True revolutionaries are like God—they create the world in their own image. Our awesome responsibility to ourselves, to our children, and to the future is to create ourselves in the image of goodness, because the future depends on the nobility of our imaginings.
—Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1934–2002) American Journalist, Essayist, Memoirist, Travel Writer
Revolutions are not made for export.
—Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971) Russian Head of State, Political leader
Whether a revolutions succeeds or fails people of great hearts will always be sacrificed to it.
—Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) German Poet, Writer
Although a system may cease to exist in the legal sense or as a structure of power, its values (or anti-values), its philosophy, its teachings remain in us. They rule our thinking, our conduct, our attitude to others. The situation is a demonic paradox: we have toppled the system but we still carry its genes.
—Ryszard Kapuscinski (1932–2007) Polish Journalist
In this Revolution no plans have been written for retreat.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
The children of the revolution are always ungrateful, and the revolution must be grateful that it is so.
—Ursula K. Le Guin (b.1929) American Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer
Revolution: in politics, an abrupt change in the form of misgovernment.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
The dead have been awakened—shall I sleep? The world’s at war with tyrants—shall I crouch? the harvest’s ripe—and shall I pause to reap? I slumber not; the thorn is in my couch; Each day a trumpet soundeth in mine ear, its echo in my heart.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.
—Mao Zedong (1893–1976) Chinese Statesman
The main effect of a real revolution is perhaps that it sweeps away those who do not know how to wish, and brings to the front men with insatiable appetites for action, power and all that the world has to offer.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
No one makes a revolution by himself; and there are some revolutions which humanity accomplishes without quite knowing how, because it is everybody who takes them in hand.
—George Sand (1804–76) French Novelist, Dramatist
What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
The revolutionary spirit is mighty convenient in this, that it frees one from all scruples as regards ideas. Its hard absolute optimism is repulsive to my mind by the menace of fanaticism and intolerance it contains. No doubt one should smile at these things; but, imperfect Esthete, I am no better Philosopher. All claim to special righteousness awakens in me that scorn and anger from which a philosophical mind should be free.
—Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) Polish-born British Novelist
You cannot make a revolution with silk gloves.
—Joseph Stalin (1878–1953) Soviet Leader
The more there are riots, the more repressive action will take place, and the more we face the danger of a right-wing takeover and eventually a fascist society.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy.
—Franz Kafka (1883–1924) Austrian Novelist, Short Story Writer
Disturbances in society are never more fearful than when those who are stirring up the trouble can use the pretext of religion to mask their true designs.
—Denis Diderot (1713–84) French Philosopher, Writer
Revolutions have never lightened the burden of tyranny: they have only shifted it to another shoulder.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
More and more, revolution has found itself delivered into the hands of its bureaucrats and doctrinaires on the one hand, and to the enfeebled and bewildered masses on the other.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist, Author
I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with Blood.
—John Mason Brown (1900–69) American Author, Drama Critic
On the first day of a revolution he is a treasure; on the second he ought to be shot.
—Unknown
Riots are the voices of the unheard.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose, but their chains. .Workers of the world unite!
—Karl Marx (1818–1883) German Philosopher, Economist
We used to think that revolutions are the cause of change. Actually it is the other way around: change prepares the ground for revolution.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
Every revolution was first a thought in one man’s mind.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
I have been ever of opinion that revolutions are not to be evaded.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Every revolutionary ends up by becoming either an oppressor or a heretic.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist, Author
Revolutions are always verbose.
—Leon Trotsky (1879–1940) Russian Marxist Revolutionary
The excessive increase of anything causes a reaction in the opposite direction.
—Plato (428 BCE–347 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Mathematician, Educator
If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the new stand side by side, and admit of being compared; when the energies of all men are searched by fear and by hope; when the historic glories of the old can be compensated by the rich possibilities of the new era?
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations. This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution.
—John Adams (1735–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
Oh, my friend, it’s not what they take away from you that counts—it’s what you do with what you have left.
—Hubert Humphrey (1911–78) American Head of State, Politician
If we glance at the most important revolutions in history, we see at once that the greatest number of these originated in the periodical revolutions of the human mind.
—Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835) German Philosopher, Linguist, Statesman
When the People contend for their liberty, they seldom get anything for their Victory but new Masters.
—George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax (1633–95) British Statesman, Writer, Politician
I was probably the only revolutionary referred to as cute.
—Abbie Hoffman (1936–89) American Political Activist, Anarchist
Revolution today is taken for granted, and in consequence becomes rather dull.
—Wyndham Lewis (1882–1957) English Novelist, Painter, Critic
He that goeth about to persuade a multitude that they are not so well governed as they ought to be shall never want attentive and favorable hearers.
—Richard Hooker (1554–1600) English Anglican Theologian, Political Theorist
The surest guide to the correctness of the path that women take is joy in the struggle. Revolution is the festival of the oppressed.
—Germaine Greer (b.1939) Australia Academic, Journalist, Scholar, Writer
All partisan movements add to the fullness of our understanding of society as a whole. They never detract; or, in any case, one must not allow them to do so. Experience adds to experience.
—Alice Walker (b.1944) American Novelist, Activist
History teaches us that the great revolutions aren’t started by people who are utterly down and out, without hope and vision. They take place when people begin to live a little better—and when they see how much yet remains to be achieved.
—Hubert Humphrey (1911–78) American Head of State, Politician
In a revolution, as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the end.
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–59) French Historian, Political Scientist
Inferiors revolt in order that they may be equal, and equals that they may be superior. Such is the state of mind which creates revolutions.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Independence in the end is the fruit of injustice.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Revolutions are not made, they come. A revolution is as natural a growth as an oak. It comes out of the past. Its foundations are laid far back.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Lawyer, Orator
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
The successful revolutionary is a statesman, the unsuccessful one a criminal.
—Erich Fromm (1900–80) German-American Psychoanalyst, Social Philosopher
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 (1857–1924) Polish-born British Novelist
A man may build himself a throne of bayonets, but he can’t sit on it.
—William Ralph Inge (1860–1954) English Anglican Clergyman, Priest, Mystic
At the crash of economic collapse of which the rumblings can already be heard, the sleeping soldiers of the proletariat will awake as at the fanfare of the Last Judgment and the corpses of the victims of the struggle will arise and demand an accounting from those who are loaded down with curses.
—Karl Liebknecht (1871–1919) German Barrister, Politician, Revolutionary
I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain
—John Adams (1735–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer