100+ Friedrich Durrenmatt Quotes

The world is bad but not without hope. It is only hopeless when you look at it from an ideal viewpoint.

Topics: Looks, Viewpoints, Literature

quote the world is bad but not without hope it is only hopeless when you look at it from an friedrich durrenmatt Quotes

News reports don't change the world. Only facts change it, and those have already happened when we get the news.

It is surely easier to confess a murder over a cup of coffee than in front of a jury.

Topics: Coffee, Cups, Murder, Coffee Cup

Our science has become terrible, our research dangerous, our findings deadly. We physicists have to make peace with reality. Reality is not as strong as we are. We will ruin reality.

Topics: Strong, Reality, Research

The art of the cuisine, when fully mastered, is the one human capability of which only good things can be said.

Topics: Art, Literature, Cuisine

The content of physics is the concern of physicists, its effect the concern of all men.

Topics: Men, Physics, Physicist

One does not set fire to a world which is already lost

Topics: Fire, Doe, World

There are risks which are not acceptable: the destruction of humanity is one of them

Topics: Risk, Humanity, Destruction

A state always calls itself fatherland when it is ready for murder.

Topics: Murder, States, Ready, Fatherland

Emotions have no place in business, unless you do business with them.

Topics: Emotion

We can't afford the wrath of Heaven. We survived a deluge by the skin of our teeth, but an economic crisis would be disastrous.

Topics: Heaven, Skins, Economic, Deluge, Economic Crisis

A world is in flames, and you are cracking silly jokes.

Topics: War, Silly, World

Politics at all times lead to bloody wars, and not only politics, but also religions as well as social and economic systems of alltimes are spattered with blood. Invariably the big ones devoured the little ones, and the little ones the tiny ones.

Topics: War, History, Religion

Humor is the mask of wisdom.

Topics: Funny, Wisdom, Humor

To not be afraid in our world is the message that doesn't derive from reason, but maybe from this mysterious capacity given to humans which we call--not without a little embarrassment--faith.

Topics: Faith, Fear, World

It is bad luck for world history that of all people the Russians adopted Communism, because they are totally unfit for it.

Topics: People, History, Luck

Every work of art depicts an aspect of reality.

Topics: Art, Work, Reality

Prior to the meeting, there was a prayer. In general, in the United States there was always praying.

Topics: Prayer, Praying, Meetings, Always Praying

There is also a reasonable tolerance: reason tolerates the reasonable. It is, however, almost tautological to call this 'tolerance' any longer, as it becomes a matter of course.

Topics: Tolerance, Reason, Tolerate

In this country, you never pull the emergency brake, even when there is an emergency. It is imperative that the trains run on schedule.

Topics: Running, Country, Brake

Rome has betrayed itself. It knew the truth and chose violence, it knew humaneness and it chose tyranny.

Topics: Betrayal, Betrayed, Violence

As the Americans slaughter millions of turkeys every year for the celebration of their deliverance, the Indians, who should be celebrated as saviors, have long been slaughtered. There was even a time when a white man was paid a very decent price for every Indian scalp he could produce.

Topics: Men, Long, Deliverance

Then the American flag was saluted. In general, in the United States people always salute the American flag.

Topics: People, Patriotism, American Flag

The individual protests against the world, but he doesn't get beyond protest, he is just a single protester. When he wants to be more than that, he has to counter power with power, he has to oppose the system with another system.

Topics: Power, World, Individual

A reasonable change of the world can not be instrumented by pure reason.

Topics: Change, World, Reason

In the United States the whites speak well of the Blacks but think bad about them, whereas the Blacks talk bad and think bad aboutthe whites. Whites fear Blacks, because they have a bad conscience, and Blacks hate whites because they need not have a bad conscience.

Topics: Hate, Thinking, Racism

The planet on which we live is poorly organized, many areas are overpopulated, others are reserved for a few, technology's potential is only in part realized, and most people are starving.

Topics: People, Earth, Hunger, Overpopulation

Humans need justice in the here and now and grace in the thereafter. Justice in the here and now is possible only without freedom,and grace in the thereafter only through the freedom of God.

Topics: Freedom, Justice, Grace

Do we still have the right to be more than victims?

Topics: Humanity, Victim

The archetype of all humans, their ideal image, is the computer, once it has liberated itself from its creator, man. The computeris the essence of the human being. In the computer, man reaches his completion.

Topics: Men, Evolution, Computer

When death has you by the throat, you don't mince words.

Topics: Literature, Throat

A story has been thought to its conclusion when it has taken its worst possible turn.

Topics: Taken, Stories, Worst

Today's difference between Russia and the United States is that in Russia everybody takes everybody else for a spy, and in the United States everybody takes everybody else for a criminal.

source: - Martin Van Buren (2018). “State of the Union Addresses of Martin van Buren”, p.4, BoD – Books on Demand

Topics: Russia, Differences, Spy

The savages don't have atom bombs.

Topics: Atoms, Savages, Bombs, Atom Bomb

You can't take back an act you were able to think.

Topics: Thinking, Able

In a society which is structured the wrong way, piety has no effect.

Topics: Literature, Way, Piety

The rightful claim to dissent is an existential right of the individual.

Topics: Existentialism, Individual, Claims

For people who have no critical acumen, a state is a mythical entity, for those who think critically it is a rational fiction, created by man in order to facilitate human coexistence.

