“There's compelling evidence to suggest that the current mental health crisis among the youth may, to some extent, stem from individuals who haven't had the chance to navigate smaller tribulations and are consequently overwhelmed when faced with significant challenges.”
— Malcolm Gladwell
Author of "The Tipping Point" & Popular Cultural Theorist

The quote archive

Society

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

Data is showing that the amount of information we're sending them without hope, and the ratio of hope versus negativity, is shutting down the next generation, which is terrifying. And so it's not like, 'Oh my gosh, there's a fire—they're going to go put the fire out.' They're like, 'Oh my gosh, what's the point? The fire is too big.'

— Ben Lamm

So Manchester and Sheffield had to apply to Transport for London for money to allocate to their bus routes. This is so comically bizarre that if you put it in a novel it would seem too silly. But that's how it is. The power is amazingly concentrated in Whitehall with a few very clever technocrats who go into it as their first job.

— Paul Collier

Economist specializing in poverty, conflict, and development in Africa

What happened was that people saw their place going down while London was booming. It's not countrywide; it's not that everyone in the country is poorer. London's doing fine. So people ask: why are they not doing fine when London's doing fine? They start to blame each other.

— Paul Collier

Economist specializing in poverty, conflict, and development in Africa

The most common misunderstanding is that the Arctic is just a frozen wilderness with a lot of ice and glaciers and a few polar bears roaming. On the contrary the Arctic is a very diverse part of our planet with multiple resources and economic opportunities, the home for over four million people of different nationalities and diverse ethnic origin.

— Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson

Former President of Iceland (1996-2016)

We must remember that about one-quarter of the planet is under the control of the indigenous communities of Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Arctic. Quite frankly, we will never be able to deal with the challenges of the 21st century unless we engage and empower indigenous communities around the world.

— Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson

Former President of Iceland (1996-2016)

The term Arctic itself is misleading. It sounds like a region. It is in fact a big part of the planet of continental size. If you add all the Arctic areas up – Alaska, Canada, Greenland, the Nordics, and Russia – it's almost the size of Africa. Imagine if it was only 30 years ago when we discovered Africa!

— Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson

Former President of Iceland (1996-2016)

Online trolling and abuse is a real problem now. A lot of people who want to express an opinion now are fearful that they'll get piled-on. And there's no real immunity from it: Zadie Smith's brilliant New Yorker story 'Now More Than Ever' is really an expression of her terror of the arbitrary possibility of being judged by a moralistic internet pile-on, of being as they say cancelled.

— David Baddiel

British comedian, writer, and television personality; co-founder of Fantasy Football League

I first heard about Twitter through a journalist friend of mine called India Knight. She said, 'it's fantastic, like a cocktail party where all of your best friends have turned up!'- she was right, it was like that, for about 15 seconds.... It did feel like a lot of people I knew were being really nice and just chatting on this thing... as if Silicon Valley had come up with a digitised, virtual version of a pleasant conversation!

— David Baddiel

British comedian, writer, and television personality; co-founder of Fantasy Football League

We have taught them they are American, Indian or African. Children have never created borders, religions, faiths or caste systems. Children have not been responsible for wars and divisions in society- we did that… and now we're imposing on our children, from their birth, a divisive image of who they are. We need to learn from children, and learn simplicity, forgiveness and the beauty of life.

— Kailash Satyarthi

Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Child Rights Activist Against Child Labor

We have come to consider children as either being exploited or subject to charity; we hardly ever consider them as the equal human beings they are, born with certain inalienable rights. We must strengthen our notion of children's rights within our cultures and societies.

— Kailash Satyarthi

Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Child Rights Activist Against Child Labor

In our market-economy, consumers have the power. I also believe that almost every consumer has an element of compassion in herself or himself. If they are educated and sensitised about the existence of child-labour directly, I hope they use their consumer-power and translate it into pressure and change in corporate behaviour.

— Kailash Satyarthi

Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Child Rights Activist Against Child Labor

The rights of children are not yet acknowledged as the key driver for human progress and development and hence they are not getting priority in economic, social or political discourse.

— Kailash Satyarthi

Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Child Rights Activist Against Child Labor

We see two different constituencies of children. One group who enjoys their childhood, and others who are deprived of their fundamental right to be children.

— Kailash Satyarthi

Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Child Rights Activist Against Child Labor

Fundamentally, where creativity is concerned, people are trying to express an idea or solve a problem. This applies in business, the arts, or even solving family or societal problems.

— Ed Catmull

Co-Founder of Pixar & Pioneer in Computer Graphics

People need to have access to mental health services right on their doorstep; where they live, where they learn, where they go to work, where they go to worship.

— Charlene McCray

Just take a look for example, at NFL players with pink socks, bringing their babies on the field. You would never have seen that just 10 years ago. The culture is changing as we speak.

— Charlene McCray