Kenneth Elton Kesey (September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) was an American novelist, essayist, and countercultural figure. Hope, our collection of Ken Kesey Quotes will inspire you to think creatively.
People think love is an emotion. Love is good sense.
– Ken Kesey
Ken Kesey Quotes
1. “He who marches out of step hears another drum.” – Ken Kesey
2. “We can count how many seeds are in the apple, but not how many apples are in the seed.” – Ken Kesey
3. “The man who seeks revenge digs two graves.” – Ken Kesey
4. “In any given situation there will always be more dumb people than smart people.” – Ken Kesey
5. “You have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep in balance.” – Ken Kesey
6. “Man is certain of nothing but his ability to fail.” – Ken Kesey
7. “Good writing ain’t necessarily good reading.” – Ken Kesey
8. “You get your visions through whatever gate you’re granted.” – Ken Kesey
9. “People don’t want other people to get high, because if you get high, you might see the falsity of the fabric of the society we live in.” – Ken Kesey
10. “It isn’t by getting out of the world that we become enlightened, but by getting into the world…by getting so tuned in that we can ride the waves of our existence and never get tossed because we become the waves.” – Ken Kesey
11. “You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.” – Ken Kesey
12. “The job of the writer is to kiss no ass, no matter how big and holy and white and tempting and powerful.” – Ken Kesey
13. “When you love someone it is forever, or it was never really love at all.” – Ken Kesey
14. “All I know is this: nobody’s very big in the first place, and it looks to me like everybody spends their whole life tearing everybody else down.” – Ken Kesey
15. “I had to keep on acting deaf if I wanted to hear at all.” – Ken Kesey
16. “Always stay in your own movie.” – Ken Kesey
17. “Take what you can use and let the rest go by.” – Ken Kesey
18. “It is just as much an offense to take offense as it is to give offense.” – Ken Kesey
19. “The truth doesn’t have to do with cruelty, the truth has to do with mercy.” – Ken Kesey
20. “Sometimes we don’t even realize what we really care about, because we get so distracted by the symbols.” – Ken Kesey
21. “Sometimes the need for mystery is greater than the need for an answer.” – Ken Kesey
22. “We think we’re in the present, but we aren’t. The present we know is only a movie of the past.” – Ken Kesey
23. “They can’t tell so much about you if you got your eyes closed.” – Ken Kesey
24. “A man has to know he had a choice before he can enjoy what he chose. I know now. That a human has to make it with other humans . . . before he can make it with himself.” – Ken Kesey
25. “To hell with facts! We need stories!” – Ken Kesey
26. “Sometimes the only way to keep from losing everything is to give everything up.” – Ken Kesey
27. “Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.” – Ken Kesey
28. “The answer is never the answer. What’s really interesting is the mystery.” – Ken Kesey
29. “The answer is never the answer. What’s really interesting is the mystery. If you seek the mystery instead of the answer, you’ll always be seeking.” – Ken Kesey
30. “You can’t really be strong until you can see a funny side to things.” – Ken Kesey
