Wisdom in fragments

Growing up, I was a speech and debate kid – and I realised that anytime I made the judges laugh, I would automatically get 10-15 points higher on my final score! Comedy, and making people laugh, has the power to engender empathy and to make people like you.

Comedian and former Daily Show correspondent known for Netflix special "Patriot Act

Comedy chips at people in power, particularly those who use tyrannical power. It strips their fake respect, and destroys the fake fear they create; and these are people who rely on being respected, and being feared. Comedy and satire make the emperor look naked.

Egyptian comedian and political satirist known for "The Daily Show" parody

People have lost their belief in the establishment, they believe that the outsider who would bring anger and chaos is much better than the status quo; even if that is against their own interests. Fear is a great weapon, and tyrants use fear against their people to encourage them to vote for increases in military spending, even when infrastructure, education and healthcare are suffering.

Egyptian comedian and political satirist known for "The Daily Show" parody

No one wakes up eager to write because it often reveals your shortcomings. It's like staring at your face in a mirror for two hours—after a few minutes, all you see are flaws. Discipline sees me through those self-doubts.

NBA's All-Time Leading Scorer & Six-Time Champion

When you're a child, you define your team as those wearing the same jerseys and your team's goal is to defeat anyone wearing different jerseys. But as you get older, your notion of what constitutes a team evolves.

NBA's All-Time Leading Scorer & Six-Time Champion

Sports taught me that, rather than be blind followers of rules, we need to constantly question them as to their purpose and validity and be bold enough to change them if they don't serve our value of fair play.

NBA's All-Time Leading Scorer & Six-Time Champion

So, the lesson I eventually learned was to distinguish between which teams are sincere in promoting true teamwork, and which are jingoistic self-serving pretenders. Teamwork does make the dream work, but not every team is worthy.

NBA's All-Time Leading Scorer & Six-Time Champion

A little neglect may breed mischief …for want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost.

Legendary Basketball Coach & Teacher, Won 10 NCAA National Championships

If you do not pull your socks on tightly, you're likely to get wrinkles in them. Wrinkles cause blisters. Blisters force players to sit on the sideline. And players sitting on the sideline lose games.

Legendary Basketball Coach & Teacher, Won 10 NCAA National Championships

I also worry greatly about how our world is now, with so many people and few resources to sustain them… with countries who are threatening each other with atomic weapons…. Weapons which can never be used because they would destroy the earth.

Holocaust survivor and author, stepsister of Anne Frank

We have become robots, instead of humans with feelings… with conversations… with letter writing, you know.

Holocaust survivor and author, stepsister of Anne Frank

I remember we used to have much better family ties too… parents very often lived with you, little children learned from the older generations, there was a deep personal link between generations… now? if I give advice to one of my grandchildren they laugh and say, 'oh my, you don't know about our lives today…'

Holocaust survivor and author, stepsister of Anne Frank

We [older generations] want to sit down with people and talk about things- but young people go to a restaurant, and sit together, both with their telephones! In today's world, people have become so ambitious, everything has to be quick, and everyone wants more… there is so much greed. Have, have, have. Everything has to be quick.

Holocaust survivor and author, stepsister of Anne Frank

We have lost the personal touch – today, everything is fast – impersonal, digital… yet, we are not robots. We need personal contact, we need to understand each other's feelings… and this can't be done via email; and especially for the older generations in or society, this change is really hard.

Holocaust survivor and author, stepsister of Anne Frank

I've often thought that maybe there is a certain hormone in human beings that we can only produce it when we are face to face. And it's the hormone of shame – it becomes absent when you are communicating on social media and you become worse than you are.

Turkish journalist, author, and political commentator known for critical writings on democracy

I am not a big fan of the word hope, I am a big fan of the word determination. Being determined is a moral position, when you are depend on the word hope you are lazy.

Turkish journalist, author, and political commentator known for critical writings on democracy