You might as well fall flat on your face as…

You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward.

Sourced, From Fables for Our Time and Further Fables for Our Time

“The Bear Who Let It Alone”, The New Yorker (29 April 1939); Fables for Our Time & Famous Poems Illustrated (1940)

Other James Thurber Quotes

Her own mother lived the latter years of her life in the horrible suspicion that electricity was dripping invisibly all over the house. - View Quote Details on Her own mother lived the latter years of her life…
If a playwright tried to see eye to eye with everybody, he would get the worst case of strabismus since Hannibal lost an eye trying to count his nineteen elephants during a snowstorm while crossing the Alps. - View Quote Details on If a playwright tried to see eye to eye with…
The appreciative smile, the chuckle, the soundless mirth, so important to the success of comedy, cannot be understood unless one sits among the audience and feels the warmth created by the quality of laughter that the audience takes home with it. - View Quote Details on The appreciative smile, the chuckle, the soundless mirth, so important…
If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons. - View Quote Details on If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that…
The pounding of the cylinders increased: ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa. - View Quote Details on The pounding of the cylinders increased: ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa.
Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead. - View Quote Details on Early to rise and early to bed makes a male…
A drawing is always dragged down to the level of its caption. - View Quote Details on A drawing is always dragged down to the level of…
The only rules comedy can tolerate are those of taste, and the only limitations those of libel. - View Quote Details on The only rules comedy can tolerate are those of taste,…
Don’t let that chip on your shoulder be your only reason for walking erect. - View Quote Details on Don’t let that chip on your shoulder be your only…
In order to be eligible to play it was necessary for him to keep up in his studies, a very difficult matter, for while he was not dumber than an ox he was not any smarter. - View Quote Details on In order to be eligible to play it was necessary…