Quotes about key
page 5

Abbie Hoffman photo

“THE KEY TO ORGANIZING AN ALTERNATIVE SOCIETY IS TO ORGANIZE PEOPLE AROUND WHAT THEY CAN DO AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.”

Abbie Hoffman (1936–1989) American political and social activist

Source: Revolution for the Hell of It (1968), p. 135.

St. Vincent (musician) photo

“The keys are in my pocket and they rattle you awake.”

St. Vincent (musician) (1982) American singer-songwriter

"Save Me From What I Want" live @ SXSW 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRYdWtjFJn8
Actor (2009)

John D. Carmack photo

“Focused, hard work is the real key to success. Keep your eyes on the goal, and just keep taking the next step towards completing it. If you aren't sure which way to do something, do it both ways and see which works better.”

John D. Carmack (1970) American computer programmer, engineer, and businessman

Quoted in "The Rise and Fall of Ion Storm" http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=25551&cid=2775698 Slashdot (2002-01-02)

Peter Thiel photo

“It’s good to test yourself and develop your talents and ambitions as fully as you can and achieve greater success; but I think success is the feeling you get from a job well done, and the key thing is to do the work.”

Peter Thiel (1967) American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and hedge fund manager

Forbes: "Peter Thiel: 'Don't Wait to Start Something New'" https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinehoward/2014/09/10/peter-thiel-dont-wait-to-start-something-new/#3c8e20f71e69 (10 September 2014)

Ron Paul photo

“Liberty once again must become more important to us than the desire for security and material comfort. Personal safety and economic prosperity can only come as the consequence of liberty. They cannot be provided by an authoritarian government… The foundation for a police state has been put in place, and it's urgent we mobilize resistance before it's too late… Central planning is intellectually bankrupt – and it has bankrupted our country and undermined our moral principles. Respect for individual liberty and dignity is the only answer to government force, force that serves the politically and economically powerful. Our planners and rulers are not geniuses, but rather demagogues and would-be dictators -- always performing their tasks with a cover of humanitarian rhetoric… The collapse of the Soviet system came swiftly and dramatically, without a bloody conflict… It came as no surprise, however, to the devotees of freedom who have understood for decades that socialism was doomed to fail… And so too will the welfare/warfare state fail… A free society is based on the key principle that the government, the president, the Congress, the courts, and the bureaucrats are incapable of knowing what is best for each and every one of us… A government as a referee is proper, but a government that uses arbitrary force to direct every aspect of society threatens freedom… The time has come for a modern approach to achieving those values that all civilized societies seek. Only in a free society do individuals have the best chance to seek virtue, strive for excellence, improve their economic well-being, and achieve personal happiness… The worthy goals of civilization can only be achieved by freedom loving individuals. When government uses force, liberty is sacrificed and the goals are lost. It is freedom that is the source of all creative energy. If I am to be your president, these are the goals I would seek. I reject the notion that we need a president to run our lives, plan the economy, or police the world… It is much more important to protect individual liberty and privacy than to make government even more secretive and powerful.”

Ron Paul (1935) American politician and physician

Video Address Announcing 2008 Presidential Exploratory Committee, February 19, 2007 http://blog.4president.org/2008/2007/02/ron_paul_video_.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPlPT4bncq8
2000s, 2006-2009

Erik Naggum photo
J. Edgar Hoover photo
Jacques Ellul photo
William A. Dembski photo
Alexander Marlow photo
Chris Anderson photo

“Never underestimate the power of a million amateurs with keys to the factory.”

Source: The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More (2006), Ch. 5, p. 58

Béla H. Bánáthy photo

“The learner is the key entity and occupies the nucleus of the systems complex of education.”

Béla H. Bánáthy (1919–2003) Hungarian linguist and systems scientist

Source: Systems Design of Education (1991), p. 96

Richard Francis Burton photo

“"Be ye Good Boys, go seek for Heav'en, come pay the priest that holds the key;"
So spake, and speaks, and aye shall speak the last to enter Heaven, — he.”

Richard Francis Burton (1821–1890) British explorer, geographer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, lin…

The Kasîdah of Hâjî Abdû El-Yezdî (1870)

Hermann Hesse photo
Colin Wilson photo
Eric Hoffer photo

“A good sentence is a key. It unlocks the mind of the reader.”

Eric Hoffer (1898–1983) American philosopher

Entry (1962)
Eric Hoffer and the Art of the Notebook (2005)

Paul Carus photo
Daniel Abraham photo

“It was as easy as keying in a door code. Somehow he felt that arming fusion bombs to detonate around him should have been more difficult.”

