20th century

Explore 4282 quotes from the 20th century

Even if you win a rat race, you're still a rat.

William Sloane Coffin

More information about this quote

Topic

Rat race

Speaker

William Sloane Coffin

Medium

Sermon

Language

English

Time

1965 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Coffin, William Sloane. "In Praise of Rest." 29 July 1979, Riverside Church, New York City, New York, USA. Sermon.

Current Citation

Coffin, William Sloane. "In Praise of Rest." The Collected Sermons of William Sloane Coffin: The Riverside Years. Vol. 1, Westminster John Knox Press, 2008.

The opening up of new markets, foreign or domestic, and the organizational development from the craft shop and factory to such concerns as U.S. Steel illustrate the same process of industrial mutation...That incessantly revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one. This process of Creative Destruction is the essential fact about capitalism.

Joseph Schumpeter

Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy

Buy Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy at Amazon Buy Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Capitalism

Author

Joseph Schumpeter

Source

Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy

Genre

Economic literature Historical literature

Language

English

Time

1942 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Schumpeter, Joseph Alois. Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy. Harper & Brothers, 1942, pt. 2, ch. 7.

Electric flesh-arrows...traversing the body. A rainbow of color strikes the eyelids. A foam of music falls over the ears. It is the gong of the orgasm.

Anaïs Nin

More information about this quote

Topic

Sex

Author

Anaïs Nin

Source

Journals of Anaïs Nin

Medium

Personal journal

Language

English

Time

1937 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Nin, Anaïs. "October, 1937." The Diary of Anaïs Nin, vol. 2, 1934–1939, edited by Gunther Stuhlmann. Harcourt Brace & World, Inc., 1967.

We have a cancer within, close to the Presidency, that is growing.

John Dean

More information about this quote

Topic

Watergate American politics

Speaker

John Dean

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1973 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Dean, John. "Cancer on the Presidency." 21 Mar. 1973, Oval Office, The White House, Washington, DC, USA. Presidental briefing.

There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise.

Gore Vidal

More information about this quote

Topic

Solving problems

Author

Gore Vidal

Source

Writing Plays for Television New World Writing

Medium

Essay

Language

English

Time

1956 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Vidal, Gore. "Writing Plays for Television." New World Writing, 1956.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.

Rita Mae Brown

More information about this quote

Topic

Insanity

Author

Rita Mae Brown

Language

English

Time

1983 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Brown, Rita Mae. Sudden Death. Bantam Books, 1983, ch. 4.

It'll play in Peoria.

John Ehrlichman

More information about this quote

Topic

The political center Middle America Political strategy American politics

Speaker

John Ehrlichman

Language

English

Time

1969 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Ehrichman, John. Quoted in "The Middle American Who Edits Ideas for Nixon." Written by Robert B. Semple, Jr. The New York Times, 12 Apr. 1970. Originally spoken to a newsman in 1969 in Washington, DC, USA.

You know you can't please all the people all the time, and last night all those people were at my show.

Mitch Hedberg

Comedy Central Presents

Watch Comedy Central Presents Mitch Hedberg at Amazon Watch Comedy Central Presents Mitch Hedberg at Amazon
Read the full transcript of this special at scrapsfromtheloft.com

More information about this quote

Topic

Artist and audience

Speaker

Mitch Hedberg

Source

Comedy Central Presents

Medium

Comedy special

Genre

Comedy (stand up)

Language

English

Time

1999 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Hedberg, Mitch. Comedy Central Presents. Comedy Central, 5 Jan. 1999.

I am a lover and have not found my thing to love.

Sherwood Anderson

More information about this quote

Topic

Looking for love

Speaker

Stranger

Author

Sherwood Anderson

Source

Tandy

Medium

Short story

Language

English

Time

1919 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Anderson, Sherwood. "Tandy." Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small-Town Life. B. W. Huebsch, 1919.

Current Citation

Anderson, Sherwood. "Tandy." Winesburg, Ohio, edited by Marc K. Dudley. W. W. Norton & Company, 2023.

The automobile is the greatest catastrophe in the entire history of city architecture.

Philip C. Johnson

More information about this quote

Topic

Cars Urban planning Cities

Author

Philip C. Johnson

Language

English

Time

1955 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Johnson, Philip C. "The Town and the Automobile or the Pride of Elm Street." Writings. Oxford University Press, 1979.

I don't want loyalty. I want loyalty. I want him to kiss my ass in Macy's window at high noon and tell me it smells like roses. I want his pecker in my pocket.

Lyndon B. Johnson

On a prospective assistant.

More information about this quote

Topic

Loyalty

Speaker

Lyndon B. Johnson

Language

English

Time

1967 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Johnson, Lyndon B. Lyndon Johnson demanding loyalty from a potential White House hire. c. 1967, Washington, DC, USA.

Original thought is like original sin: both happened before you were born to people you could not possibly have met.

Fran Lebowitz

More information about this quote

Topic

Originality

Author

Fran Lebowitz

Source

People Social Studies

Medium

Essay

Language

English

Time

1981 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Lebowitz, Fran. "People." Social Studies. Random House, 1981.

The power of money is a distinctly male power. Money speaks, but it speaks with a male voice. In the hands of women, money stays literal; count it out, it buys what it is worth or less. In the hands of men, money buys women, sex, status, dignity, esteem, recognition, loyalty, all manner of possibility.

Andrea Dworkin

Pornography: Men Possessing Women

More information about this quote

Topic

Power of money Money

Author

Andrea Dworkin

Source

Pornography: Men Possessing Women

Genre

Feminist literature

Language

English

Time

1981 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Dworkin, Andrea. Pornography: Men Possessing Women. Putnam, 1981.

The first breath of adultery is the freest; after it, constraints aping marriage develop.

John Updike

Couples

More information about this quote

Topic

Infidelity

Author

John Updike

Source

Couples

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1968 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Updike, John. Couples. Alfred A. Knopf, 1968, ch. 5.

Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight.

Bruce Cockburn

Lovers in a Dangerous Time

Listen to Lovers in a Dangerous Time at Amazon Listen to Lovers in a Dangerous Time at Amazon
Read the lyrics to Lovers in a Dangerous Time

More information about this quote

Topic

Progress

Speaker

Bruce Cockburn

Source

Lovers in a Dangerous Time Stealing Fire

Medium

Song

Genre

Pop music

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1984 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Cockburn, Bruce. "Lovers in a Dangerous Time." Stealing Fire. True North Records, 1984.

I've always wanted to be somebody. But I see now I should have been more specific.

Lily Tomlin

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe

More information about this quote

Topic

Ambition

Speaker

Lily Tomlin

Author

Jane Wagner

Source

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe

Medium

Play

Genre

Comedy (play)

Statement Type

Joke

Language

English

Time

1985 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Wagner, Jane. "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe." Performed by Lily Tomlin. 1985, Plymouth Theater, New York City, NY, USA.

It is Toussaint's supreme merit that while he saw European civilisation as a valuable and necessary thing, and strove to lay its foundations among his people, he never had the illusion that it conferred any moral superiority. He knew French, British, and Spanish imperialists for the insatiable gangsters that they were, that there is no oath too sacred for them to break, no crime, deception, treachery, cruelty, destruction of human life and property which they would not commit against those who could not defend themselves.

C.L.R. James

The Black Jacobins

Buy The Black Jacobins at Amazon Buy The Black Jacobins at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

European imperialism

Author

C.L.R. James

Source

The Black Jacobins

Genre

Political literature Historical literature

Language

English

Time

1938 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

James, C.L.R. The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution. Secker & Warburg, 1938, ch. 12.

If the only tool you have is a hammer, it is tempting to treat everything as if it were a nail.

Abraham Maslow

The Psychology of Science

More information about this quote

Topic

Solving problems

Author

Abraham Maslow

Source

The Psychology of Science

Genre

Scientific literature Psychological literature

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile Warning

Language

English

Time

1966 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Maslow, Abraham. The Psychology of Science: A Reconnaissance. Harper & Row, 1966, foreword.

Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.

George S. Patton

More information about this quote

Topic

Winning a war War

Author

George S. Patton

Medium

Speech

Genre

Military speech

Language

English

Time

1933 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Patton, George Smith. "Mechanized Forces." Jan. 1933, Fort Myer, VA, USA. Lecture.

Sometimes, it's like a hair across your cheek. You can't see it, you can't find it with your fingers, but you keep brushing at it because the feel of it is irritating.

Marian Anderson

On racism.

More information about this quote

Topic

Racism Prejudice and bias

Speaker

Marian Anderson

Language

English

Time

1960 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Anderson, Marian. Quoted in Ladies' Home Journal. Sept. 1960.