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100 Great Ken Kesey Quotes That Help You Develop A Different Perspective

Famous As: Novelist & Essayist Known for His Novels: ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest’ & ‘Sometimes a Great Notion’
Born On: 1935
Died On: 2001
Born In: La Junta, Colorado, United States
Died At Age: 66

Novelist Kenneth Elton Kesey, fondly remembered as 'Ken' was an important link between 1950's Beat Generation and 1960's Hippie Culture. The world remembers him as a counter-cultural icon, novelist and essayist that ushered the American society into an era of psychedelic drugs. He compiled his personal experiences in his first novel 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'. It was followed by more incredible works like 'Genesis West', 'Sometimes a Great Nation' and 'Demon Box' that captured his beautiful transformation from a revolutionary novelist to the founder of hippie generation. His book 'Cuckoo' was an account of abuses inflicted by the system on individuals. It was later enacted as a movie directed by Milos Forman. Though Kesey was not pleased with the idea, apparently the audience liked it. The movie became a hit in America, subsequently winning five Academy Awards. Kesey bonded with like-minded individuals to form "Merry Prankster", a group that helped promote liberal ideas. The group set out on a wild adventure, conducting Acid tests and treating unsuspecting viewers with The Warlock band's performances. He was put in jail for illegal possession of drugs. Following this, he spent a quite family life as an author and teacher until his death. We have collected his most famous quotes and thoughts from his most famous 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest' and other writings. Presenting a collection of some great Ken Kesey quotes about love, life, failure, success, humor, truth, and much more.

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Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.

Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.

Ken Kesey
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.

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
But it's the truth even if it didn't happen.

But it's the truth even if it didn't happen.

Ken Kesey
You can't really be strong until you can see a funny side to things.

You can't really be strong until you can see a funny side to things.

Ken Kesey
He knows that you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy.

He knows that you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy.

Ken Kesey
If you don't watch it people will force you one way or the other, into doing what they think you should do, or into just being mule-stubborn and doing the opposite out of spite.

If you don't watch it people will force you one way or the other, into doing what they think you should do, or into just being mule-stubborn and doing the opposite out of spite.

Ken Kesey
To hell with facts! We need stories!

To hell with facts! We need stories!

Ken Kesey
That ain't me, that ain't my face. It wasn't even me when I was trying to be that face. I wasn't even really me them; I was just being the way I looked, the way people wanted.

That ain't me, that ain't my face. It wasn't even me when I was trying to be that face. I wasn't even really me them; I was just being the way I looked, the way people wanted.

Ken Kesey
What do you think you are, for Chrissake, crazy or somethin'? Well you're not! You're not! You're no crazier than the average asshole out walkin' around on the streets and that's it.

What do you think you are, for Chrissake, crazy or somethin'? Well you're not! You're not! You're no crazier than the average asshole out walkin' around on the streets and that's it.

Ken Kesey
The stars up close to the moon were pale; they got brighter and braver the farther they got out of the circle of light ruled by the giant moon

The stars up close to the moon were pale; they got brighter and braver the farther they got out of the circle of light ruled by the giant moon

Ken Kesey
They can't tell so much about you if you got your eyes closed.

They can't tell so much about you if you got your eyes closed.

Ken Kesey
Plant a garden in which strange plants grow and mysteries bloom.

Plant a garden in which strange plants grow and mysteries bloom.

Ken Kesey
Rules? PISS ON YOUR FUCKING RULES!

Rules? PISS ON YOUR FUCKING RULES!

Ken Kesey
He Who Marches Out Of Step Hears Another Drum

He Who Marches Out Of Step Hears Another Drum

Ken Kesey
No, my friend. We are lunatics from the hospital up the highway, psycho-ceramics, the cracked pots of mankind. Would you like me to decipher a Rorschach for you?

No, my friend. We are lunatics from the hospital up the highway, psycho-ceramics, the cracked pots of mankind. Would you like me to decipher a Rorschach for you?

Ken Kesey
Good writin' ain't necessarily good readin'.

Good writin' ain't necessarily good readin'.

Ken Kesey
What makes people so impatient is what I can't figure; all the guy had to do was wait.

What makes people so impatient is what I can't figure; all the guy had to do was wait.

Ken Kesey
People think love is an emotion. Love is good sense.

People think love is an emotion. Love is good sense.

Ken Kesey
You had a choice: you could either strain and look at things that appeared in front of you in the fog, painful as it might be, or you could relax and lose yourself

You had a choice: you could either strain and look at things that appeared in front of you in the fog, painful as it might be, or you could relax and lose yourself

Ken Kesey
But he won’t let the pain blot out the humor no more’n he’ll let the humor blot out the pain.

But he won’t let the pain blot out the humor no more’n he’ll let the humor blot out the pain.

Ken Kesey
I don't think you fully understand the public, my friend; in this country, when something is out of order, then the quickest way to get it fixed is the best way.

I don't think you fully understand the public, my friend; in this country, when something is out of order, then the quickest way to get it fixed is the best way.

Ken Kesey
I listened to them fade away till all I could hear was my memory of the sound.

I listened to them fade away till all I could hear was my memory of the sound.

Ken Kesey
He's the sort of guy that gets a laugh out of people.

He's the sort of guy that gets a laugh out of people.

Ken Kesey
He who walks out of step hears another drum.

He who walks out of step hears another drum.

Ken Kesey
He knows that there's no better way in the world to aggravate somebody who's trying to make it hard for you than by acting like you're not bothered.

He knows that there's no better way in the world to aggravate somebody who's trying to make it hard for you than by acting like you're not bothered.

Ken Kesey
To Vik Lovell who told me dragons did not exist, then led me to their lairs ...

To Vik Lovell who told me dragons did not exist, then led me to their lairs ...

Ken Kesey
We can count how many seeds are in the apple, but not how many apples are in the seed.

We can count how many seeds are in the apple, but not how many apples are in the seed.

Ken Kesey
He knew you can't really be strong until you can see a funny side of things.

He knew you can't really be strong until you can see a funny side of things.

Ken Kesey
The secret of being a top-notch con man is being able to know what the mark wants, and how to make him think he's getting it.

The secret of being a top-notch con man is being able to know what the mark wants, and how to make him think he's getting it.

Ken Kesey
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.

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