Daniel Abraham (1969) speculative fiction writer from the United States

Source: Leviathan Wakes (2011), Chapter 50 (p. 504)

Geoffrey Hodgson photo
Melanie Phillips photo
Richard Holbrooke photo
Jacob Bronowski photo
Alexander Rodchenko photo
Reggie Fils-Aimé photo
Elton John photo

“Don't go breaking my heart.
I couldn't if I tried.
Honey if I get restless…
Baby you're not that kind.Don't go breaking my heart.
You take the weight off me.
Honey when you knock on my door,
I gave you my key.”

Elton John (1947) English rock singer-songwriter, composer and pianist

Don't Go Breaking My Heart, duet with Kiki Dee (1976)
Song lyrics, Singles

George Bernard Shaw photo

“The Bible is most dangerous book ever written on earth, keep it under lock and key.”

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish playwright

From Why You Should Never be a Christian (1987) by Ishaq 'Kunle Sanni and ‎Dawood Ayodele Amoo.
Misattributed

Kent Beck photo
Bobby Knight photo

“The key is not the will to win… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.”

Bobby Knight (1940–2023) American college basketball coach and former player

Knight: My Story http://www.campofchamps.com/book_of_the_month_knight.htm, Chapter: Cornerstone and Credos. By Bobby Knight and Bob Hammel, 2002. Thomas Dunne Books; 1st edition (March 26, 2002) ISBN: 978-0312282578.

Ela Bhatt photo

“Injustice happens at many levels, from the grass roots to the top. And one of the keys of SEWA’s vision and action is linking them.”

Ela Bhatt (1933) founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA)

Discussion with Ela Bhatt, Founder, Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA)

Dejan Stojanovic photo

“We love the imperfect shapes in nature and in the works of art, look for an intentional error as a sign of the golden key and sincerity found in true mastery.”

Dejan Stojanovic (1959) poet, writer, and businessman

Mastery http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/mastery-2/
From the poems written in English

“Senior executive teams create mechanisms to govern the management and use of each of these assets both independently and together…. Governance of the key assets occurs via a large number of organizational mechanisms, for example structures, processes, procedures and audits.”

Jeanne W. Ross (1958) American computer scientist

Source: IT governance, 2004, p. 7 as cited in: Wim Van Grembergen, Steven De Haes (2009) Enterprise Governance of Information Technology. p. 5

Jerry Coyne photo

“Faith is a padlock of the mind, and few keys can open it.”

Jerry Coyne (1949) American biologist

" Don McLeroy leaves creationist comment: evolution can’t explain “biochemical complexity” http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/don-mcleroy-leaves-creationist-comment-evolution-cant-explain-biochemical-complexity/" January 30, 2013

“The story begins with a somewhat disgruntled hero, who perceived of the world as populated with stupid people, everywhere committing the environmental fallacy. The fallacy was a case not merely of the “mind’s falling into error,” but rather of the mind leading all of us into incredible dangers as it first builds crisis and then attacks crisis.
Like all heroes, this one looked about for resources, for aids that would help in a dangerous battle, and he found plenty of support – in both the past and the present. It won’t hurt to summarize the story thus far. If the intellect is to engage in the heroic adventure of securing improvement in the human condition, it cannot rely on “approaches,” like politics and morality, which attempt to tackle problems head-on, within the narrow scope. Attempts to address problems in such a manner simply lead to other problems, to an amplification of difficulty away from real improvement. Thus the key to success in the hero’s attempt seems to be comprehensiveness. Never allow the temptation to be clear, or to use reliable data, or to “come up to the standards of excellence,” divert you from the relevant, even though the relevant may be elusive, weakly supported by data, and requiring loose methods.
Thus the academic world of Western twentieth century society is a fearsome enemy of the systems approach, using as it does a politics to concentrate the scholars’ attention on matters that are scholastically respectable but disreputable from a systems-planning point of view.”

C. West Churchman (1913–2004) American philosopher and systems scientist

Source: 1960s - 1970s, The Systems Approach and Its Enemies (1979), p. 145; cited in C. WEST CHURCHMAN: CHAMPION OF THE SYSTEMS APPROACH http://filer.case.edu/nxb41/churchman.html, 2004-2007 Case Western Reserve University

Alexander Graham Bell photo

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922) scientist and inventor known for his work on the telephone

As quoted in Sophia's Fire (2005) by Sango Mbella, p. 133.

Guy De Maupassant photo
Derren Brown photo
Ben Carson photo

“I think one of the keys to leadership is recognizing that everybody has gifts and talents. A good leader will learn how to harness those gifts toward the same goal.”

Ben Carson (1951) 17th and current United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; American neurosurgeon

As quoted in "America's Best Leaders: Benjamin Carson, Surgeon and Children's Advocate" http://www.usnews.com/news/best-leaders/articles/2008/11/19/americas-best-leaders-benjamin-carson-surgeon-and-childrens-advocate, U.S. News (November 19, 2008)

Masha Gessen photo

“[Key Account Management is] the extent to which an organization achieves better relationship outcomes for its Key Accounts than for its average accounts.”

