Ten Best Hunter S. Thompson Quotes

hunter s thompson

Ten of the best quotes from Hunter S. Thompson, the father of Gonzo journalism.

February 20 marks the 10 year anniversary of Hunter S. Thompson’s passing.  Thompson was a unique individual who wrote for Rolling Stone, Playboy, New York Times and a range of other publications.

The Air Force veteran left his strange mark on American Literature. His most famous piece, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, continues to introduce a new generation of readers and writers to his Gonzo-style of storytelling.

His point of view allowed him to see through the bullshit as shown by these quotes.

10. “Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof and instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards, to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives… and to the “good life”, whatever it is and wherever it happens to be.”  – The Proud Highway

9. “THE EDGE, there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.”

8.  “No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride…and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well…maybe chalk it off to forced conscious expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten.” – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

this is bat country

7.  “Life has become immeasurably better since I have been forced to stop taking it seriously.”

6.  “Sex without love is as hollow and ridiculous as love without sex.”

5.  “So we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?”

hunter s thompson smoking cigarette

4.  “We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and — in spite of True Romance magazines — we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely — at least, not all the time — but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don’t see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness.”

3.  “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.”

2.  “A man who procrastinates in his choosing will inevitably have his choice made for him by circumstance.”

1.  “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

hunter s thompson on a bike shoting a gun

 

Honourable Mention

“When you push a car off a cliff and blow it up, be sure to roll the windows down to avoid shrapnel. Also, strip the license plate so you’re not billed for the cleanup.” – From the last interview he did with Playboy.

 

"Talks about geek/nerd things, college football, and online marketing. I'm goofy and awkward. I try to wordsmith things."