“One way that we deal with the accelerating rate of change is by sort of riding on top of that tsunami of change rather than being crushed by it.”
— Peter Diamandis
Founder of X Prize Foundation & Singularity University

The quote archive

Culture

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

For the first time in over 20 years, I feel brown… I find myself being extra careful in terms of how I dress, where I go, how I speak, what I carry and how I behave; not to conform to any new social norms- but rather, so that people don't mistake me for a terrorist, or make assumptions about my intentions.

— Vikas

I assumed this was just a fact of life in the UK, but because I saw the warmth of some people's welcome in the business community in particular, I overlooked it…

— Vikas

I guess like any other entrepreneur, but Brown? – this may seem inconsequential, but sometimes, the 'them and us' in society only becomes apparent when pointed out.

— Vikas

'Brand,' is what journalists and industry-people say… we say culture movement. As artists we say culture! Movement! And analysts say brand. I don't know what a brand is, but I know what a freakin' movement is…. if you want to know what a culture-movement is, remember that Dr. Martin Luther King didn't stand up and say, 'here's our brand!' – he created a movement.

— Will.I.Am

Grammy-winning rapper, producer, and member of The Black Eyed Peas

What we're seeing is a global shift towards meaning and WeWork is helping achieve that on a global scale.

— Miguel McKelvey

Co-founder of WeWork, co-working space company

The most important lesson I've learned is that my energy level and outlook have an impact on the people around me and it's my responsibility to approach every day with positivity and excitement. We say that we are responsible for treating others the way we want to be treated, and at the most basic level, all of us can treat each other well by giving positive energy to those around us.

— Miguel McKelvey

Co-founder of WeWork, co-working space company

'Brand,' is what journalists and industry-people say… we say culture movement. As artists we say culture! Movement! And analysts say brand. I don't know what a brand is, but I know what a freakin' movement is…

— will.i.am

Grammy-winning rapper, producer, and member of The Black Eyed Peas

In our culture, particularly in the last 300-500 years in Western culture, people have become much more ambivalent to ecstatic experiences. The idea of losing control is seen as dangerous and shameful... We're a culture that's very much about individual autonomy, and ecstasy is the opposite of that – it's about surrendering control.

— Jules Evans

Ancient philosophy almost hasn't been bettered as a kind of therapeutic toolbox in 2400 years, and have a certain aesthetic to them which makes you feel part of a long tradition... You're part of a three millennia old tradition of wisdom that thousands and thousands of people have read the same book that you're reading, and found it therapeutic in very dark times.

— Jules Evans

examines the research behind diversity and discrimination while grounding them in personal narratives, highlighting our common humanity.

— Kofi Annan

UN Secretary-General & Nobel Peace Prize Winner

When you bring communities together to talk- these central themes, and things we have in common, come to the fore. When you break bread together, and you find common ground, before you know it you stop thinking about your differences, or you appreciate them.

— June Sarpong

British TV Presenter, Diversity Advocate & Commonwealth Games Federation Official

Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilisation.

— Mahatma Gandhi

Indian Independence Leader & Pioneer of Nonviolent Civil Resistance

The recent politicisation of guns, which I think the NRA is partly responsible for, has been incredibly debilitating for the country.

— Nicholas Kristof

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist & New York Times Columnist

The need to express abstract registers of time and deep space, and something of the life of the body, has never altered. Art is not a luxury, an object of exchange, a profession or a career; it is an intrinsic part of being human.

— Antony Gormley

British sculptor known for large-scale iron body cast installations

If I could snap my fingers today and make every STEM program in the world into a STEAM program I would do it now. The idea that science, technology and mathematics are enough to build a world forgets the importance of the humanities.

— Mitchell Baker

CEO and Chairwoman of Mozilla Foundation and Mozilla Corporation

There's a culture in Silicon Valley that believes that you should be obsessive and not be able to think about anything else other than your business. You shouldn't have kids… friends… just your company as a vehicle to make millions of dollars. That's the kind of founder that many investors want to back, but we need to kick those people out.

— Rand Fishkin

Founder of Moz, SEO software company and industry thought leader