"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."
About Dorothy Thompson
Dorothy Thompson — Life and Legacy
Dorothy Thompson was a prominent journalist and political commentator in the early 20th century, recognized for her incisive critiques of totalitarian regimes and her advocacy for civil rights. Her work, particularly during her tenure as a foreign correspondent in Europe, revealed the complexities of political landscapes and the human condition. Thompson's key ideas often revolved around the themes of freedom and truth. She famously stated, 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,' emphasizing the debilitating nature of fear and the necessity for courage in the face of adversity. This perspective not only reflects her personal resilience but also her belief in the power of individuals to effect change. Her journalism was marked by a commitment to uncovering the truth, as seen in her assertion that 'words are the most powerful weapon.' Her insights remain relevant today, as they challenge readers to confront complacency and engage actively in democratic processes. Thompson's legacy lies in her unwavering dedication to truth and justice, inspiring generations to uphold these values in their own lives.
Quote collection
Dorothy Thompson quotes (page 1 of 2)
31 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth."
"No people ever recognize their dictator in advance. He never stands for election on the platform of dictatorship. He always represents himself as the instrument - the Incorporated National Will. ... When our dictator turns up you can depend on it that he will be one of the boys, and he will stand for everything traditionally American. And nobody will ever say "Heil" to him, nor will they call him "Führer" or "Duce." But they will greet him with one great big, universal, democratic, sheeplike bleat of "O.K., Chief! Fix it like you wanna, Chief! Oh Kaaaay!""
"Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict - alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence."
"Peace has to be created, in order to be maintained. It is the product of Faith, Strength, Energy, Will, Sympathy, Justice, Imagination, and the triumph of principle. It will never be achieved by passivity and quietism."
"Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow."
"The most destructive element in the human mind is fear. Fear creates aggressiveness; aggressiveness engenders hostility; hostility engenders fear, a disastrous circle."
"A little more matriarchy is what the world needs, and I know it. Period. Paragraph."
"When liberty is taken away by force it can be restored by force. When it is relinquished voluntarily by default it can never be recovered."
"Age is not measured by years. Nature does not equally distribute energy. Some people are born old and tired while others are going strong at seventy."
"Hate smolders and eventually destroys, not the hated but the hater."
"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live in every experience, painful or joyous, to live in gratitude for every moment, to live abundantly."
"Passitivity and quietism are invitations to war."
"Lawlessness is a self-perpetuating, ever-expanding habit."
"Can one preach at home inequality of races and nations and advocate abroad good-will towards all men?"
"There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings...Fear [False Evidence Appearing Real] grows in darkness; if you think there's a bogeyman around, turn on the light."
"To have felt too much is to end in feeling nothing."
"It is not the fact of liberty but the way in which liberty is exercised that ultimately determines whether liberty itself survives."
"Women have had the vote for over forty years and their organizations lobby in Washington for all sorts of causes; why, why, why don't they take up their own causes and obvious needs?"
"The kind of intelligence a genius has is a different sort of intelligence. The thinking of a genius does not proceed logically. It leaps with great ellipses. It pulls knowledge from God knows where."