Kofi Annan Quotes

Nothing is possible without men, but nothing lasts without institutions.

When rooted, you observe how systems actually affect people.

Social conditions that spur large numbers of people into action are ignored in favor of a Hollywood version of history focusing on one conquering hero. Since a movement for social change is embodied in its leader, death of the leader means death of the movement.

As a confirmed individualist I certainly do not wish to underrate the influence of the individual, for the masses do not lead the individual; rather, in the individual is vested the capacity to lead the masses.

Some people have much more pull than other people. But when I say that the public has ultimate responsibility, I'm not saying it in a moral sense. I'm just saying it in the sense of what is it that's really going to bring change.

I describe in 'Chimpanzee Politics' how the alpha male needs broad support to reach the top spot. He needs some close allies and he needs many group members to be on his side.

It takes people to move crowds in the right direction, crowds by themselves just stand around and mutter.

The community stagnates without the impulse of the individual. The impulse dies away without the sympathy of the community.

Political institutions are a superstructure resting on an economic foundation.

Industry leaders have the power to set standards.

We too often prefer the individual thrill to collective responsibility.

Primacy of persons over structures.

For traditional societies … the collective, the group, is more important than the individual, and empowering the individual is equated with dividing the society.

We should put this one-man show behind us. Instead of talking about individuals we should at last be talking about institutions and laws.

No true and perfect human society can be conceived which is not governed by some supreme authority…. Do the sheep when they are all assembled together rule and guide the shepherd?

Religions are manipulated in order to serve those who govern society and not the other way around.

For about 20 years we have had practically no collective leadership; there flourished the cult of the individual which was [earlier] condemned first by Marx and then by Lenin

If the international community must act, then America must lead.

apolitical movement is always influenced by its leader’s personality.

In my reporting, I've found that real change escapes many change-makers because powerful illusions guide their projects.

The United States can only lead a world that's prepared to follow.

The unit of effectiveness of education is not the individual but the group. An individual's moral values are primarily important for society as they contribute to a moral social climate, not as they induce particular pieces of behavior.

The ruling of men is the effort to direct the individual actions of many persons toward some end. This end theoretically should be the greatest good of all, but no human group has ever reached this ideal because of ignorance and selfishness.

The enemy is the system. And the system is made up of people, and we have a choice in that.

Humans want to know the hierarchy; it's important for there to be one leader.