Amy Grant Quotes

Man is an extraordinarily fixed and limited animal whose nature is absolutely constant. It is only by tradition and organisation that anything decent can be got out of him.

When you're young, you wonder what all these old people are droning on about, trying to impart their wisdom. It's not relevant to you because being young is such a specific thing. Thank God for that. Thank God for the young people who go out and demonstrate against rampant capitalism or whatever.

When I'm doing a drama, I wish I was doing something funny. When I'm doing something funny, I wish I was doing something more serious. I think it's just human nature.

Old people should be heard but not seen. Young people should be seen, not heard.

That man is a creature who needs order yet yearns for change is the creative contradiction at the heart of the laws which structure his conformity and define his deviancy.

When I was a kid, there was no distinction between a movie about old people or young people. It was either funny or not. It was either entertaining or not. It was either exciting or not. It was either thrilling or not.

I find it strange the way human nature wants heroes and yet wants to destroy their heroes. It's a kind of mass insecurity people want something to look up to and get a buzz off but, at the same time, want to destroy it because it makes them feel insecure.

I'm trying to get at something a little transcendent between humans. But at the same time, there's all that baggage: What's beautiful about humans is what's balanced by what's kind of ugly and petty and depressing.

I would suggest that barbarism be considered as a permanent and universal human characteristic which becomes more or less pronounced according to the play of circumstances.

I don't have faith in young people any more. I don't waste time trying to communicate with them.

Young people never do have a clue. There are some young people that do, but they've always been the exception. They always all grow up at some point. The problem is that they're all being indoctrinated by stupid leftists.

I think, the world over, new ideas have come from young people. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it is rare that new or radical ideas come from old people.

The young come in many guises: vigorous and passionate, vindictive and mean-spirited. And not every person over 65 is dozing in a retirement home.

It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like Homer Simpson than Superman. So from this perspective it is rather depressing. But at the same time there is also a silver lining. There are free lunches!

You can find inspiration for man's behaviour wherever you look.

I begin with the principle that all men are bores. Surely no one will prove himself so great a bore as to contradict me in this.

Man is the only animal that learns by being hypocritical. He pretends to be polite and then, eventually, he becomes polite.

Politeness is to human nature what warmth is to wax.

It's very strange that you condemn me as a terrorist at the same time as you call on me to help you combat terrorism in Iraq and elsewhere. It doesn't make sense!

We are somehow natured, not just to reproduce, but for sociality and even for culture.

Humanity is a crazy contradiction. I accept us for who we are. We're not that great. Every time we take a step forward we go back to the same primitive behavior. We're meant to be this way. It's not our fault, it's just who we are.

There is no doubt: the study of man is just beginning, at the same time that his end is in sight.

We've always idealized youth and then destroyed youth. That has happened since the beginning of time, and I'm fascinated by why we do that.

Man has been adjudged a social animal.

It may be a mistake, that man, in a state of nature, is more disposed to cruelty than courtesy.