“Excellence is almost a tactile feeling – and it starts with a vision… sometimes a vision that shows you a path that's so good that it cannot not succeed.”
— Stephen A. Schwarzman
Co-Founder and CEO of Blackstone, Major Philanthropist

The quote archive

Culture

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

It's conceivable that survival odds were higher for ancestors who embraced false information endorsed by their tribe, compared to those who acknowledged empirically accurate information but were thereby alienated from their group.

— Dannagal Young

The idea of time as something distinct from us, which we are then having to fight and struggle with all the time would simply not have existed to the mediaeval English peasant, who would have existed much more in what anthropologists call 'task orientation'.

— Oliver Burkeman

Guardian columnist & author on psychology, time management, and happiness

The efficiency trap is very modern, but it's now become a holdover from the Industrial Revolution. If you only relate to time, as if it were a certain kind of 'thing', like a natural resource… something that you could maximise, then you're going to be in a perpetual state of psychological struggle because you won't be using the right conceptual tools to live in time.

— Oliver Burkeman

Guardian columnist & author on psychology, time management, and happiness

The most critical element is the cultural integration. The distinct cultures of the two companies present a significant challenge, consuming 80-90% of our efforts. Our goal is to forge a unified team culture, permeating from senior leadership to the deepest levels.

— Abhijit Dubey

Western management styles and Eastern management philosophies are not mutually exclusive. In fact, blending the best elements of each can be highly effective. It's not about choosing one philosophy over the other. It's about selecting and integrating the best aspects of both to enhance how you run a business.

— Abhijit Dubey

We must start by eliminating a culture that falsely implies the existence of agency where there is none and condones differential treatment of individuals based on a misguided notion of self-control.

— Robert Sapolsky

Neuroscientist & primatologist known for stress research and public engagement

After the Holocaust, such thinking became widely discredited. In the post-war era, other developments also influenced attitudes towards antisemitism, leading to a significant shift in political antisemitism. However, what persisted were the cultural stereotypes – the entrenched narratives and stereotypes about Jews within the culture, ready to be drawn upon whenever they seemed relevant or useful.

— David Feldman

Antisemitism has been present in Christian culture for roughly two millennia. Today it's not solely a Western, European, or North American issue; it's part of a global common culture. This 'reservoir' idea conceives of culture as a resource that a very wide range of individuals, groups and institutions have tapped into overtime.

— David Feldman

I acknowledge the monumental impact of the convergence of games with computers, leading to the creation of video games. This fusion marked a significant cultural explosion, underscoring the importance of games in the context of modern technology.

— Frank Lantz

Game designer and NYU professor known for game theory and interactive entertainment

I do believe there's something fundamentally essential about free play—the open-ended combination of elements not confined by a narrow context. This concept is vital not only to humanity but to life itself.

— Frank Lantz

Game designer and NYU professor known for game theory and interactive entertainment

My father arrived in this country with just $16 in his pocket, and my mother, also an immigrant from Congo, instilled in me that the notion of life being too difficult was not an excuse, especially in the United States or any developed Western country where one is inherently blessed.

— Impa Kasanganay

I believe it's crucial, especially in social settings, to be both interesting and interested. Being well-informed and keeping up with current events make you more engaging, but showing genuine interest in others is key.

— Sara Jane Ho

For me, etiquette transcends mere formalities; it's fundamentally about ensuring others feel at ease in your presence, regardless of their background or demeanour. It's this universal language of respect and inclusion that truly enriches our interactions.

— Sara Jane Ho

Etiquette is the glue that holds society together. Humans are social creatures, after all—we need connection to survive. But with global cultures in flux and the post-pandemic digital age, shadow epidemics of anxiety and loneliness are on the rise.

— Sara Jane Ho

So much of silence is about perpetuating the status quo, reinforcing what someone or dominant groups within an entity or organization have deemed appropriate, good, polite. Being different inherently exposes you to vulnerability; you're pushing against everything that the forces of mimicry urge you to do, which is to conform.

— Elaine Lin Hering

Society has undoubtedly faced setbacks, but clinging to practices from 100 years ago isn't a solution. The world has evolved, and so must we, finding our purpose in the new landscape. It's crucial to introspect and work with the hand we're dealt.

— Theo Paphitis

British Businessman, Dragons' Den Investor & Retail Entrepreneur