“It is the job of the prime minister or the president to persuade people that we are all in it together, and that if you fall behind, we will lend you a hand.”
— It is the job of the prime minister or the president to persuade people that we …

The quote archive

Wisdom in fragments

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

Song writing is about finding a vision that sets the mood and state for the work and process. Then you need to put in the time and the good vibes to achieve that vision.

— Katie Melua

Georgian-British singer-songwriter known for "Nine Million Bicycles

When I got better, even simple things like being able to wake-up, go for a walk, speak, and observe life, felt viscerally stunning and good. I found a state of being – a state that gave me perspective and feeling about life and my place in it.

— Katie Melua

Georgian-British singer-songwriter known for "Nine Million Bicycles

Songs are these magnetic creations of words and music, in very short form. A song needs to hit you in less than a minute and sometimes it can be an incredibly solitary, emotional experience where it's just you and the imagined relationship with that singer.

— Katie Melua

Georgian-British singer-songwriter known for "Nine Million Bicycles

Songs are like a cleanse for the nervous system. I put on She's Always a Woman by Billy Joel and I just suddenly felt psychologically lifted. There's something in the essence of this song… it's not just beats and energy. It felt this song was filled with beauty, mystery, and love.

— Katie Melua

Georgian-British singer-songwriter known for "Nine Million Bicycles

We're pro-tech, but we need technology that works for us and intersects with our interests. Today, we have technology which is specifically designed to hack and invade our attention – and it doesn't need to be that way.

— Johann Hari

Journalist and author known for books on addiction and depression

I don't think it's a coincidence that globally, we're having the biggest crisis of democracy since the 1930s. At the same time as we're finding it hard to focus and pay attention, we also can't listen to each other.

— Johann Hari

Journalist and author known for books on addiction and depression

Think about anything you've ever achieved in your life that you're proud of... starting a business... being a good parent... learning to play the guitar.... It will have taken a huge amount of sustained focus and attention.

— Johann Hari

Journalist and author known for books on addiction and depression

Your attention hasn't collapsed, it's been stolen from you by big forces. Once we understand those forces, we can begin to build meaningful solutions.

— Johann Hari

Journalist and author known for books on addiction and depression

The power of regret is that it clarifies what we value and instructs on how to do better. When people tell you what they regret they most, they are telling you what they value the most.

— Daniel H. Pink

Author of "Drive" & Leading Work Culture Expert

We should be looking at our regrets not as meaningless, debilitating phenomena but as signals, information, and data. If we do that systematically? We can use this emotion as a transformative force for progress.

— Daniel H. Pink

Author of "Drive" & Leading Work Culture Expert

People who are claiming they have no regrets are essentially saying they have no learning, no growth, and no progress. We need to recalibrate and make sense of this profoundly misunderstood emotion.

— Daniel H. Pink

Author of "Drive" & Leading Work Culture Expert

Everybody has regrets- the only people who don't are babies, sociopaths, and people with brain damage. You might wonder why an emotion that's objectively so unpleasant is also so ubiquitous? Well… it's because it's useful (if we treat it right).

— Daniel H. Pink

Author of "Drive" & Leading Work Culture Expert

No regrets culture is a terrible blueprint for living. The idea that you should always be positive and never look backwards is not an effective blueprint for living a decent, meaningful, happy life. It runs against everything we know about the science of emotion!

— Daniel H. Pink

Author of "Drive" & Leading Work Culture Expert

We all know – almost intuitively – that we're part of something that requires awe and wonder. It's so amazing we're here, it's bonkers! There is so much inspiration around us – it's awe inspiring.

— Fearne Cotton

British Radio & TV Presenter, Model & Wellness Author

Without the extreme magnifying glass that was on my life, I don't know if I would have stumbled on any of the discoveries I've made.

— Fearne Cotton

British Radio & TV Presenter, Model & Wellness Author

We've lost our relationship with ourselves; and that is all-encompassing because without a relationship with ourselves, we can't then have a relationship with nature, with each other and the planet.

— Fearne Cotton

British Radio & TV Presenter, Model & Wellness Author