20th century

Explore 4282 quotes from the 20th century

We're eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked.

Dean Rusk

On the Cuban Missile Crisis, October 24th, 1962.

More information about this quote

Topic

Cuban Missile Crisis Nuclear weapons Brinkmanship Cold War

Author

Dean Rusk

Source

Saturday Evening Post

Language

English

Time

1962 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Rusk, Dean. Quoted in "In Time of Crisis." Written by Stewart Alsop and Charles Bartlett. The Saturday Evening Post, 8 Dec. 1962. Originally spoken during a private conversation with McGeorge Bundy. ExComm meeting. 14 Oct. 1962, Cabinet Room, West Wing, The White House, Washington, DC, USA.

Even the most insensitive hit song enthusiast cannot always escape the feeling that the child with a sweet tooth comes to know in the candy store.

Theodor Adorno

More information about this quote

Topic

Popular culture Music Art

Author

Theodor Adorno

Medium

Essay

Language

German

Time

1938 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score

Original Citation

Adorno, Theodor. "Über den Fetischcharakter in der Musik und die Regression des Hörens [On the Fetish Character in Music and the Regression of Listening]." Zeitschrift für Sozialforschung [Journal of Social Research], 1938.

Current Citation

Adorno, Theodor. "On the Fetish Character in Music and the Regression of Listening." Modernism: An Anthology of Documents, edited by Vassiliki Kolocotroni, Jane Goldman and Olga Taxidou. University of Chicago Press, 1998.

The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.

More information about this quote

Topic

Western philosophy Philosophy Plato

Speaker

Alfred North Whitehead

Source

Process and Reality

Medium

Essay

Language

English

Time

1928 1920s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Whitehead, Alfred North. "Process and Reality: An Essay in Cosmology." Gifford Lecture. 1927–1928, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Current Citation

Whitehead, Alfred North. Process and Reality. Simon and Schuster, 2010, pt. 2, ch. 1, sec. 1.

They will endure. They are better than we are. Stronger than we are. Their vices are vices aped from white men or that white men and bondage have taught them: improvidence and intemperance and evasion-not laziness: evasion: of what white men had set them to, not for their aggrandizement or even comfort but his own.

William Faulkner

Faulkner on black Americans.

More information about this quote

Topic

Black resilience Race relations

Author

William Faulkner

Source

The Bear

Medium

Short story

Language

English

Time

1942 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Faulkner, William. "The Bear." Go Down, Moses. Random House, 1942, pt. 4.

To have that sense of one's intrinsic worth which, for better or for worse, constitutes self-respect, is potentially to have everything: the ability to discriminate, to love and to remain indifferent.

Joan Didion

Buy Slouching Towards Bethlehem at Amazon Buy Slouching Towards Bethlehem at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Self-respect Self-worth Confidence

Author

Joan Didion

Source

Self-respect: Its Source, Its Power Vogue

Medium

Essay Magazine

Language

English

Time

1961 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Didion, Joan. "Self-respect: Its Source, Its Power." Vogue, 1 Aug. 1961.

Current Citation

Didion, Joan. "On Self-Respect." Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968.

Why are you so afraid of the word ‘Fascism,’ Doremus? Just a word-just a word! And might not be so bad, with all the lazy bums we got panhandling relief nowadays, and living on my income tax and yours-not so worse to have a real Strong Man, like Hitler or Mussolini-like Napoleon or Bismarck in the good old days-and have ‘em really run the country and make it efficient and prosperous again. ‘Nother words, have a doctor who won’t take any back-chat, but really boss the patient and make him get well whether he likes it or not!

Sinclair Lewis

It Can't Happen Here

Buy It Can't Happen Here at Amazon Buy It Can't Happen Here at Amazon
Read It Can't Happen Here at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Fascism Authoritarianism

Speaker

R. C. Crowley

Author

Sinclair Lewis

Source

It Can't Happen Here

Medium

Novel

Genre

Dystopian fiction

Language

English

Time

1935 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Lewis, Sinclair. It Can't Happen Here. Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1935, ch. 2.

In war, whichever side may call itself the victor, there are no winners, but all are losers.

Neville Chamberlain

More information about this quote

Topic

Victory in war War

Speaker

Neville Chamberlain

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1938 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Consciousness... Is the phenomenon whereby the universe's very existence is made known.

Roger Penrose

More information about this quote

Topic

Consciousness

Author

Roger Penrose

Source

The Emperor's New Mind

Genre

Scientific literature

Language

English

Time

1989 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Penrose, Roger. The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds and The Laws of Physics. Oxford University Press, 1989, ch. 10.

I brought myself down. I gave 'em a sword. And they stuck it in, and they twisted it with relish. And I guess if I'd had been in their position, I'd have done the same thing.

Richard Nixon

More information about this quote

Topic

Watergate Political scandals American politics

Speaker

Richard Nixon

Medium

Interview

Language

English

Time

1977 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Nixon, Richard. "Nixon Interviews." Interviewed by David Frost. ABC, 4 May 1977, pt. 1.

The richest one percent of this country owns half our country's wealth, five trillion dollars. One third of that comes from hard work, two thirds comes from inheritance, interest on interest accumulating to widows and idiot sons and what I do, stock and real estate speculation. It's bullshit. You got ninety percent of the American public out there with little or no net worth. I create nothing. I own. We make the rules, pal. The news, war, peace, famine, upheaval, the price of a paper clip. We pick that rabbit out of the hat while everybody sits out there wondering how the hell we did it. Now you're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy, are you buddy? It's the free market and you're a part of it. Yeah, you got that killer instinct. Stick around pal, I still got a lot to teach you.

Gordon Gekko

Wall Street

Watch Wall Street at Amazon Watch Wall Street at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Economic inequality

Speaker

Gordon Gekko

Actor

Michael Douglas

Source

Wall Street

Medium

Film

Genre

Drama (film) Drama

Language

English

Time

1987 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Wall Street. Directed by Oliver Stone, American Entertainment Partners/American Films, 1987.

When the girl returned, some hours later, she carried a tray, with a cup of fragrant tea steaming on it; and a plate piled up with very hot buttered toast, cut thick, very brown on both sides, with the butter running through the holes in great golden drops, like honey from the honeycomb. The smell of that buttered toast simply talked to Toad, and with no uncertain voice; talked of warm kitchens, of breakfasts on bright frosty mornings, of cosy parlour firesides on winter evenings, when one's ramble was over, and slippered feet were propped on the fender, of the purring of contented cats, and the twitter of sleepy canaries.

Kenneth Grahame

The Wind in the Willows

Buy The Wind in the Willows at Amazon Buy The Wind in the Willows at Amazon
Read The Wind in the Willows at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Toast Comfort Home

Author

Kenneth Grahame

Source

The Wind in the Willows

Medium

Novel

Genre

Children's literature

Language

English

Time

1908 1900s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. Methuen, 1908, ch. 8.

Current Citation

Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. Barnes & Noble, 2013, ch. 8.

Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come.

Carl Sandburg

Buy The People, Yes at Amazon Buy The People, Yes at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Anti-war War

Author

Carl Sandburg

Source

The People, Yes

Medium

Poem

Genre

Epic poem

Language

English

Time

1936 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Sandburg, Carl. The People, Yes. Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1936, no. 23.

The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.

Steve Biko

More information about this quote

Topic

Tools of oppression Oppression Raising consciousness Liberation

Speaker

Steve Biko

Medium

Esssay

Language

English

Time

1971 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Biko, Steve. "White Racisim and Black Consciousness." Jan. 1971, Abe Bailey Institute of Interracial Studies, Cape Town, South Africa, Africa.

Current Citation

Biko, Steve. "Black Consciousness and the Quest for a True Humanity." I Write What I Like: Selected Writings, edited by Aelred Stubbs. University of Chicago Press, 2002.

Some of my best friends are white boys.
When I meet 'em
I treat 'em
just the same as if they was people.

Ray Durem

More information about this quote

Topic

Race relations

Author

Ray Durem

Source

Broadminded

Medium

Poem

Statement Type

Irony

Language

English

Time

1951 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Durem, Ray. Broadminded. c. 1951.

Meek wifehood is no part of my profession;
I am your friend, but never your possession.

Vera Brittain

More information about this quote

Topic

Marriage Gender relations Men and women

Author

Vera Brittain

Source

Married Love

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1926 1920s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Brittain, Vera. "Married Love." Poems of the War and After. Victor Gollancz, 1934.

The scrupulous and the just, the noble, humane, and devoted natures; the unselfish and the intelligent may begin a movement—but it passes away from them. They are not the leaders of a revolution. They are its victims.

Joseph Conrad

Under Western Eyes

Read Under Western Eyes at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Conscientious people Revolution

Author

Joseph Conrad

Source

Under Western Eyes

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1911 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Conrad, Joseph. Under Western Eyes. Harper & Brothers/Methuen Publishing, 1911, pt. 2, ch. 3.

Current Citation

Conrad, Joseph. Under Western Eyes. Dover Publications, 2003, pt. 2, ch. 3.

The God whom science recognizes must be a God of universal laws exclusively, a God who does a wholesale, not a retail business. He cannot accommodate his processes to the convenience of individuals.

William James

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Read Conclusions at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Nature of God

Author

William James

Source

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Genre

Psychological literature

Language

English

Time

1902 1900s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

James, William. "Conclusions." Gifford Lecture. c. 1902, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. Lecture.

Current Citation

James, William. "Conclusions." The Varieties of Religious Experience, edited by Martin E. Marty. Penguin Classics, 1982.

The car, the furniture, the wife, the children-everything has to be disposable. Because you see the main thing today is-shopping.

Arthur Miller

The Price

More information about this quote

Topic

Consumerism

Speaker

Gregory Solomon

Author

Arthur Miller

Source

The Price

Medium

Play

Language

English

Time

1968 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Miller, Arthur. The Price. 7 Feb. 1968, Morosco Theatre, New York City, NY, USA, act 1.

It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids, without the knowledge of the individual, certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core commie works.

Dr. Strangelove

Watch Dr. Strangelove at Amazon Watch Dr. Strangelove at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Communist plots Communists

Speaker

Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper

Actor

Sterling Hayden

Source

Dr. Strangelove

Medium

Film

Genre

Black comedy (film) War (film) Black comedy War

Language

English

Time

1964 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Dr. Strangelove. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, Hawk Films, 1964.

I believe that history will record that we have made a great mistake.

Wayne Lyman Morse

Said in the Senate debate on the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which committed the United States to intervention in Vietnam. Morse was the only Senator to vote against the resolution.

More information about this quote

Topic

Preemptive war Vietnam War

Speaker

Wayne Lyman Morse

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1964 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Morse, Wayne Lyman. "Senate Debate on the Tonkin Gulf Resolution." US Senate meeting. 7 Aug. 1964, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.