“The Internet is subsuming most of our other intellectual technologies, it's becoming our typewriter and our printing press, our map and our clock, our calculator and our telephone, our post office and our library, our radio and our TV.”
— Nicholas Carr
Technology writer & author of "The Shallows" and "The Big Switch

The quote archive

Philosophy

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

Our number one instinct is survival, followed by reproduction. People started to realise that if they took care of themselves, they would live longer, have better sex and have healthier children.

— Chip Wilson

Founder of Lululemon Athletica, Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist

Today's business book says: business exists to maximize profit for the shareholders. I think that's the dumbest idea I've ever heard in my life.

— Hamdi Ulukaya

Founder and CEO of Chobani Greek Yogurt Company

The world lacks creative imagination when it comes to mother nature- we believe that we have the power to bend nature to our desires and forget that we're vulnerable. Nature is a combination of biology, physics and chemistry- they are collectively much stronger at bending the world than we are.

— Professor Michael Osterholm

Leading infectious disease epidemiologist and pandemic preparedness expert

Read a lot. Never accept current standards. Always improve yourself. And remember, you always meet twice in life.

— Nico Rosberg

Former Formula 1 World Champion, won 2016 title with Mercedes

When you have children, you have to ask yourself what the world will look like in the next 80-100 years, because people get that old these days if everything goes well. Last but not least, as a father I see it as my responsibility to think about my actions and my motives.

— Nico Rosberg

Former Formula 1 World Champion, won 2016 title with Mercedes

Having grown up and worked in this environment, I strongly believe there is a solution to everything as long as you are not willing to accept a status quo and constantly look for better results.

— Nico Rosberg

Former Formula 1 World Champion, won 2016 title with Mercedes

There's a beauty in the truth which is undeniable. It's a tragedy in a way- sometimes we just need to understand what the hell we've truly lost.

— Tracey Emin

British artist known for provocative conceptual and autobiographical works

True art, real art, real creativity, comes from somewhere else. It isn't about a picture or decoration- there's a divinity to it…

— Tracey Emin

British artist known for provocative conceptual and autobiographical works

Art is a vocation for me, not a career, not a job… you wouldn't say to a nun. 'so, how did you get into God?'

— Tracey Emin

British artist known for provocative conceptual and autobiographical works

I'm 65 years old, and one of the things that amazes me is the number of people who work to get to a certain level of success in showbusiness, and then quit to go play golf?! There is nothing else I would want to do in this world.

— Penn Jillette

Magician, Illusionist & Half of Penn & Teller Duo

When we were first able to make approximately what our fathers made by doing performance, we considered ourselves completely successful and had no ambition beyond that. If we were playing fairs and cruise ships, we were happy.

— Penn Jillette

Magician, Illusionist & Half of Penn & Teller Duo

I'm interested in the 'modern' definition of magic which plays with epistemology, and the determinations we make about what's true, and what is real. The most important decisions you can make center around your perceptions of the world, and what makes you doubt them.

— Penn Jillette

Magician, Illusionist & Half of Penn & Teller Duo

Magic is this incredibly weird bondage and discipline you make where you say to someone, 'do this thing to me that's morally wrong… you have my consent…' – once you give your consent, the morality changes.

— Penn Jillette

Magician, Illusionist & Half of Penn & Teller Duo

We can take a hell of a lot more stress than we believe we can. We should learn how to fight not flight. And fight doesn't have to be a physical thing – it can be that you feel something's going to be uncomfortable 'okay well let's avoid it'. No, go through with it but go through with it in a progressive manner.

— John Kavanagh

Boxing coach of Conor McGregor at Straight Blast Gym Dublin

It's like playing chess but while getting punched in the face.

— John Kavanagh

Boxing coach of Conor McGregor at Straight Blast Gym Dublin

If you want to grow, you need to go through something uncomfortable and come out the other end. If you want to grow, you have to go forward in progressive steps. It should always be a little bit uncomfortable because otherwise there's no growth.

— John Kavanagh

Boxing coach of Conor McGregor at Straight Blast Gym Dublin