“Hot and humid climates tend to promote a kind of right-wing, slightly authoritarian politics — because hot and humid environments are also pathogen-rich, and over thousands of years, societies in those climates have developed what scientists call behavioural immunity.”— Hot and humid climates tend to promote a kind of right-wing, slightly authoritarian politics
The quote archive
A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.
Fear is a great weapon, and tyrants use fear against their people to encourage them to vote for increases in military spending, even when infrastructure, education and healthcare are suffering.
— Bassem YoussefEgyptian comedian and political satirist known for "The Daily Show" parody
People have lost their belief in the establishment, they believe that the outsider who would bring anger and chaos is much better than the status quo; even if that is against their own interests.
— Bassem YoussefEgyptian comedian and political satirist known for "The Daily Show" parody
Bill Drayton has pioneered the field of social entrepreneurship, growing a global association of over 3,900 leading social entrepreneurs who work together to create an 'Everyone a Changemaker' world.
— Bill DraytonFounder of Ashoka & Pioneer of Social Entrepreneurship
Over half have changed national policy within five years of launch.
— Bill DraytonFounder of Ashoka & Pioneer of Social Entrepreneurship
The true measure of success for United Way and other philanthropic organizations is bottom-line results: the lives that are changed and the communities that are shaped.
— Brian GallagherPresident and CEO of United Way Worldwide
What makes any sport exciting is learning how to excel by staying within the confine of rules, not by winning through ignoring them. The team isn't just the one with your jersey, it's everyone who wears a jersey.
— Kareem Abdul-JabbarNBA's All-Time Leading Scorer & Six-Time Champion
The team was a meritocracy in which performance alone was rewarded. As I got better and my team started winning championships for my school, my status as freakishly tall black kid became a badge of accomplishment and inclusion.
— Kareem Abdul-JabbarNBA's All-Time Leading Scorer & Six-Time Champion
On the court, there was no prejudice, just your contribution to the team. Off the court, teamwork seemed like a parody of what we did. So, the lesson I eventually learned was to distinguish between which teams are sincere in promoting true teamwork, and which are jingoistic self-serving pretenders.
— Kareem Abdul-JabbarNBA's All-Time Leading Scorer & Six-Time Champion
Coach Wooden's little lesson wasn't just about socks, but about how everything in life was basically a Rube Goldberg contraption with many seemingly unrelated parts that form a greater interrelated machine. Neglecting what appears insignificant can create a domino effect of failure.
— Kareem Abdul-JabbarNBA's All-Time Leading Scorer & Six-Time Champion
Forgetfulness of the past and the consequences such forgetfulness potentially produces. Extreme nationalism prevents nations from cooperating with other nations.
— Walter ZifferAs I see it, education that strengthens our inclination toward the good is the means toward creating decent behavior in humans. Such education should be of the formal kind and through role modeling and osmosis.
— Walter ZifferWhen pushed to extremes by exterior influences, real or perceived as real, the inclination toward evil can overwhelm our psychic system and push us toward extreme cruelty toward others and even toward the self.
— Walter ZifferI cannot help but admire the insight of our Jewish sages of old who taught that every child is born with equal affinities toward goodness and evil, in Hebrew yetzer hatov and yetzer hara. This means that we are not born as a tabula rasa.
— Walter ZifferIn my opinion, the seeds of cruelty are in nature. We are animals and so we participate in animal behavior. Aggression is part of the natural world and we derive our origins from the natural world in which there are priorities that drive existence such as the need to eat, to reproduce and to defend.
— Walter ZifferI am not a big fan of the word hope, I am a big fan of the word determination. Being determined is a moral position, when you are depend on the word hope you are lazy.
— Ece TemelkuranTurkish journalist, author, and political commentator known for critical writings on democracy
It's hard for people to defend democracy when it cannot defend them against social injustice.
— Ece TemelkuranTurkish journalist, author, and political commentator known for critical writings on democracy