“'Tis a world
Where all is bought, and nothing's worth the price.”
Alfred Austin (1835–1913) British writer and poet
Source: Fortunatus the Pessimist (1892), Fortunatus in Act I, sc. ii; p. 17.
The Bothie of Tober-na-vuolich, Pt. VIII.
“'Tis a world
Where all is bought, and nothing's worth the price.”
Alfred Austin (1835–1913) British writer and poet
Source: Fortunatus the Pessimist (1892), Fortunatus in Act I, sc. ii; p. 17.
Hannah Arendt book The Origins of Totalitarianism
Part 3, Ch. 2 The Totalitarian Movement, page 80 https://books.google.de/books?id=I0pVKCVM4TQC&pg=PT104&dq=A+mixture+of+gullibility+and+cynicism+had+been+an+outstanding+characteristic+of+mob+mentality+before+it+became+an+everyday+phenomenon+of+masses.&hl=de&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=A%20mixture%20of%20gullibility%20and%20cynicism%20had%20been%20an%20outstanding%20characteristic%20of%20mob%20mentality%20before%20it%20became%20an%20everyday%20phenomenon%20of%20masses.&f=false <br class="br">The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951) <br class="br">Context: A mixture of gullibility and cynicism had been an outstanding characteristic of mob mentality before it became an everyday phenomenon of masses. In an ever-changing, incomprehensible, world the masses had reached the point where they would, at the same time, believe everything and nothing, think that everything is possible and that nothing was true. The mixture in itself was remarkable enough, because it spelled the end of the illusion that gullibility was a weakness of unsuspecting primitive souls and cynism the vice of superior and refined minds. Mass propaganda discovered that its audience was ready at all times to believe the worst, no matter how absurd, and did not particularly object to being deceived because it held every statement to be a lie anyhow. The totalitarian mass leaders based their propaganda on the correct psychological assumption that, under such conditions, one could make people believe the most fantastic statements one day, and trust if the next day they were given irrefutable proof of their falsehood, they would take refuge in cynicism; instead of deserting the leaders who had lied to them, they would protest that they had known all along the statement was a lie and would admire the leaders for their superior tactical cleverness.
Orson Scott Card (1951) American science fiction novelist
Source: The Tales of Alvin Maker, Red Prophet (1988), Chapter 4.
Wú Chéng'ēn (1500–1582) Chinese writer
Source: Monkey: A Journey to the West
Leopold II of Belgium (1835–1909) King of the Belgians
Leopold II - Het Hele Verhaal (Aflevering 1) https://odysee.com/@BelgianCongo:3/Leopold-II-Het-Hele-Verhaal-Aflevering-1:1 Prince Leopold in a letter to his brother Prince Philippe and sister Princess Carlota, on being received by the Austrian court to meet his future bride 'Marie Henriette of Austria'.
Prem Rawat (1957) controversial spiritual leader
Holi Festival, Miami, Florida, on Sunday, April 1978, printed in Divine Times April/May 1978 Volume 7, Number 3
1970s
“Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.”
Sojourner Truth (1797–1883) African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist
Ain't I a Woman? Speech (1851)
Context: That little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Jesus Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.
Van Morrison (1945) Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician
Enlightenment
Song lyrics, Enlightenment (1990)