Respect for the Past Quotes

When people ask me if I'm liberal or conservative, I say, 'Yeah.' I'm both of them. To be a liberal means to be open-minded and generous and open to new ideas. And to be conservative means to hold onto things that are important, things that shouldn't be cast aside.

Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes.

The desire to restore everything indiscriminately to its ancient condition is neither wise nor praiseworthy.

I have respect for the past, but I'm a person of the moment.

We must not be willing to disinter the origins of those [institutions] we wish to preserve.

Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.

Changes in the traditional way of building are only permitted if they are an improvement. Otherwise stay with what is traditional, for truth, even if it be hundreds of years old has a stronger inner bond with us than the lie that walks by our side.

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

I respect traditions, you can't walk all over them, but at the same time our world is changing. Life is about moving on.

Just as a child respects his father even when he perceives his weaknesses and faults, so a German will not despise the old Germany which was once a symbol of greatness to him.

Let others hail the rising sun: I bow to that whose course is run.

We must see to it that enthusiasm for the future does not give rise to contempt for the past.

Tradition matters. To me it's not a limiting force; it's a springboard.

It is an unscrupulous intellect that does not pay to antiquity its due reverence.

My daddy had a pocket watch that he wore at all times in court. I gave Greg the watch and showed him how Daddy used to use it.

I'm not super-conservative, but a bit of tradition is nice.

Tradition means taking account of a wonderful history but remembering that everybody today looks to the future.

I'm not going to talk about Picasso. I have done my duty to those memories. I have had a great career as an artist myself, you know. I'm not here just because I've spent time with Picasso.

I am of tradition, but that doesn't mean I have an old outlook on life.

When it comes to true humility in the face of history, nothing beats complete silence.

I think one of the bigger issues with modern-day people is that we don't give enough credit to people from history as being real. We almost treat them as these rarified beings that didn't exist the way that we do with emotions and urges and drives.

Just as the British subject loves England despite her faults, so we must insist that all Germans who were part of the old Germany and helped shape her, recognize the greatness and worthiness of present-day Germany.

A conservative is a man who will not look at the new moon out of respect for that ancient institution, the old one.

The past should have a vote but not a veto.

I am a fan of today's sound as long as we don't get too slick, and yet I am very reverent of my roots.