Pessimism of the Intellect; Optimism of the Will
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| — | A slogan, probably authored by Gramsci himself, which appeared regularly on the masthead of L’Ordine Nuovo, the newspaper he edited. |
When, in the course of human development, existing institutions prove inadequate to the needs of man, when they serve merely to enslave, rob, and oppress mankind, the people have the eternal right to rebel against, and overthrow, these institutions.
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| — | Emma Goldman, A New Declaration of Independence (1909) |
I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves.
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| — | Che Guevara, Statement in Mexico (1958); as quoted in Kaplan AP World History 2005 (2004) edited by the Kaplan staff, p. 240 |
Optimism and pessimism. It should be noted that very often optimism is nothing more than a defense of one’s laziness, one’s irresponsibility, the will to do nothing.
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| — | —Gramsci |
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world; Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
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| — | Margaret Mead |
The dissident is not seeking power…has no desire for office and does not gather votes…does not attempt to charm the public… offers nothing and promises nothing. [She] can offer, if anything, only [her] own skin-and [she] offers it solely because [she] has no other way of affirming the truth [she] stands for. [Her] actions simply articulate [her] dignity as a citizen, regardless of the cost.
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| — | Václav Havel (1990) in Antonia Darder’s speech; The Making of a Postcolonial Dissident Scholar |
Students need to come to understand that the reason for learning is to nurture their intellectual talents for the construction of our society into a more democratic just and caring place to live. Citizens must be well informed and have the educational abilities and sensitivities needed to critically examine the world in which we live.
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| — | M. Greene |
If I do not speak in a language that can be understood there is little chance for a dialogue.
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| — | bell hooks |
Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.
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| — | Mark Twain |
By its identification of cognition with science, positivism restricts intelligence to functions necessary to the organization of material already patterned according to that very commercial culture which intelligence is called upon to criticize. Such restriction makes intelligence the servant of the apparatus of production, rather than its master.
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| — | Max Horheimer |
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
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| — | Mark Twain |
The people in power will not disappear voluntarily, giving flowers to the cops just isn’t going to work. This thinking is fostered by the establishment; they like nothing better than love and nonviolence. The only way I like to see cops given flowers is in a flower pot from a high window.
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| — | William S. Burroughs |
