Marilyn Monroe

• "Sometimes I think it would be easier to avoid old age, to die young, but then you'd never complete your life, would you? You'd never wholly know you.“
• "It's often just enough to be with someone. I don't need to touch them. Not even talk. A feeling passes between you both. You're not alone.“
• "I restore myself when I'm alone.“
• "It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone - so far.“
• "I have noticed... that men usually leave married women alone and are inclined to treat all wives with respect. This is no great credit to married women.“
• "I am alone I am always alone no matter what.“
• "Some of my foster families used to send me to the movies to get me out of the house and there I'd sit all day and way into the night. Up in front, there with the screen so big, a little kid all alone, and I loved it. I loved anything that moved up there and I didn't miss anything that happened and there was no popcorn either.“
• "A woman can't be alone. She needs a man. A man and a woman support and strengthen each other. She just can't do it by herself.“
• "I used to think as I looked out on the Hollywood night, 'There must be thousands of girls sitting alone like me dreaming of being a movie star.' But I'm not going to worry about them. I'm dreaming the hardest.“
• "Experts on romance say for a happy marriage there has to be more than a passionate love. For a lasting union, they insist, there must be a genuine liking for each other. Which, in my book, is a good definition for friendship.“
• "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.“
• "Beauty and femininity are ageless and can't be contrived, and glamour, although the manufacturers won't like this, cannot be manufactured. Not real glamour it's based on femininity.“
• "One of the best things that ever happened to me is that I'm a woman. That is the way all females should feel.“
• "A woman knows by intuition, or instinct, what is best for herself.“
• "I've always felt toward the slightest scene, even if all I had to do in a scene was just to come in and say, 'Hi,' that the people ought to get their money's worth and that this is an obligation of mine, to give them the best you can get from me.“
• "I'm selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I'm out of control, and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.“
• "If you spend your life competing with business men, what do you have? A bank account and ulcers!“
• "Girls shouldn't worry about being the equal of men in the business world.“
• "I am invariably late for appointments - sometimes as much as two hours. I've tried to change my ways but the things that make me late are too strong, and too pleasing.“
• "A man has a tendency to accept you the way you are, while most women immediately start to pick flaws and want to change you.“
• "I want to grow old without facelifts. I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I have made.“
• "Fame will go by and, so long, I've had you, fame. If it goes by, I've always known it was fickle. So at least it's something I experience, but that's not where I live.“
• "I think that when you are famous every weakness is exaggerated.“
• "Having a child, that's always been my biggest fear. I want a child and I fear a child.“
• "Fear is stupid. So are regrets.“
• "I am involved in a freedom ride protesting the loss of the minority rights belonging to the few remaining earthbound stars. All we demanded was our right to twinkle.“
• "Experts on romance say for a happy marriage there has to be more than a passionate love. For a lasting union, they insist, there must be a genuine liking for each other. Which, in my book, is a good definition for friendship.“
• "There was my name up in lights. I said, 'God, somebody's made a mistake.' But there it was, in lights. And I sat there and said, 'Remember, you're not a star.' Yet there it was up in lights.“
• "Husbands are chiefly good as lovers when they are betraying their wives.“
• "What good is it being Marilyn Monroe? Why can't I just be an ordinary woman?“
• "Fame is like caviar, you know - it's good to have caviar but not when you have it at every meal.“
• "What good am I? I can't have kids. I can't cook. I've been divorced three times. Who would want me?“
• "I think one of the basic reasons men make good friends is that they can make up their minds quickly.“
• "What's the good of drawing in the next breath if all you do is let it out and draw in another?“
• "Experts on romance say for a happy marriage there has to be more than a passionate love. For a lasting union, they insist, there must be a genuine liking for each other. Which, in my book, is a good definition for friendship.“
• "I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.“
• "An actor is supposed to be a sensitive instrument. Isaac Stern takes good care of his violin. What if everybody jumped on his violin?“
• "I don't know if high society is different in other cities, but in Hollywood, important people can't stand to be invited someplace that isn't full of other important people. They don't mind a few unfamous people being present because they make good listeners.“
• "I have noticed... that men usually leave married women alone and are inclined to treat all wives with respect. This is no great credit to married women.“
• "I once wanted to prove myself by being a great actress. Now I want to prove that I'm a person. Then maybe I'll be a great actress.“
• "If a star or studio chief or any other great movie personages find themselves sitting among a lot of nobodies, they get frightened - as if somebody was trying to demote them.“
• "There is just no comparison between having a dinner date with a man and staying home playing canasta with the girls.“
• "I think I have always had a little humor.“
• "I guess I have always been deeply terrified to really be someone's wife since I know from life one cannot love another, ever, really.“
• "Sometimes I feel my whole life has been one big rejection.“
• "Respect is one of life's greatest treasures. I mean, what does it all add up to if you don't have that?“
• "If you spend your life competing with business men, what do you have? A bank account and ulcers!“
• "If there is only one thing in my life that I am proud of, it's that I've never been a kept woman.“
• "Sometimes I think it would be easier to avoid old age, to die young, but then you'd never complete your life, would you? You'd never wholly know you.“
• "Before marriage, a girl has to make love to a man to hold him. After marriage, she has to hold him to make love to him.“
• "I guess I have always been deeply terrified to really be someone's wife since I know from life one cannot love another, ever, really.“
• "A woman can bring a new love to each man she loves, providing there are not too many.“
• "Men who think that a woman's past love affairs lessen her love for them are usually stupid and weak.“
• "I love a natural look in pictures.“
• "Experts on romance say for a happy marriage there has to be more than a passionate love. For a lasting union, they insist, there must be a genuine liking for each other. Which, in my book, is a good definition for friendship.“
• "Someday I want to have children and give them all the love I never had.“
• "I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.“
• "A strong man doesn't have to be dominant toward a woman. He doesn't match his strength against a woman weak with love for him. He matches it against the world.“
• "Before marriage, a girl has to make love to a man to hold him. After marriage, she has to hold him to make love to him.“
• "Marriage destroyed my relationship with two wonderful men.“
• "Experts on romance say for a happy marriage there has to be more than a passionate love. For a lasting union, they insist, there must be a genuine liking for each other. Which, in my book, is a good definition for friendship.“
• "Men are so willing to respect anything that bores them.“
• "The truth is, I've never fooled anyone. I've let men sometimes fool themselves.“
• "The fact is that I find more most men are more open, more generous, and much more stimulating than the majority of females I know.“
• "Men who think that a woman's past love affairs lessen her love for them are usually stupid and weak.“
• "If you spend your life competing with business men, what do you have? A bank account and ulcers!“
• "When it comes to gossip, I have to readily admit men are as guilty as women.“
• "I have noticed... that men usually leave married women alone and are inclined to treat all wives with respect. This is no great credit to married women.“
• "Girls shouldn't worry about being the equal of men in the business world.“
• "Marriage destroyed my relationship with two wonderful men.“
• "I've found men are less likely to let petty things annoy them.“
• "I think one of the basic reasons men make good friends is that they can make up their minds quickly.“
• "Black men don't like to be called 'boys,' but women accept being called 'girls.'“
• "Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.“
• "Sometimes I've been to a party where no one spoke to me for a whole evening. The men, frightened by their wives or sweeties, would give me a wide berth. And the ladies would gang up in a corner to discuss my dangerous character.“
• "The working men, I'll go by and they'll whistle. At first they whistle because they think, 'Oh, it's a girl. She's got blond hair and she's not out of shape,' and then they say, 'Gosh, it's Marilyn Monroe!'“
• "I don't want to make money, I just want to be wonderful.“
• "An actress is not a machine, but they treat you like a machine. A money machine.“
• "I've always felt toward the slightest scene, even if all I had to do in a scene was just to come in and say, 'Hi,' that the people ought to get their money's worth and that this is an obligation of mine, to give them the best you can get from me.“
• "Some of my foster families used to send me to the movies to get me out of the house and there I'd sit all day and way into the night. Up in front, there with the screen so big, a little kid all alone, and I loved it. I loved anything that moved up there and I didn't miss anything that happened and there was no popcorn either.“
• "Sex is a part of nature. I go along with nature.“
• "I read poetry to save time.“
• "Marriage destroyed my relationship with two wonderful men.“
• "Men are so willing to respect anything that bores them.“
• "Respect is one of life's greatest treasures. I mean, what does it all add up to if you don't have that?“
• "I have noticed... that men usually leave married women alone and are inclined to treat all wives with respect. This is no great credit to married women.“
• "I don't know if high society is different in other cities, but in Hollywood, important people can't stand to be invited someplace that isn't full of other important people. They don't mind a few unfamous people being present because they make good listeners.“
• "If your man is a sports enthusiast, you may have to resign yourself to his spouting off in a monotone on a prize fight, football game or pennant race.“
• "A strong man doesn't have to be dominant toward a woman. He doesn't match his strength against a woman weak with love for him. He matches it against the world.“
• "Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn't that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you.“
• "I've been on a calendar, but I've never been on time.“
• "I read poetry to save time.“
• "For a long time I was scared I'd find out I was like my mother.“
• "Consider the fellow. He never spends his time telling you about his previous night's date. You get the idea he has eyes only for you and wouldn't think of looking at another woman.“
• "The 'public' scares me, but people I trust.“
• "The truth is, I've never fooled anyone. I've let men sometimes fool themselves.“
• "I don't know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.“
• "A man has a tendency to accept you the way you are, while most women immediately start to pick flaws and want to change you.“
• "I have always had a talent for irritating women since I was fourteen.“
• "When it comes to gossip, I have to readily admit men are as guilty as women.“
• "I have noticed... that men usually leave married women alone and are inclined to treat all wives with respect. This is no great credit to married women.“
• "Black men don't like to be called 'boys,' but women accept being called 'girls.'“
• "Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.“
• "My work is the only ground I've ever had to stand on. I seem to have a whole superstructure with no foundation but I'm working on the foundation.“
• "I myself would like to become more disciplined within my work.“
• "My work is the only ground I've ever had to stand on. To put it bluntly, I seem to have a whole superstructure with no foundation, but I'm working on the foundation.“

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