Christian Homburg (1962) German academic

Source: "A configurational perspective on key account management", 2002, p. 46

Merrill McPeak photo
Vincent Van Gogh photo

“.. Here I am shut up for the livelong day under lock and key and with keepers in a cell.... I will not deny that I would rather have died than have caused and suffered such trouble.”

Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890) Dutch post-Impressionist painter (1853-1890)

Quote in his letter to brother Theo, from Arles, France, 9 March. 1889; as quoted in Vincent van Gogh, edited by Alfred H. Barr; Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1935 https://www.moma.org/documents/moma_catalogue_1996_300061887.pdf, (letter 579), p 25
1880s, 1889

Lin Chuan photo

“We will adopt low-key and pragmatic measures to establish better economic relations with other countries.”

Lin Chuan (1951) Taiwanese politician

Lin Chuan (2017) cited in " Taipei not adverse to China ties: Lin http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2017/05/09/2003670233" on Taipei Times, 9 May 2017.

Narendra Modi photo

“In 2014, one of the key agendas of the BJP’s election campaign was highlighting the dismal management of the Indian economy, ironically under an ‘economist’ prime minister and a ‘know-it-all’ finance minister. We all knew that the economy was in the doldrums but since we were not in government, we naturally did not have the complete details of the state of the economy. But, what we saw when we formed the government left us shocked! The state of the economy was much worse than expected. Things were terrible. Even the budget figures were suspicious. When all of this came to light, we had two options – to be driven by Rajneeti (political considerations) or be guided by Rashtraneeti (putting the interests of India First)… Rajneeti, or playing politics on the state of the economy in 2014, would have been extremely simple as well as politically advantageous for us. We had just won a historic election, so obviously the frenzy was at a different level. The Congress Party and their allies were in big trouble. Even for the media, it would have made news for months on end. On the other hand, there was Rashtraneeti, where more than politics and one-upmanship, reform was needed. Needless to say, we preferred to think of ‘India First’ instead of putting politics first. We did not want to push the issues under the carpet, but we were more interested in addressing the issue. We focused on reforming, strengthening and transforming the Indian economy. The details about the decay in the Indian economy were unbelievable. It had the potential to cause a crisis all over. In 2014, industry was leaving India. India was in the Fragile Five. Experts believed that the ‘I’ in BRICS would collapse. Public sentiment was that of disappointment and pessimism.”

Narendra Modi (1950) Prime Minister of India

Narendra Modi, Swarajya Interviews Prime Minister Modi, Interview, R Jagannathan- Jul 02, 2018 https://swarajyamag.com/economy/swarajya-interviews-prime-minister-modi-the-state-of-indian-economy
2018

James K. Morrow photo

““You see, Ebenezer, charity begs a crucial question. How did the bestower attain the position from which he now exercises his largesse?” My dead colleague cleaned his teeth with one of his many appended keys. “Through imagination and merit? Or through inherited privilege and ruthless exploitation?””

James K. Morrow (1947) (1947-) science fiction author

"The Confessions of Ebenezer Scrooge" p. 158 (originally published in Spirits of Christmas: Twenty Otherworldly Tales, edited by Kathryn Cramer and David G. Hartwell)
Short fiction, Bible Stories for Adults (1996)

Matt Dillon photo

“I like to try different things. A good strong character and a good story are the key things for me when I'm considering a script. But I don't want to do the same kinds of things over and over. I like to challenge myself and do projects that dare to push the limits.”

Matt Dillon (1964) American actor

Dennis King (January 12, 1990) "Matt Dillon - This Era's James Dean - 'Drugstore Cowboy' Star Takes Critics' Award, Speculation About Oscar Nomination in Stride", Tulsa World, p. C1.

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky photo
Vannevar Bush photo
Mark Satin photo
Leung Chun-ying photo
Donald Barthelme photo

“These games are marvelous,” Amanda said. “I like them especially because they are so meaningless and boring, and trivial. These qualities, once regarded as less than desirable, are now everywhere enthroned as the key elements in our psychological lives, as reflected in the art of the period as well as—”

Donald Barthelme (1931–1989) American writer, editor, and professor

“Games Are the Enemies of Beauty, Truth, and Sleep, Amanda Said”, p. 77.
The Teachings of Don. B: Satires, Parodies, Fables, Illustrated Stories, and Plays of Donald Barthelme (1992)

Alan Keyes photo

“Endless fascination with nature—nothing more and nothing less—is the key to enlisting people in the fight to save biodiversity.”

Reed Noss (1952)

p. xv https://books.google.com/books/about/Forgotten_Grasslands_of_the_South.html?id=9ZOaZZbukBwC&pg=PR15
Forgotten Grasslands of the South: Natural History and Conservation (2012)

Rush Limbaugh photo
Megan Mullally photo
Natacha Rambova photo

“A sensitive personality is like a great organ. Press the keys of discord and harshness comes forth. Play the keys of beauty and melody delight are given.”

