Aaron Sorkin > Quotes

“I love writing, but hate starting. The page is awfully white and it says, 'You may have fooled some of the people some of the time but those days are over, Giftless. I'm not your agent and I'm not your mommy: I'm a white piece of paper. You wanna dance with me?' and I really, really don't. I'll go peaceable-like.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Toby Zeigler: There's literally no one in the world I don't hate right now.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“I'm a registered Republican, I only seem liberal because I believe that hurricanes are caused by high barometric pressure and not gay marriage.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Mrs. Landingham, does the President have free time this morning?"

"The President has nothing but free time, Toby. Right now he's in the residence eating Cheerios and enjoying Regis and Kathie Lee. Should I get him for you?"

"Sarcasm's a disturbing thing coming from a woman of your age, Mrs. Landingham."

"What age would that be, Toby?"

"Late twenties?"

"Atta boy.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Good writers borrow from other writers. Great writers steal from them outright.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“The greater fool is actually an economic term. It’s a patsy. For the rest of us to profit, we need a greater fool— someone who will buy long and sell short. Most people spend their life trying not to be the greater fool; we toss him the hot potato, we dive for his seat when the music stops. The greater fool is someone with the perfect blend of self-delusion and ego to think that he can succeed where others have failed. This whole country was made by greater fools.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Toby: All right. It couldn't have gone far, right?

Sam: No.

Toby: Somewhere in this building...is our talent. ”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes. We need gigantic revolutionary changes. . . . Competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be getting six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge for its citizens, just like national defense." --Sam Seaborne, West Wing”
― Aaron Sorkin

“If you feel that strongly about something, you have an obligation to try and change my mind.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“We lead the world in only 3 categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined, 25 of whom are allies. Now none of this is the fault of 20 year old college student, but you nonetheless are without a doubt a member of the worst period generation period ever period, so when you ask what makes us the greatest country in the world I don't know what the f^&k you're talking about.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“I like how you call homosexuality an abomination."
"I don't say homosexuality's an abomination, Mr. President, the bible does."
"Yes it does. Leviticus-"
"18:22"
"Chapter in verse. I wanted to ask you a couple questions while I had you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that can I ask another? My chief of staff, Leo Mcgary,insists on working on the sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it ok to call the police? Here's one that's really important, cause we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean, Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Red Skins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads?”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Margaret: Can I - can I just say something for the future?

Leo: Yeah.

Margaret: I can sign the President's name. I have his signature down pretty good.

Leo: You can sign the President's name?

Margaret: Yeah.

Leo: On a document removing him from power and handing it to someone else?

Margaret: Yeah! Or... do you think the White House Counsel would say that was a bad idea?

Leo: I think the White House Counsel would say it was a coup d'etat!

Margaret: Well. I'd probably end up doing some time for that.

Leo: I would think. And what the hell were you doing practicing the President's signature?

Margaret: It was just for fun.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Stupid people surround themselves with smart people. Smart people surround themselves with smart people who disagree with them.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“An artist’s job is to captivate… if we stumble into truth, we got lucky.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“I don't want to analyze myself or anything, but I think, in fact I know this to be true, that I enter the world through what I write.
I grew up believing, and continue to believe, that I am a screw-up, that growing up with my family and friends, I had nothing to offer in any conversation.
But when I started writing, suddenly there was something that I brought to the party that was at a high-enough level.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“A friend is somebody who says the same things to your face that they would say if you're not in the room.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“If you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.

(Isaac Jaffe, Sports Night)”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.”
― Aaron Sorkin, A Few Good Men

“We live in a world that has walls and those walls need to be guarded by men with guns.”
― Aaron Sorkin, A Few Good Men

“President Josiah Bartlet: Good. I like your show. I like how you call homosexuality an abomination.

Dr. Jenna Jacobs: I don't say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does.

President Josiah Bartlet: Yes, it does. Leviticus.

Dr. Jenna Jacobs: 18:22.

President Josiah Bartlet: Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important 'cause we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing: While you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits.”
― Aaron Sorkin, The West Wing Script Book

“President Bartlet:

There's a delegation of cardiologists having their pictures taken in the Blue Room. You wouldn't think you could find a group of people more arrogant than the fifteen of us, but there they are, right upstairs in the Blue Room.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Music is what mathematics does on a Saturday night.”
― Aaron Sorkin, The Farnsworth Invention

“Josh: So, Toby, it’s election night. What do you say about a country that goes out of its way to protect even those citizens that try to destroy it?
Toby: God bless America.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Government should be a place where people can come together, and no one gets left behind. No one…gets left behind. An instrument of good.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.
"A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
"Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on
"Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.”
― Aaron Sorkin, The West Wing Script Book

“Don't tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“There (is) order and even great beauty in what looks like total chaos. If we look closely enough at the randomness around us, patterns will start to emerge.”
― Aaron Sorkin, The West Wing Script Book

“She's a person; the doctor pronounces her dead, not the news.”
― Aaron Sorkin

“Decisions are made by those who show up”
― Aaron Sorkin

“This is a time for serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up.”
― Aaron Sorkin