James Hillman Quotes

You cannot just change regimes; you have to change mindsets.

You can’t fix the things that bother you the most by passing a law.

It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.

If you want small changes in your life, work on your attitude. But if you want big and primary changes, work on your paradigm.

When I first started out, I thought it was enough to make an angry song that pointed out the problems of the world.

Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy.

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

The wrong people will do everything in their power to guarantee that the wrong political climate will continue. It seems, then, that the wrong people ensure the wrong political climate and the wrong political climate ensures the wrong people. How then to break free of this vicious circle?

As a black woman, I have no particular interest in maintaining the status quo. Why would I? The status quo is harmful; the status quo is significantly racist and sexist and a whole bunch of other things that I think need to change.

Capitalism inevitably and by virtue of the very logic of its civilization creates, educates and subsidizes a vested interest in social unrest.

Listen, the next revolution is gonna be a revolution of ideas.

Obviously, I have certain policy positions that I push and advocate for that would benefit people dealing in a system that breeds inequality and makes life more difficult for people.

Something happened during the 1980s - perhaps the political climate of that time - that caused me to ask how a people would become part of a system that oppresses their own people.

Saturdays and Sundays, America in the year 2009 does not in some ways differ significantly from the country that existed almost 50 years ago. This is truly sad.

Change will come slowly, across generations, because old beliefs die hard even when demonstrably false.

For to change the norms, the very foci of attention, of a cultural system is a difficult task - far more complex than that of changing an individual's attitudes and interests.

We believe that a society in turmoil cannot be saved through mere legislation.

Social change can be painful for all involved—oppressor and oppressed.

Changing people’s expectation is the hardest thing to do.

In the transition epoch, surely crimes will come. Did the seed of tyranny ever bear good fruit? And can you expect Liberty to undo in a moment what Oppression has been doing for ages?

We need to make sure we're all working together to change mindsets, to change attitudes, and to fight against the bad habits that we have as a society.

Regardless of how much media coverage will be received, talking and raising awareness about social injustice isn't enough.

If we're saying there are incidents of oppression in this country, systematically or individually in this country, I don't think saying, 'Well, in country X, Y or Z it's 10 times worse' is making things any better. I think that may be true, but why can't we improve?

I also often hear people say that the deck is stacked against them because of racism, sexism, or other oppressive 'isms.' But once you let go of the blame and excuses, you'll see that you can alter your position on your own.

Oppression doesn't disappear just because you decided not to teach us that chapter.