Henri Matisse Quotes

No one can flatter himself that he is immune to the spirit of his own epoch, or even that he possesses a full understanding of it. Irrespective of our conscious convictions, each one of us, without exception, being a particle of the general mass, is somewhere attached to, colored by, or even undermined by the spirit which goes through the mass. Freedom stretches only as far as the limits of our consciousness.

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.

What people call the spirit of the times is mostly their own spirit in which the times mirror themselves.

Most men are followers, and implicitly rely upon the judgment of others. They mistake solemnity for wisdom, and regard a grave countenance as the title page and Preface to a most learned volume. So they are easily imposed upon by forms, strange garments, and solemn ceremonies. And when the teaching of parents, the customs of neighbors, and the general tongue approve and justify a belief or creed, no matter how absurd, it is hard even for the strongest to hold the citadel of his soul. In each country, in defence of each religion, the same arguments would be urged.

No matter how individual we humans are, we are a composite of everything we are aware of. We are a mirror of our times.

We are all of us, more or less, the slaves of opinion.

It is not from nature, but from education and habits, that our wants are chiefly derived.

You're a product of our language, and how our laws are and how we believe our God wants us. Every bitty molecule about you has already been thought out by some million people before you. Anything you can do is boring and old and perfectly okay. You're safe because you're so trapped inside your culture. Anything you can conceive of is fine because you can conceive of it. You can't imagine any way to escape. There's no way you can get out.The world is your cradle and your trap.

Temperament lies behind mood; behind will, lies the fate of character. Then behind both, the influence of family the tyranny of culture; and finally the power of climate and environment; and we are free, only to the extent we rise above these.

Human society as a whole is a vast brainwashing machine whose semantic rules and sex roles create a social robot.

Important things are inevitably cliche, but nobody wants to admit that.

When exactly were we brainwashed into believing that the best way to earn a living is to have a job?

Look what is happening in the world - we are being conditioned by society, by the culture we live in, and that culture is the product of man. There is nothing holy, or divine, or eternal about culture.

That cruelest of tyrants - public opinion.

We are not supposed to have an opinion. If we have an opinion, it has to be controversial – that is how we are always projected. It is difficult.

I was born of heterosexual parents. I was taught by heterosexual teachers in a fiercely heterosexual society. Television ads and newspaper ads — fiercely heterosexual. A society that puts down homosexuality. And why am I a homosexual if I'm affected by role models? I should have been a heterosexual. And no offense meant, but if teachers are going to affect you as role models, there'd be a lot of nuns running around the streets today.

I was convinced that our beliefs are based much more on custom and example than on any certain knowledge.

He thinks by infection, catching an opinion like a cold.

Society soon grows used to any state of things which is imposed upon it without explanation.

How could I be anything but a dissenter? Who wants the opinion of a group?

We ourselves are imbued with urgency, yet the message of our society is' that there is no viable alternative to the present.

When we are overly concerned with what people think we will be controlled by the thoughts and opinions of other people.

Why would you want to be politically correct when you can be right?

Conventional opinion is the ruin of our souls.