Top 120 Anton Szandor LaVey Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

2. “Satanism demands study, not worship!”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

Featured in: Study Quotes

3. “The Atheist complains about the wind. The Christian prays for it to change. The Satanist adjusts his sails.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

4. “Up is down, pleasure is pain, darkness is light, slavery is freedom, madness is sanity...”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

5. “There is a beast in man that should be exercised, not exorcised.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

6. “Be as a lion in the path. Be dangerous even in defeat.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

7. “Many of you already read my writings indicating that TV is the new god. There is a little thing I neglected to mention up until now, television is the major mainstream infiltration for the new satanic religion.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

8. “Satanism represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

9. “When one sleeps on the floor one need not worry about falling out of bed.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

10. “Definition of Good and Evil: Good is what you like. Evil is what you don’t like.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

11. “There is no heaven, there is no hell, except here on Earth.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

12. “Don’t waste your time with people who will ultimately destroy you, but concentrate instead on those who will appreciate your responsibility to them, and, likewise, feel responsible to you.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

13. “Blessed are the destroyers of false hope, for they are the true Messiahs – Cursed are the god-adorers, for they shall be shorn sheep!”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

14. “Life is the great indulgence – death the great abstinence. Therefore, make the most of life here and now!”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

15. “When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

16. “I’m glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

17. “Hate your enemy with a whole heart, and if a man smite you on one cheek, SMASH him on the other!”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

18. “I break away from all conventions that do not lead to my earthly success and happiness.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

19. “Every religion in the world that has destroyed people is based on love.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

20. “The seven deadly sins of the Christian Church are: greed, pride, envy, anger, gluttony, lust, and sloth. Satanism advocates indulging in each of these ‘sins’ as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

21. “Most of the interesting people I’ve ever met have been deviant in one form or another.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

22. “The Satanist realizes that man, and the action and reaction of the universe, is responsible for everything, and doesn’t mislead himself into thinking that someone cares.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

23. “There is no heaven of glory bright, and no hell where sinners roast. Here and now is our day of torment! Here and now is our day of joy! Here and now is our opportunity! Choose ye this day, this hour, for no redeemer liveth!”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

24. “The true test of anyone’s worth as a living creature is how much he can utilize what he has.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

25. “To be loved, feelings must be rationed. To love, the doors of hysteria, fantasy, and madness may be flung open.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

26. “Magic is never totally scientifically explainable, but science has always been, at one time or another, considered magic.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

27. “You cannot love everyone; it is ridiculous to think you can.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

28. “A Satanist practices the motto, If a man smite thee on one cheek, smash him on the other! Let no wrong go unredressed.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

29. “If you’re going to be a sinner, be the best sinner on the block.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

30. “One of the keys to success is an unflinching belief that there are no rules. Anyone who’s ever succeeded has gone on that premise; not buying established procedures, business or otherwise. The naysayers are inevitably left behind amid shouts of ‘it cannot be done’ and “should not be done’.””

— Anton Szandor LaVey

31. “The real satanist is not quite so easily recognized as such.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

32. “What good are friends if they cant do you any good?”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

33. “Satanism represents a form of controlled selfishness.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

34. “Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years!”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

35. “Since man’s natural instincts lead him to sin, all men are sinners; and all sinners go to hell. If everyone goes to hell, then you will meet all your friends there.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

36. “Do what you want as long as its paying off for you. But once its become a liability, then something is wrong and you better find out what it is.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

37. “Behold the crucifix; what does it symbolize? Pallid incompetence hanging on a tree.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

38. “In this arid wilderness of steel and stone I raise up my voice that you may hear. To the East and to the West I beckon. To the North and to the South I show a sign proclaiming: Death to the weakling, wealth to the strong!”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

39. “Don’t let that little pyramid with the bright eye fool you. That’s to draw your attention away from the real thing: the big trapezoid beneath it.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

40. “The truth alone has never set anyone free. It is only DOUBT which will bring about mental emancipation. Without the wonderful element of doubt, the doorway through which truth passes would be tightly shut, impervious to the strenuous poundings of a thousand Lucifer’s.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

41. “Satanism is not a white light religion; it is a religion of the flesh, the mundane, the carnal – all of which are ruled by Satan, the personification of the Left Hand Path.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

42. “ALL religions of a spiritual nature are inventions of man. He has created an entire system of gods with nothing more than his carnal brain. Just because he has an ego, and cannot accept it, he has to externalize it into some great spiritual device which he calls God.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

43. “The devils of past religions have always, at least in part, had animal characteristics, evidence of man’s constant need to deny that he too is an animal, for to do so would serve a mighty blow to his impoverished ego.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

44. “Those that would say Satanist would like to kill animal’s, sacrifice animals I would say they would make ideal animal sacrifices, I love animals and animals have always been part of me.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

45. “If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

46. “It has been said, ‘the truth will make men free.’ The truth alone has never made anyone free. It is only doubt which will bring mental emancipation.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

47. “There are many who would like my time. I shun them. There are some who share my time. I am entertained by them. There are precious few who contribute to my time. I cherish them.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

48. “Yeah, well, I’m crazy, but I’m not stupid, hopefully. And I think we’re all a bit crazy if we do anything that’s deviant. I’ve studied a great deal on deviance and aberrant behavior. Most of the interesting people I’ve ever met have been deviant in one form or another.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

49. “I feel that what is probably the greatest enemy of longevity is popularity, and most people die of popularity.”

— Anton Szandor LaVey

50. “I knew then that the Christian Church thrives on hypocrisy, and that man’s carnal nature will out!”

— Anton Szandor LaVey