“Two major themes emerged: How quickly do they decide whether they want to invest? How fast do they decide if they like the entrepreneur? The answer to both is often within a matter of seconds. First impressions are key.”
— Uri Levine
Co-founder of Waze, GPS navigation app acquired by Google

The quote archive

Society

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

I think the democratisation of the image is probably one of the most important things that's happening right now. Everyone's a photographer now, everyone's got a camera, everyone's taking pictures. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean we have to be more critical about what we're looking at.

— Rankin

Scottish photographer and filmmaker known for provocative social documentary work

Life is just receiving a rope from your parents. A rope of a certain quality, with a certain diameter and of a certain material. Your only duty is to take the rope and try to make a better one. Your only duty is to make the best rope you can for your children, for the next generation.

— Philippe Starck

Renowned French Industrial Designer & Architect Known for Innovative Product Design

We are the only species who have taken control of their evolution. We are animals who – one day – had an idea to become better. Billions of us have worked to make ourselves better – that's why we created the concept of God, an entity that is everywhere, that is powerful, that is the master of everything, that gives us a unique model for our society. Now we know God doesn't exist, and so we know we are better than that notion of God.

— Philippe Starck

Renowned French Industrial Designer & Architect Known for Innovative Product Design

The first thing to do for our ecology is not to use less electricity, it's to cease buying things that are not useful.

— Philippe Starck

Renowned French Industrial Designer & Architect Known for Innovative Product Design

Arguably, the biggest challenge we face right now as humans and as a society is climate change and the issues associated with our negative impact on the environment. So, this has become a key element of my business endeavours along with all surrounding technologies that help tackle this issue.

— Nico Rosberg

Former Formula 1 World Champion, won 2016 title with Mercedes

For me it is extremely important that commercial interests and social benefits are not mutually exclusive, but that they can complement each other wonderfully so I always look out for products that are innovative, forward-thinking and offer a true value for society.

— Nico Rosberg

Former Formula 1 World Champion, won 2016 title with Mercedes

His practice engages the broader public sphere through architectural projects and interventions in civic space.

— Olafur Eliasson

Icelandic-Danish artist known for immersive light and weather installations

Eliasson strives to make the concerns of art relevant to society at large.

— Olafur Eliasson

Icelandic-Danish artist known for immersive light and weather installations

Working class life has been important to me; it's not a question of pity or disaster- but of enjoying the comedy, warmth and generosity of spirit that you find there – alongside the use of language, dialects, and the stories of childhood and old-age.

— Ken Loach

British Filmmaker Known for Social Realist Films & Political Advocacy

Contemporary photography is quite exploitative – and looks at people as objects in a display-case rather than as individuals with whom we have a shared common humanity, connection, and solidarity. Photography has gone from I am part of this, to look at this.

— Ken Loach

British Filmmaker Known for Social Realist Films & Political Advocacy

Politics and celebrity culture have always been deeply entwined. What happens in any society, country by country, is that we go through waves of celebrity focused and political focus. There's always been a blurring of the lines when it comes to the worlds of entertainment and politics.

— Perez Hilton

Celebrity gossip blogger and media personality known for celebrity news website

For the most part, there are more average celebrities than superstars. When most people think of celebrities, they think of A-listers, but there's also B-list, C-list, D-list, F-list and even Z-list... he gets all the perks of celebrity, without much of the negativity that comes from being an A-lister.

— Perez Hilton

Celebrity gossip blogger and media personality known for celebrity news website

We have been interested in celebrities since the dawn of time. Jesus was the first celebrity, then the royal families.... It's human nature to be interested in the captain of the football team, the head cheerleader or who is doing what with who. It's human nature to be curious about those we perceive to be in elevated positions; not necessarily positions of power.

— Perez Hilton

Celebrity gossip blogger and media personality known for celebrity news website

The world of celebrity offers an escape from the real world, and offers different things to different people. To many, the celebrity world is aspirational, they imagine themselves living that lifestyle and dream of how it would be to go to that premiere, have that fancy house, or that expensive vacation. For others, the world of celebrity is like watching a car-wreck.

— Perez Hilton

Celebrity gossip blogger and media personality known for celebrity news website

The most vivid character of our time has been the enslavement of society to this profiteering system.

— Ai Weiwei

Chinese Artist & Dissident; Prominent Human Rights Activist and Political Critic

I'm grateful to be alive during this time. I can't think of a better time than this very moment. Freedom without struggle is an illusion. I love problems. How we deal with problems defines who we are and what values we stand for.

— Ai Weiwei

Chinese Artist & Dissident; Prominent Human Rights Activist and Political Critic