You seem to forget, Miss Flinn, that this is an institution for the insane.

Don't say it...I've seen too many loves sundered by too much needless honesty.

I been silent so long now it’s gonna roar out of me like floodwaters and you think the guy telling this is ranting and raving my God; you think this is too horrible to have really happened, this is too awful to be the truth! But, please. It’s still hard for me to have a clear mind thinking on it. But it’s the truth even if it didn’t happen.

The truth doesn't have to do with cruelty, the truth has to do with mercy.

The secret of being a top-notch con man is being able to know what the mark wants, and how to make him think he's getting it.

He was in his chair in the corner, resting a second before he came out for the next round -- in a long line of next rounds. The thing he was fighting, you couldn't whip it for good. All you could do was keep on whipping it, till you couldn't come out anymore and somebody else had to take your place.

I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismograph.