E. L. Doctorow Quotes
The difference between Socrates and Jesus is that no one had ever been put to death in Socrates' name. And that is because Socrates' ideas were never made law. Law, in whatever name, protects privilege.
Quotes to Explore
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There ought to be more grants that go to people in their late twenties and early thirties. That's a crucial age, although it's very hard to judge who is worth supporting and who is not. Looking back on my own life, I see that was the period when I was closest to giving up as a novelist and when I most needed some encouragement.
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I always wanted to entertain. When I was little, I would sing in front of the mirror with a hairbrush or my sisters and I would make shows. I always wanted to be on TV.
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I want the BBC to be a mass market public service broadcaster still funded by the licence fee... and the licence fee is more durable than many people in the commercial sector believe.
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What impresses men is not mind, but the result of mind.
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I love romantic comedies, or romantic dramas - basically anything with love in it.
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Religious fundamentalists in Bangladesh have always argued for a ban on my books.
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Peace is a day-to-day problem, the product of a multitude of events and judgments. Peace is not an 'is,' it is a 'becoming.'
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'The Satanic Verses' was denied the ordinary life of a novel. It became something smaller and uglier: an insult.
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There is an important idea in psychology: The 'just world theory,' which says that it is very important for us to convince ourselves that the world is just and things happen for a reason. That there is some elemental fairness in everything, which creates the illusion of justice.
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One SF prediction that I would like very much to see: Get solar collectors launched to beam energy back home, and get away from fossil fuels.
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Home, to me, is where I am and where I feel most comfortable. Obviously, Malaysia is home. In L.A., my home is my apartment because that's my Malaysia.
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A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.
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I like to make people think a little bit.
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I know now that what countries do at summits has the power to help girls in Pakistan, Nigeria or Afghanistan.
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I don't know anything about music.
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I think that ISIS is a threat to our embassy, to our consulate, as well as potentially to the American people.
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The Enron scandal is worthy of the highest level of scrutiny, both because of the enormity of the crimes that may have been committed and because of what the largest bankruptcy in American history has already begun to reveal about the weaknesses in our nation's corporate structures and regulatory oversight.
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A lot of people see a Nissan ad and they see a finished product in a record store or on iTunes and that's the face of the band.
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I've always been careful to put out the very best work I can. One of the things I value the most is the love and faith that people have given me over the years, so I try to live up to their expectations and my own standards of what I'm capable of.
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I don't tend to cast roles in my head because I spend so much time with these characters and the drawings that they're complete in themselves, you know what I mean?
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Christianity has basically communicated to men that the reason God put you on this Earth is to be a good boy. Mind your manners, be a nice guy. That's soul killing!
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In terms of personalities - I don't care about the personalities, I want leadership that's in favor of my principles: free markets, adherence to the Constitution, and equal treatment for everyone under the law.
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We must be governed by the force of law, not by the law of force.
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The difference between Socrates and Jesus is that no one had ever been put to death in Socrates' name. And that is because Socrates' ideas were never made law. Law, in whatever name, protects privilege.
