Marjane Satrapi > Quotes

“Life is too short to be lived badly.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

“In life you'll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it's because they're stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than bitterness and vengeance... Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

“It's fear that makes us lose our conscience. It's also what transforms us into cowards.”
― Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis

“One can forgive but one should never forget.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

“To speak behind others' backs is the ventilator of the heart.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Embroideries

“The regime had understood that one person leaving her house while asking herself:
Are my trousers long enough?
Is my veil in place?
Can my make-up be seen?
Are they going to whip me?

No longer asks herself:
Where is my freedom of thought?
Where is my freedom of speech?
My life, is it liveable?
What's going on in the political prisons?”
― Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis

“I finally understood what my grandmother meant. If I wasn't comfortable with myself, I would never be comfortable.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

“We can only feel sorry for ourselves when our misfortunes are still supportable. Once this limit is crossed, the only way to bear the unbearable is to laugh at it.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

“When we're afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection. Our fear paralyzes us. Besides, fear has always been the driving force behind all dictators' repression.”
― Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis

“Nothing's worse than saying goodbye. It's a little like dying.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

“I want to be justice, love and the wrath of God all in one.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

“Once again, I arrived at my usual conclusion: one must educate oneself.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

“We are focusing on the small details and hiding the misery in the world. Look at the smoker and we miss global warming, war, and the crap we eat--not the bad guys but smoking. I smoke and they talk about cancer, I eat and they talk about cholesterol, I make love, it's AIDS. Before AIDS and cholesterol and cancer there's the pleasure of making love and eating and smoking. I have to die someday, so if the thing that gave me pleasure all of my life kills me instead of me going under a truck, that's fine. Besides, why should I live so that when I die I give fresh meat to the worms? I hope that I am rotted and they don't want to eat me. F@#$ck the worms.”
― Marjane Satrapi

“I had learned that you should always shout louder than your aggressor.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

“You are putting yourself in serious danger...'

I think that I preferred to put myself in serious danger rather than confront my shame. My shame at not having become someone, the shame of not having made my parents proud after all the sacrifices they had made for me. The shame of having become a mediocre nihilist.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

“Culture and education are the lethal weapons against all kinds of fundamentalism.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

“In every religion, you find the same extremists.”
― Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis

“I have always thought that if women's hair posed so many problems, God would certainly have made us bald.”
― Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis

“You know, they say in France that translation is like a woman: she is either beautiful or faithful.”
― Marjane Satrapi

“Saying goodbye is a little like dying.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

“I realized then that I didn't understand anything. I read all the books I could.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

“Life is absolutely unbearable. And we're going to die.”
― Marjane Satrapi

“Anyway, that's how it is! Either they obey the law, or they're expelled!! And make sure they wear their veils correctly..." - "If hair is as stimulating as you say, then you need to shave your moustache!" My father actually said that.”
― Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis

“In any case, it's the cowardice of people like you who give dictators the chance to install themselves!”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

“I was a westerner in Iran, an Iranian in the West. I had no identity. I didn't even know anymore why I was living.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

“Listen. I don't like to preach, but here's some advice. You'll meet a lot of jerks in life. If they hurt you, remember it's because they're stupid. Don't react to their cruelty. There's nothing worse than bitterness and revenge. Keep your dignity and be true to yourself.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

“People don't know anymore why we've had eight years of war. Why their children have died...This entire war was just a big setup to destroy both the Iranian and the Iraqi armies. The former was the most powerful in the Middle East in 1980, and the latter represented a real danger to Israel. The West sold weapons to both camps and we, we were stupid enough to enter into this cynical game...eight years of war for nothing! So now the state names streets after martyrs to flatter the families of the victims. In this way, perhaps, they'll find some meaning in all this absurdity.”
― Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis

“If I have one message to give to the secular American people, it’s that the world is not divided into countries. The world is not divided between East and West. You are American, I am Iranian, we don’t know each other, but we talk together and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you. And our governments are very much the same.”
― Marjane Satrapi

“Teacher: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Marji: I'll be a prophet.”
― Marjane Satrapi

“To be the mistress of a married man is to have the better role. Do you realize? His dirty shirt, his disgusting underwear, his daily ironing, his bad breath, his hemorrhoid attacks, his fuss, not to mention his bad moods, and his tantrums. Well all that is for his wife.
When a married man comes to his mistress... he's always bleached and ironed, his teeth sparkle, his breath is like perfume, he's in a good mood, he's full of conversation, he is there to have a good time with you.”
― Marjane Satrapi, Embroideries