of terrible things goin' on all the time, but you gotta try and have some fun in the end.

Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.

What's the point of being negative or fearful? We can't control it.

You have to continue to smile through life. And it's good when you get to bring that out in a character.

I choose to focus on the positive.

Live one day at a time, and never be afraid.

My personal motto has always been: Joy in spite of everything. Not just [mindless] joy, but joy in spite of everything. Recognizing the inequities and the suffering and the corruption and all that but refusing to let it rain on my parade. And I advocate this to other people.

I accept that today may be imperfect... I accept that I may be as well. What I don't accept is that imperfection should be the crutch I use to excuse myself from participating in joy.

The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does.

Far better it is to have a stout heart always and suffer one's share of evils, than to be ever fearing what may happen.

Joy came always after pain.

The most important lesson that man can learn from life, is not that there is pain in this world, but that it is possible for him to transmute it into joy.

I think laughter may be a form of courage.

Happy the heart to whom God has given enough strength and courage to suffer for Him, to find happiness in simplicity and the happiness of others.