The words democracy, socialism, freedom, patriotic, realistic, justice have each of them several different meanings which cannot be reconciled with one another.
George Orwell
Language, Politics, Ambiguity, Society, Ideals
George Orwell’s Quotes On Topics
Friendship | Sainthood | Fortune | Controversy | Resistance | Charity | Aggression | Hierarchy | Technology | Crisis | Capital Punishment | Travel | Slogans | Tragedy | Science | Indoctrination | Expectation | Leadership | Foolproof | Neutrality | More
More George Orwell Quotes
“It could not have been ten seconds, and yet it seemed a long time that their hands were clasped together. He had time to learn every detail of her hand.” George Orwell
Connection, Time, Detail, Intimacy, Perception
George Orwell Connection, Time, Detail, Intimacy, Perception“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals.” George Orwell
Humanity, Consumption, Existence, Nature, Hierarchy
George Orwell Humanity, Consumption, Existence, Nature, Hierarchy“We have sunk so low it has become the obligation of every decent, thinking individual to re-state the obvious!” George Orwell
Truth, Decency, Society, Values, Responsibility
George Orwell Truth, Decency, Society, Values, Responsibility“The Revolution will be complete when the language is perfect.” George Orwell
Language, Control, Revolution, Society, Ideology
George Orwell Language, Control, Revolution, Society, Ideology“Privacy, he said, was a very valuable thing. Everyone wanted a place where they could be alone occasionally.” George Orwell
Privacy, Solitude, Freedom, Value, Society
George Orwell Privacy, Solitude, Freedom, Value, Society“Perhaps a lunatic was simply a minority of one.” George Orwell
Individuality, Sanity, Society, Perception, Isolation
George Orwell Individuality, Sanity, Society, Perception, Isolation“Right thinking will be rewarded, wrong thinking punished.” George Orwell
Control, Obedience, Society, Punishment, Conformity
George Orwell Control, Obedience, Society, Punishment, Conformity“Circus dogs jump when the trainer cracks the whip. But the really well-trained dog is the one that turns somersaults when there is no whip.” George Orwell
Control, Training, Freedom, Submission, Behavior
George Orwell Control, Training, Freedom, Submission, Behavior“The party is not concerned with perpetuating itself. Who wields power is not important, providing that the hierarchical structure always remains the same.” George Orwell
Hierarchy, Power, Control, Stability, Totalitarianism
George Orwell Hierarchy, Power, Control, Stability, Totalitarianism“If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. A bad usage can spread by tradition and imitation even among people who should and do know better.” George Orwell
Language, Thought, Corruption, Influence, Tradition
George Orwell Language, Thought, Corruption, Influence, Tradition“A machine evolves by becoming more efficient, that is, more foolproof; hence the objective of mechanical progress is a foolproof world – which may or may not mean a world inhabited by fools.” George Orwell
Technology, Progress, Efficiency, Foolproof, Consequences
George Orwell Technology, Progress, Efficiency, Foolproof, Consequences“I do not think the Socialist need make any sacrifice of essentials, but certainly he will have to make a great sacrifice of externals. It would help enormously, for instance, if the smell of crankishness which still clings to the Socialist movement could be dispelled. If only the sandals and the pistachio-coloured shirts could be put in a pile and burnt, and every vegetarian, teetotaller and creeping Jesus sent home to Welwyn Garden City to do his yoga exercises quietly!” George Orwell
Socialism, Image, Ideology, Critique, Society
George Orwell Socialism, Image, Ideology, Critique, Society“You are imagining that there is something called human nature which will be outraged by what we do and will turn against us. But we create human nature. Men are infinitely malleable.” George Orwell
Human Nature, Creation, Society, Change, Perception
George Orwell Human Nature, Creation, Society, Change, Perception“If human equality is to be forever averted – if the High, as we have called them, are to keep their places permanently – then the prevailing mental condition must be controlled insanity.” George Orwell
Inequality, Control, Insanity, Power, Hierarchy
George Orwell Inequality, Control, Insanity, Power, Hierarchy“Antisemitism, for instance, is simply not the doctrine of a grown-up person.” George Orwell
Antisemitism, Maturity, Society, Prejudice, Growth
George Orwell Antisemitism, Maturity, Society, Prejudice, Growth“From the totalitarian point of view, history is something to be created rather than learned.” George Orwell
Totalitarianism, History, Control, Reality, Power
George Orwell Totalitarianism, History, Control, Reality, Power“Free speech is unthinkable. All other kinds of freedom are permitted. You are free to be a drunkard, an idler, a coward, a backbiter, a fornicator; but you are not free to think for yourself.” George Orwell
Freedom, Speech, Control, Society, Repression
George Orwell Freedom, Speech, Control, Society, Repression“Poverty is poverty, whether the tool you work with is a pick-axe or fountain pen.” George Orwell
Poverty, Inequality, Work, Society, Tools
George Orwell Poverty, Inequality, Work, Society, Tools