Quotes & anectdotes from the wise, the foolish, the courageous & the drunk

Friedrich Durrenmatt Novelist

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: Switzerland
  • Born: Jan 5, 1921
  • Died: Dec 14, 1990

Friedrich Dürrenmatt was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-garde dramas, philosophical crime novels, and macabre satire. Dürrenmatt was a member of the Gruppe Olten.

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

Religion and political expediency go beautifully hand in hand. religion

Who sows fear, reaps weapons. fear

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

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

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

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

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

Power is paradoxical. power

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

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

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

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

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

World history is tragic. history

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

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

St. Patrick's Day March 17, 2025

There is no language like the Irish for soothing and quieting. 3 more quotes from John Millington Synge

3 more quotes from John Millington Synge

Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy. 28 thoughts from William Butler Yeats

28 thoughts from William Butler Yeats

Geographically, Ireland is a medium-sized rural island that is slowly but steadily being consumed by sheep. 27 more quotes from Dave Barry

27 more quotes from Dave Barry

We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English. 74 quotes from Winston Churchill

74 quotes from Winston Churchill