"In life you'll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it's because they're stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than bitterness and vengeance... Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself."
— Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood)

"We are focusing on the small details and hiding the misery in the world. Look at the smoker and we miss global warming, war, and the crap we eat--not the bad guys but smoking. I smoke and they talk about cancer, I eat and they talk about cholesterol, I make love, it's AIDS. Before AIDS and cholesterol and cancer there's the pleasure of making love and eating and smoking. I have to die someday, so if the thing that gave me pleasure all of my life kills me instead of me going under a truck, that's fine. Besides, why should I live so that when I die I give fresh meat to the worms? I hope that I am rotted and they don't want to eat me. F@#$ck the worms."
— Marjane Satrapi

"It's fear that makes us lose our conscience. It's also what transforms us into cowards."
— Marjane Satrapi (The Complete Persepolis)

"I had learned that you should always shout louder than your aggressor."
— Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood)

"We can only feel sorry for ourselves when our misfortunes are still supportable. Once this limit is crossed, the only way to bear the unbearable is to laugh at it."
— Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return)

"One can forgive but one should never forget."
— Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood)

"I had so many professions before. I didn't want to do this particularly. It just happened. "
— Marjane Satrapi

"When we're afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection. Our fear paralyzes us. Fear has always been the driving force behind all dictators' repression."
— Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return)

"The regime had understood that one person leaving her house while asking herself:
'Are my trousers long enough?'
'Is my veil in place?'
'Can my make-up be seen?'
'Are they going to whip me?'

No longer asks herself:

'Where is my freedom of thought?'
'Where is my freedom of speech?'
"My life, is it livable?'
'What's going on in the political prisons?'"
— Marjane Satrapi (The Complete Persepolis)

"'You are putting yourself in serious danger...'

I think that I preferred to put myself in serious danger rather than confront my shame. My shame at not having become someone, the shame of not having made my parents proud after all the sacrifices they had made for me. The shame of having become a mediocre nihilist."
— Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return)

"You know, they say in France that translation is like a woman: she is either beautiful or faithful. "
— Marjane Satrapi

"In any case, it's the cowardice of people like you who give dictators the chance to install themselves!"
— Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return)

"To speak behind others' backs is the ventilator of the heart."
— Marjane Satrapi (Embroideries)

"“We found ourselves veiled and separated from our friends.” "
— Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood)

"Life is absolutely unbearable. And we're going to die."
— Marjane Satrapi

"Oh my!! How you've grown. Soon you'll be catching the Lord's balls."
— Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return)