Politics is the shadow cast on society by big business.
—John Dewey, American philosopher (1859-1952)
Fortune favors the bold.
—Latin proverb
Who dares wins.
—British proverb
There is no Imam (guide) but reason, guiding us in the morning and at night.
If you obey it, it will bring mercy as you journey and when you come to rest.
—Abu al-Ala al-Ma’arri, Arab philosopher (973–1057)
The enchantment lies in the colors, the melodies, the dew drops, the fragrance and the flowers.
—Elia Abu Madi, Arab-American poet (1890 – 1957)
A life that partakes even a little of friendship, love, irony, humor, parenthood, literature, and music, and the chance to take part in battles for the liberation of others cannot be called ‘meaningless’.
—Christopher Hitchens, British-American author (1949 – 2011)
Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
—Buddha, founder of Buddhism (6th or 5th century BCE)
Negotiations are a euphemism for capitulation if the shadow of power is not cast across the bargaining table.
—George Shultz, former United States Secretary of State (1920-2021)