Christopher Hitchens

“Irony is the hygiene of the mind.”

“What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.”

“The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.”

“Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. The grave will supply plenty of time for silence.”

“My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time.”

“Take the risk of thinking for yourself. Much more happiness, truth, beauty, and wisdom will come to you that way.”

“Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it.”

“Everybody does have a book in them, but in most cases that's where it should stay.”

“The four most overrated things in life are champagne, lobster, anal sex and picnics.”

“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are God. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are God.”

“We have the bill of rights. What we need is a bill of responsibilities.”

“Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the 'transcendent' and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself.”

“To be in opposition is not to be a nihilist.”

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”

“The one unforgivable sin is to be boring.”

“Religion is man-made. Even the men who made it cannot agree on what their prophets or redeemers or gurus actually said or did.”

“Cheap booze is a false economy.”

“One must state it plainly. Religion comes from the period of human prehistory where nobody had the smallest idea what was going on.”