5 Best Quotes From Groucho Marx

Groucho Marx’s phrases are so numerous that even some witty occurrences by other people are already attributed to this renowned actor. That is why it is always worth remembering the excellent reflections of this character who was able to transcend the big screen.

Groucho Marx was known for his famous films with unforgettable phrases such as: “ These are my principles. If you don’t like them, I have others ”. A phrase that, far from humor, hides a fierce criticism of a certain hypocrisy that reigns in much of the world’s societies.

Thus, due to the wit and acid humor of the actor, we have found an excellent idea to recover some of the best phrases of Groucho Marx. Let’s see if we can dissect the fine irony of his sentences and find the thick layer of criticism behind it.

“It is better to be quiet and look stupid, than to speak and clear doubts definitively.”

It is popularly said that “if what you are going to say does not improve the silence, it is better to remain silent.” It seems that Groucho Marx was much more acid, but just as accurate.

I don’t think Marx really meant that everyone is stupid. Your intention was probably to remember that many people talk excessively, beyond what is purely necessary. So if we don’t have much to contribute, it might be a good idea to keep quiet.

“Marriage is the principal cause of divorce”.

There are people who are even offended when they hear this phrase. However, it is a great truth. If there was no marriage, there would be no divorce, right?

Both in cases in which there is a legal union and in those couples that are only together in the sentimental field, it is clear that the separation can only occur in people who, in one way or another, have joined at a given moment , and whose relationship ends after a while.

However, we tend to view divorce or breakups as catastrophe, and it may not have to be that way. Perhaps we should not judge relationships according to their duration, but according to their quality. A couple can be happy for a while, but for some reason their values, priorities or ways of thinking may change and because of this, they may prefer to follow each one on their own.

“I find television very educational. Every time someone turns it on, I retreat to another room and read a book. “

Groucho Marx was much more than a comic actor. He was actually a great thinker, and, in fact, he was a great writer.  He published a couple of memoir books and many short stories, such as the curious Memoirs of a Mangy Lover . Hence, it is striking that a man dedicated to the world of entertainment, had that image on television.

Marx sensed a certain drift from the television medium towards low-quality programming and empty entertainment. In fact, his films radiated irreverent humor, but also fierce criticism, as we see in some of his key works such as Goose Soup .

“Politics is the art of looking for problems, finding them, making a false diagnosis, and then applying the wrong remedies.”

With what we have seen so far about Groucho Marx, capable of hiding a great social criticism in pills of sarcasm, it is not surprising that politics did not get rid of its sharpness either.

It is evident that Marx’s vision towards the rulers was quite critical. Look for problems where there are none, find wrong recipes as solutions and then, to top it all, try to remedy them for your audience using the wrong methods. It seems like you can’t go wrong anymore, right?

“I would never belong to a club that admitted someone like me as a member.”

Without a doubt, this is  one of the best phrases of Groucho Marx and at the same time more scathing. A harsh criticism of hypocrisy, of that kind face that many people offer, but that does not resemble their true intentions. The good thing about Marx is that he begins by criticizing himself. Or, maybe to speak your mind, you think you would not fit into any club?

These are only 5, but it has many more famous phrases. That is why we do not want to stop remembering, among the best phrases of Groucho Marx, others such as:

• “Military intelligence are two contradictory terms”.
• “The secret of success is honesty. If you can avoid it, it’s done”.
• “There are so many things in life more important than money! But they cost so much! ”.