Azar Nafisi Quotes

The worst thing about being the laureate has been the attitude of a tiny minority of adults who haven't liked some of the things I'm supposed to have said and who have used it as an opportunity to be verbally abusive and nasty, but I haven't let it rule my world!

Government is essentially immoral. The State employs evil weapons to subjugate evil, and is alike contaminated by the objects with which it deals, and the means by which it works.

Be positive, be positive. It's rough out there, but don't succumb. Don't succumb to the cynicism in the world.

It's hard to keep your backbone straight in America. It's easy to turn into that which you hate, and to get smashed.

Bad times don't last, bad guys do.

If a man were to place himself in an attitude to bear manfully the greatest evil that can be inflicted on him, he would find suddenly that there was no such evil to bear; his brave back would go a-begging.

There's many things in this world that will depress you, and make you good for nothing, if you take them seriously, and that cheer you up if you don't.

...and we'll see what happens when we say Yes while this rigor mortis world screams No.

Is your cucumber bitter? Throw it away. Are there briars in your path? Turn aside. That is enough. Do not go on and ay, 'Why were things of this sort ever brought into the world?'

Evils have their comfort, good none can support.

The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people.

I have wrought great use out of evil tools.

What is the world but a boxing ring where fools and devils put up their fists?

There are a lot of truths in this world. When it rains it pours. It's always darkest before the dawn. He who smelt it dealt it.

The Sun visits cesspools without being defiled.

Hard work pays off, dreams come true. Bad times don't last, but BAD GUYS do.

A person with an outstanding attitude makes the best of it while he gets the worst of it.

Resistance, whether to one's appetites or to the ways of the world, is a chief factor in the shaping of character.

I want the world to see, you can have a million stones thrown at you and you can still be positive.

Attitude lies somewhere between emotion and logic. It's that curious mix of optimism and determination that enables you to maintain a positive outlook and to continue plodding in the face of the most adverse circumstances.

Being positive in a negative situation is not naive. It's leadership.

From the cradle to the grave, temptations all around. But no matter how good the fix, its gonna take you down.

I always look on the black side of life. That way, you won't be disappointed and I'm cheerful if it doesn't work out. I'm a cheerful pessimist.

Don't let failure deter you; use it as a stepping-stone and an educational experience towards making your mark on the world.

There is no thing we cannot overcome Say not thy evil instinct is inherited, Or that some trait inborn makes thy whole life forlorn, And calls down punishment that is not merited.