Personal Toll Quotes

Many years ago, I concluded that a few hair shirts were part of the mental wardrobe of every man. The president differs from other men in that he has a more extensive wardrobe.

I think I'm maintaining the quality, but internally I'm paying for it.

At any one particular time, there is something in my life that is suffering as a result of my many responsibilities; most of the time, it's me.

Don't think for a minute that bad publicity and endless criticism don't leave their claw marks on everyone concerned. Your friends try to cheer you up by saying lightly, "I suppose you get used to it, and ignore it." You try. You try damned hard. But you never get used to it. It always wounds and hurts.

Once you run for office, you're in it - sort of like going into the military. You'd better be damned sure it is what you want to do and that the rest of your life is set up to accommodate that. It takes a certain toll on your personality and on your family life. I've seen it personally.

I think there have been some periods when the writing almost became a bit of a burden.

Rock and Roll has certainly tried to take its toll on me. I'd rather not talk about my past excesses here, although some hardcore rockers might argue that those excesses were responsible for some great records, but I know which side I came out on.

Even ministers of good things are like torches, a light to others, waste and destruction to themselves.

A band is a great way to destroy a friendship, and a tour's a great way to destroy a band.

As a comedian, especially one that works as much as I do, there is a lot of sacrifice. People don't see that I'm away from my family 46 weeks out of the year. I miss all the birthdays and anniversaries and holidays.

Nobody knows better than I do what the pressures of party leadership can do to a young family. It tore mine apart.

GamerGate has had an almost indescribable toll on my family.

I think my wife and my kids are incredibly good to allow me to stay in public life given that they have to cop a whole lot of collateral attention that, being human, they'd rather not get.

The curiosity of the public took the greatest toll on me of anything in politics

I didn't worry about my career ending, but there were days where I felt pretty beat up by it all and just pretty tired, because they didn't make it easy for me. And coming right off the last lawsuit, it was the last thing I wanted to get involved in. When it was over, we didn't really celebrate, we were just exhausted. I lost all interest in the record business and never wanted to do anything except hand in a record again.

I think each role takes a little from you and circles around you for the rest of your life. I don't think you ever abandon any of them.