A babble of words that no one understands now fills the airwaves, and language loses all meaning as we sink slowly, mindlessly, into herstory rather than history because most rapists are men, aren't they?

— Gore Vidal

A court is the most depressing place on earth. Wherever there is a throne, one may observe in rich detail every folly and wickedness of which man is capable, enameled with manners and gilded with hypocrisy.

— Gore Vidal

A current pejorative adjective is narcissistic. Generally, a narcissist is anyone better looking than you are, but lately the adjective is often applied to those "liberals" who prefer to improve the lives of others rather than exploit them. Apparently, a concern for others is self-love at its least attractive, while greed is now a sign of the highest altruism. But then to reverse, periodically, the meanings of words is a very small price to pay for our vast freedom not only to conform but to consume.

— Gore Vidal

Although Americans justify their self-interest in moral terms, their true interest is never itself moral.

— Gore Vidal

A narcissist is someone better looking than you are.

— Gore Vidal

Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically, by definition, be disqualified from ever doing so.

— Gore Vidal

Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.

— Gore Vidal

As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests.

— Gore Vidal

As the age of television progresses the Reagan's will be the rule, not the exception. To be perfect for television is all a President has to be these days.

— Gore Vidal

A talent for drama is not a talent for writing but is an ability to articulate human relationships.

— Gore Vidal