Doing the forbidden is a normal function of growth.

— Paul Goodman

Education is a natural community function and occurs inevitably, since the young grow up on the old, towards their activities, and into (or against) their institutions; and the old foster, teach, train, exploit and abuse the young. Even neglect of the young, except physical neglect, has an educational effect -- not the worst possible.

— Paul Goodman

Enjoyment is not a goal it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity.

— Paul Goodman

Few great men could pass personnel.

— Paul Goodman

Few great men could pass personnel.

— Paul Goodman

Few great men could pass Personnel.

— Paul Goodman

Finding a new ethics or aesthetics, as Dr. Douglass asks, will not put us in a state of grace. Existence is not given meaning by importing it into a revelation from the outside. The meaning is —there, in more closely contacting the actual situation, the only situation that there is, whatever it is. As our situation is, closely contacting it would surely result in plenty of trouble and perhaps in terrible social conflicts, terrible opportunities and duties, during which we might learn something and at the end of which we might know something, even a new ethics; for it is in such conflicts that new ethics are discovered. But it is just these conflicts that we do not observe happening. Everybody talks nice. At most there is some unruliness and dumb protest, and some withdrawal. So urging the juveniles to go to church is not serious, for how will the church give them faith? What opportunity will it open?

— Paul Goodman

I have learned to have very modest goals for society and myself things like clean air green grass children with bright eyes not being pushed around useful work that suits one's abilities plain tasty food and occasional satisfying nookie.

— Paul Goodman

In his school, Bertrand Russell thought it was better if they had the sex, so they could give their undivided attention to mathematics, which was the main thing.

— Paul Goodman

It is by losing himself in the objective in inquiry creation and craft that a man becomes something.

— Paul Goodman