Natacha Rambova (1897–1966) American film personality and fashion designer

On personality, p. 118
Photoplay: "Wedded and Parted" (December 1922)

Henri-Frédéric Amiel photo
Kenneth Gärdestad photo

“If one had the key to how a mental illness rises and how to take care of it, we would have done it better in the world.”

Kenneth Gärdestad (1948–2018) Swedish song lyricist, architect and lecturer

On mental illness, as quoted on Kenneth Gärdestad: Han ville inte gå någon annan väg än kärlekens väg, Sveriges Radio P4 Sörmland, published on 31 December 2015 (web) https://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=87&artikel=6333872

Lucy Mack Smith photo
Ogden Nash photo
Bruce Palmer Jr. photo
Park Chung-hee photo

“But the challenge must be faced squarely. I believe we can overcome it through our own efforts. We must do so. They key is our national power. Take courage from our national pride and traditions, no matter how thorny the road to independence may be.”

Park Chung-hee (1917–1979) Korean Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979

As quoted in Toward Peaceful Unification: Selected Speeches & Interviews https://books.google.com/books?id=nNc2AzJmwPoC&pg=PA3&dq=%22There+was+little,+if+any,+feeling+of+loyalty+toward+the+abstract+concept+of+Korea+as+a+nation-state%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IOkhVebpAYqWsAWOgILoCQ&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false (1978), Kwangmyong Publishing Company, pp. 47-48.
1970s

Michael Savage photo

“Whoever is in the driver's seat determines whether we as a nation will crash and burn or survive and hand the keys to the next generation.”

Michael Savage (1942) U.S. radio talk show host, Commentator, and Author

Source: The Enemy Within: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Churches, Schools, and Military (2004), p. 2

Alex Salmond photo

“The more recent concern with complex adaptive organization has led to the notion of contingency as the important key. Thus Wiener, while working in the field of communications and probability theory, became convinced 'that a significant idea of organization cannot be obtained in a world in which everything is necessary and nothing is contingent”

Walter F. Buckley (1922–2006) American sociologist

Source: Sociology and modern systems theory (1967), p. 82 as cited in: Felix Geyer, Johannes van der Zouwen, (1994) " Norbert Wiener and the Social Sciences http://www.critcrim.org/redfeather/chaos/024Weiner.htm", Kybernetes, Vol. 23 Iss: 6/7, pp.46 - 61. Buckley is here referring to Norbert Wiener (1953) I am a Mathematician; The Later Life of a Prodigyan, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, p. 322.

Billy Joel photo
Volodymyr Melnykov photo
Piero Manzoni photo
Cory Doctorow photo

“Any time someone puts a lock on something you own against your wishes, and doesn't give you the key, they're not doing it for your benefit.”

Cory Doctorow (1971) Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author

"Digital Distribution and the Whip Hand: Don't Get iTunesed with your eBooks", O'Reilly (11 February 2009) http://blip.tv/file/1996369/

Herbert A. Simon photo
Johannes Grenzfurthner photo
Alan Moore photo
Philip Plait photo
William Shenstone photo

“Prudent men should lock up their motives, giving only their intimates a key.”

William Shenstone (1714–1763) English gardener

Essays on Men and Manners (1804)

Hillary Clinton photo
Marianne von Werefkin photo
Lee Strobel photo
Joseph Beuys photo
Edgar Degas photo

“An old racetrack joke reminds you that your program contains all the winners' names. I stare at my typewriter keys with the same thought.”

Mignon McLaughlin (1913–1983) American journalist

The Complete Neurotic's Notebook (1981), Unclassified

John Austin (legal philosopher) photo
Roberto Mangabeira Unger photo
Shamini Flint photo
Roger Wolcott Sperry photo

“The new way of thinking, spawned by the cognitive revolution, shows strong promise … Reversing previous doctrine in science, the new paradigm affirms that the world we live in is driven not solely by mindless physical forces but, more crucially, by subjective human values. Human values become the underlying key to world change.”

Roger Wolcott Sperry (1913–1994) American neuroscientist

No page reference found; as quoted in "Search for Beliefs to Live by Consistent with Science" in Zygon, Journal of Religion & Science 26 p. 237–258
Science and the Problem of Values (1972)

James L. Brooks photo
Walter Isaacson photo

“You can play the piano with the white keys only or you can play it with only the black keys. But for harmony you must use the black and the white keys.”

Ernest Debrah (1947–2016) Ghanian politician

On the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), in Will Ross, " Africans wary of Europe's trade offer http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7134407.stm", BBC (8 December, 2007).

Colin Wilson photo