Topics: Men, Thinking, Order, Coexist, Peaceful Coexistence

Before anything else, we need a new age of Enlightenment. Our present political systems must relinquish their claims on truth, justice and freedom and have to replace them with the search for truth, justice, freedom and reason.

Topics: Birthday, Justice, Political, Age Of Enlightenment

The only remedy against hunger is reasonable birth control.

Topics: Birth Control, Birth, Hunger

Whoever is content with the world, and who profits from its lack of justice, does not want to change it.

Topics: Uprising, Justice, Doe

Communism is a proposition to structure the world more reasonably, a proposition for changing the world. As such, we have to analyze it and, if we deem it reasonable, act upon it.

Topics: World, Changing The World, Communism

It is easy to kill when you don't see your victim

Topics: Easy, Victim

Someone who is about to die does not mourn the dead.

Topics: Doe, Literature, Mourn

So then learn to conquer your fear. This is the only art we have to master nowadays: to look at things without fear, and to fearlessly do right.

Topics: Inspirational, Art, Fear, Conquer Your Fears

Human life is beyond comprehension.

Topics: Life, Inspire, Comprehension

The freedom of each individual can only be the freedom of all.

Topics: America, Literature, Individual

For a person who is dying only eternity counts.

Topics: Dying, Eternity, Persons

The difference between humans and wild animals is that humans pray before they commit murder.

Topics: Animal, Differences, Literature, Wild Animal

Resistance at all cost is the most senseless act there is.

Topics: Cost, Literature, Resistance, Time For A Change

Revolutions demand enormous sacrifices and, at the same time, create a new need to change the world again.

Topics: Sacrifice, Needs, World

The worst possible turn can not be programmed. It is caused by coincidence.

Topics: Literature, Coincidence, Worst

Pretend to be dumb, that's the only way to reach old age.

Topics: Birthday, Stupid, Dumb

Today's Communism can survive only if it abandons the myth of an infallible party, if it continues to think, and if it becomes democratic.

Topics: Party, Thinking, Hymns, Infallible

A major power can afford a military debacle only when it looks like a political victory.

Topics: Military, Political, Victory, Debacles, Political Victory

A story is not finished, until it took the worst turn.

Topics: Stories, Worst, Turns

Everything that is necessary is also easy. You just have to accept it. And the most necessary, the most natural matter on this planet is death.

Topics: Literature, Matter, Easy

That there is also freedom in captivity, only a prisoner can claim. Coming from a prison guard, this statement would be blasphemy.

Topics: Captivity, Would Be, Prison, Prison Guards

To make the essence of man visible in the exposure is the highest art of photography.

Topics: Photography, Art, Men

Truth is always a delusion.

Topics: Literature, Truth Is, Delusion

I am a man, and God is hiding from us humans. We are unable to see Him, we can only search for Him

Topics: Men, Hiding, Humans

It is only in love and murder that we still remain sincere.

Topics: Murder, Sincere, Stills

We are not cave dwellers anymore, we live in the age of technology. When someone needs a car, he does not need to build it. He can buy it. When someone needs a murder, he himself does not need to kill. He can order it.

Topics: Technology, Order, Car

What the world needs is not redemption from sin but redemption from hunger and oppression; it has no need to pin its hopes upon Heaven, it has everything to hope for from this earth.

Topics: Heaven, Needs, Redemption, Hopes Up, Humanism

He who confronts the paradoxical exposes himself to reality.

Topics: Reality, Paradoxical

People like us who are on their last leg can only understand comedies.

Topics: People, Legs, Lasts

We do not consider patriotism desirable if it contradicts civilized behavior.

Topics: Behavior, Civilized, Nationalism, Civilized Behavior

There is a moment when nothing can be wiped out and left behind any more, when there is only reality and reality is horrifying.

Topics: Reality, Moments, Left Behind

Man is imperfect. The reality he creates is always endangered by man.

Topics: Reality, Men, Imperfect

Power is paradoxical.

Topics: Power, Paradoxical

Without tolerance, our world turns into hell.

Topics: Our World, Tolerance, Hell

Only the freedom of mind can prevent the state from becoming totalitarian and from issuing totalitarian demands.

Topics: Mind, Becoming, Demand, Totalitarian Regimes

Above all, be suspicious of your fatherland. Nobody is more inclined to become a murderer than a fatherland.

Topics: Murderer, Fatherland

Religion and political expediency go beautifully hand in hand

Topics: Hands, Political, Expediency

Nothing that has been thought can ever be taken back

Topics: Taken

The problems of all of humanity can only be solved by all of humanity

Topics: Humanity, Problem

It is inhuman to continue a war which could easily be ended

Topics: War, Inhuman

There are thoughts we must not think

Topics: Thinking

The evolution of humans can not only be seen as the grand total of their wars; it is also defined by the evolution of the human mind and the development of the human consciousness.

Topics: War, Mind, Development

World history is tragic.

Topics: World, Tragic, World History

Who sows fear, reaps weapons.

source: - "About Tolerance" by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, 1977.

Topics: Weapons, Reap

This inhuman world has to become more humane. But how?

Topics: World, Humane, Inhuman

A writer doesn’t solve problems. He allows them to emerge.

source: - "Blogging in the classroom: why your students should write online" by Michael Drennan, www.theguardian.com. July 17, 2012.

Topics: Writing, Problem, Solve

What concerns everyone can only be resolved by everyone.

Topics: Concern

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