Haruki Murakami Quotes

For an entire populace, change, growth, and spontaneity were dangerous. Acting upon a personal desire, whispering a hidden longing, revealing your true feelings - all the human actions we think of as essential to a character - had be censored by the self lest they be punished by the state.

Political Correctness doesn't change us, it shuts us up.

My parents told me in the very beginning as a young child when I raised the question about segregation and racial discrimination, they told me not to get in the way, not to get in trouble, not to make any noise.

Those who govern us know it well, for they would sooner deny us bread than dare alter the observance of tradition.

I know things, but I shut my mouth. They don't want me to speak, so I don't speak.

I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We've been taught that silence would save us, but it won't.

If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

Apostles of Freedom are ever idolized when dead, but crucified when living.

It’s often safer to be in chains than to be free.

Silence = Death

Thought that is silenced is always rebellious.

I know that liberalism isn't dead in this country.... It simply has, temporarily we hope, lost its voice.

If you try to smooth out society with a hot iron, you're liable to drive out all talent.

When men hold their peace, the stones will cry out.

I was imprisoned for talking.

The human race is a race of cowards. I am not only marching with them but am carrying the banner.

When the prison, stake or scaffold can no longer silence the voice of the protesting minority, progress moves on a step, but not until then.

Ideas can threaten people. Be careful who you put them in front of.

Sometimes, I myself, even though I'm in Washington, I go quiet because there is so much intimidation around me.

'Dad, Dad, I'm getting married.' 'Sh-sh, don't say it. Nothing, nothing. Don't do anything.' So he honestly - 'cause he was taught don't celebrate - they'll take it away from you. And his parents were taught that, and his parents and parents' parents. Because if you did celebrate, and you were visible, it could be very, very dangerous.

They think because they have put my husband on an island that he will be forgotten. They are wrong. The harder they try to silence him, the louder I will become.

I don't want to be a dissident. But in the same time, I don't want to go back home and be silent again.

Yeah, I kind of looked around and I can't understand why nobody else is speaking up. Later when I faced the backlash of speaking up, I realized why nobody did.

When threats become unspeakable, unshareable and even unreadable, their power over us only grows.

For years, decades, the system has taught us to stay quiet. They've made us believe that those who take to the streets to speak up are crazy, criminals, troublemakers.