“In the Fourth Generation war, the state loses its monopoly on war. All over the world, state militaries find themselves fighting non-state opponents such as al-Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Almost everywhere, the state is losing.”
— William Lind

The quote archive

Wisdom in fragments

A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.

The wilderness doesn't care about your university degree, your bank balance, or your social media following. It only responds to your character, your resilience, and your ability to adapt.

— Bear Grylls

Survival TV Host & Adventurer Known for "Man vs. Wild

I think the fundamental thing about art is that it's a place where you can be honest about the human condition without having to be practical about it.

— Antony Gormley

British sculptor known for large-scale iron body cast installations

Racism, like sexism and any other form of discrimination, is an utterly futile exercise… nobody benefits. Societies are better for diversity in all forms, and time and time again we've seen that the more homogenous people become, the less they are able to flourish.

— Vikas Shah

We are one big, beautiful, dysfunctional and incredible family, tearing itself apart over something as inconsequential as our hue.

— Vikas Shah

For the first time in over 20 years, I feel brown… I find myself being extra careful in terms of how I dress, where I go, how I speak, what I carry and how I behave; not to conform to any new social norms- but rather, so that people don't mistake me for a terrorist.

— Vikas Shah

I assumed this was just a fact of life in the UK, but because I saw the warmth of some people's welcome in the business community in particular, I overlooked it…

— Vikas Shah

To change motivation, it is important to give hope and make people believe. But also to give concrete results. It is important to value the positive instead of only highlighting the worst.

— António Costa

Prime Minister of Portugal (2015-2024)

Changing the mood has an economic impact superior to many measures because companies and families, when they have more confidence, they act differently. Uncertainty and fear are enemies of economic growth.

— António Costa

Prime Minister of Portugal (2015-2024)

We adopted in Portugal a National Strategy for Entrepreneurship: Startup Portugal. A strategy that aims to make Portugal the ideal space to create, test, fail and try again.

— António Costa

Prime Minister of Portugal (2015-2024)

Portugal is generally perceived as a symbol of tolerance, openness to the world and ability to interact with and serve as a bridge to different societies, cultures and religions.

— António Costa

Prime Minister of Portugal (2015-2024)

Every human being on the planet- genetically- is 99.9 percent identical. Of the remaining 0.1 percent, only 10-15% accounts for the differences we see between asserted 'races' of humans.

— Unknown

More girls have been killed in the past fifty years, precisely because they were girls, than men were killed in all the battles of the twentieth century.

— Sheryl Wudunn

Pulitzer Prize Winner & Co-Author of Half the Sky

Our contemporary society uses this statistically insignificant variation to support the 'reasoning' behind cultural, social, economic and political practices that cause hundreds of millions of people, every day, to face discrimination.

— Unknown

The difference now is that our actions are not isolated. Developments in communication mean that we now engage in a subtle yet continual process of peer-review which assesses the morality of our conduct as societies and individuals.

— Unknown

I am a proud Jamaican who can run fast and make people smile. I try to be myself whether I am hanging out with my friends or on the world stage. I try to enjoy life and treat people with respect.

— Usain Bolt

Jamaican Sprinter & Olympic Gold Medalist, Fastest Human Ever

I have shown that anything is possible. I always tell people not to limit themselves. Find out what you are good at or interested in and work hard to be successful in that. Have fun when you are doing it and life is better.

— Usain Bolt

Jamaican Sprinter & Olympic Gold Medalist, Fastest Human Ever