Dick Cavett

“The greatest benefit of depression is the fact that when I have talked about it, every so often someone comes up and says, 'You saved my dad's life.'”

“History is not reassuring on the subject of the longevity of seemingly lasting great nations, is it?”

“If you have a relative who's lost interest in everything and doesn't get out of bed, who doesn't care for things they used to, can't imagine anything that would give them any pleasure, don't fool around with it; get therapy, get help, get medication if that's right for you, or talk therapy, or something.”

“It's fun for me to go on other folks' talk shows. When you've endured the ups and downs and tensions and pitfalls of hosting, being a guest is a piece of angel food.”

“A grown man, weeping, is a tough thing to see.”

“I've actually gotten so I don't associate television with entertainment very much.”

“I love my own coincidences and love to hear other peoples' stories.”

“I'll be happy if I can just stay out of Nebraska.”

“Depression - it falls into that small category of things like combat that, if you haven't been in it, you can say you can imagine it all you like. But it's truly different.”

“When I was a kid in Nebraska, a cantankerous farmer, known for plinking with his '22 at passing cars in which he perceived enemies, ingeniously rigged up a shotgun in his house, trained on the inside of his front door so as to widely distribute any intruder.”

“There is something about a Luger that separates it from all other handguns, and Luger devotees and Luger society members speak of it in romantic terms that must sound plain nuts to those who consider themselves level-headed.”

“Unpleasant reading on the subject of anger tells us that there's not really anything wrong with it. In limited amounts. It can even be a good thing. A pressure valve.”

“Chris Matthews can't start any sentence without 'Let me ask you this... ' And I love Chris Matthews! But almost everybody in journalism does it. Who's stopping you? Just say it!”

“It takes a certain amount of guts to go to your class reunions.”

“I have a feeling that about 90% of my life has been shaped by my voice, both as an embarrassment and as an advantage. There was always the terrible incongruity of this deep voice barreling out of this little body. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was aware that it was ludicrous, that it took on an importance that wasn't really there.”

“It's not always easy to identify your own voice. It comes with time.”

“Sloppy language leads to sloppy thought, and sloppy thought to sloppy legislation.”

“William F. Buckley was a man who had a great capacity for fun and for amusing himself by amazing others.”

“While other kids were out playing and doing healthy things, I read an ancient judo book with a neck hold that was fatal to so many people, they finally dropped it from judo.”

“Japanese is sort of a hobby of mine, and I can get around Japan with ease.”