“what turns a developing into a developed nation is not the amount of foreign aid it attracts, but how the money is spent.”
— Loretta Napoleoni
Economist and author specializing in terrorism financing and shadow economy

The quote archive

Philosophy

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

When you set out on that yellow-brick-road of life to fulfil your goals, just be the best you can be – and whether that means you finish as champion, first, second, tenth, whatever… if you've done your best? You're winning. The martial arts however can teach you a lot about how to perform – how to dig deep – and how to be better than you think you can be.

— Bruce Buffer

UFC and Pride Fighting Championships Announcer

There is an old saying in martial arts… blood and honour. In battle, you battle, but afterwards there's respect. You're giving everything in that place- you've done everything you can apart from dying, and you've shared that with this other individual. You shared blood, tears, sweat and competition. It's the height of challenge- and once that challenge is over, the better man or woman wins in that moment – and so the opponents have nothing but respect for each other.

— Bruce Buffer

UFC and Pride Fighting Championships Announcer

The level of preparation before fighters' step into the octagon is huge – at minimum fighters will train for 6-8 week, non-stop at camp, just for this 3 or 5, 5 minute-a-round battle. It is complete dedication. It is the loneliest sport in the world when it comes to it…. once you enter the octagon and that gate closes? It is you alone. To achieve what our fighters achieve? You need true warrior spirit, dedication, and discipline – you must be consistent with all your efforts.

— Bruce Buffer

UFC and Pride Fighting Championships Announcer

Martial arts is my greatest passion in life, and it has given me everything: my values, my family, my business, and my true calling. It has given me a warrior's spirit to conquer adversities in life, and I truly believe it's one of the greatest platforms to unleash the true power of human potential.

— Chatri Sityodtong

Founder and Chairman of ONE Championship, premier Asian MMA organization

I learned a long time ago that life is not a race against other people. Life is a competition with yourself. One of the greatest achievements in life is to outperform yourself and live your greatest life possible. Greatness lives in all of us, but we must all find what it is that ignites our souls.

— Chatri Sityodtong

Founder and Chairman of ONE Championship, premier Asian MMA organization

I owned a US$500 million hedge fund when I decided to retire from Wall Street. On paper, I was on top of the world. Inside, though, something was missing. All of the money and material things in the world could never fill that void. It was painful to admit, but I had climbed up to the top of the wrong mountain.

— Chatri Sityodtong

Founder and Chairman of ONE Championship, premier Asian MMA organization

True goodwill is cultivated over time through building customer relationships, fostering employee bonds, and nurturing ties with the community. But trying to pin a numerical value on goodwill, expecting it to annually increase or decrease on a balance sheet, is where the essence gets lost.

— Sridhar Vembu

Founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, cloud computing company

Those defending the inevitability of death vastly outnumber the proponents of indefinite life. This almost trance-like acceptance of the status quo is genuinely surprising to me.

— Bryan Johnson

Biohacker & Blueprint Project Founder focused on extreme longevity optimization

In my view, I believe that in 2023, the pinnacle goal of intelligence should be the pursuit of continued existence. I struggle to comprehend why any sentient being would choose any path other than striving for prolonged existence.

— Bryan Johnson

Biohacker & Blueprint Project Founder focused on extreme longevity optimization

Algorithms will soon surpass our innate ability to cater to our health, wellness, and overall well-being. As this unfolds, uncharted realms of purpose and significance will surface, ones we can't currently fathom. The act of humans making choices will become a mere memory. We'll be spectators in a novel arena.

— Bryan Johnson

Biohacker & Blueprint Project Founder focused on extreme longevity optimization

Today, a fear-based politics has largely replaced the promotion of ideals. Obama's call for 'the audacity of hope' in 2006 now feels quaint. To me, this concession to fear poses a big challenge: how do we recover an aspirational politics?

— Robert Peckham

When I approach anything, especially high-risk activities, I always brace myself for the worst outcome – death. By accepting death, they rid themselves of the fear and could focus purely on survival. This mentality is my cornerstone.

— Jeb Corliss

Professional BASE jumper and skydiver known for extreme cliff jumping

Adversity, I believe, is vital. It's the crucible where strength is forged. Without struggle, without battles to face, we remain static, unable to grow. Extreme experiences, where the intensity of life is palpable, have been instrumental in my evolution as a person.

— Jeb Corliss

Professional BASE jumper and skydiver known for extreme cliff jumping

True courage isn't present without fear. How can one be brave without confronting what scares them? When you witness someone tackling extreme or perilous tasks without any sign of fear, it doesn't reflect courage. You need fear to get stronger. You need discomfort to build.

— Jeb Corliss

Professional BASE jumper and skydiver known for extreme cliff jumping

The 'Doomers' often anthropomorphize computers by attributing human characteristics to them. Humans have evolved their competitive nature and occasional violent impulses from survival in a world marked by resource scarcity and competition. Computers, on the other hand, have emerged from a vastly different evolutionary path. Thus, to say a computer 'wants to eat your lunch' leans heavily into projecting human traits onto machines.

— W. Russell Neuman

Communications scholar and pioneer in media effects research and digital divide studies

The research community rallied behind the Turing Test as a benchmark. The idea was simple: demonstrate that machines can emulate human intelligence, which was seen as the pinnacle of cognitive achievement. This historical and cultural trajectory, while understandable, seemingly dismisses the idea that computers can serve as invaluable complements to human cognition.

— W. Russell Neuman

Communications scholar and pioneer in media effects research and digital divide studies