Culture Quotes | Beyond Motive 8/8

top of page

Culture Quotes

"Pagans earn their reputations for relaxed sexual mores, often in rebellion from the repression of their religions during adolescence. At a Pagan festival, one need only lower one's guard to be offered sex under the cloaking of the sacred."

"Pagans earn their reputations for relaxed sexual mores, often in rebellion from the repression of their religions during adolescence. At a Pagan festival, one need only lower one's guard to be offered sex under the cloaking of the sacred."

Thomm Quackenbush, American Author

Culture, Religion, Rebellion, Freedom, Sexuality

"Now that young girls like my twelve-year-old friend Mai are being exposed to modern Western women like me through crowds of tourists, they're experiencing those first critical moments of cultural hesitation. I call this the "Wait-a-Minute Moment" - that pivotal instant when girls from traditional cultures start pondering what's in it for them, exactly, to be getting married at the age of thirteen and starting to have babies not long after. They start wondering if they might prefer to make different choices for themselves, or any choices, for that matter. Once girls from closed societies start thinking such thoughts, all hell breaks loose."

"Now that young girls like my twelve-year-old friend Mai are being exposed to modern Western women like me through crowds of tourists, they're experiencing those first critical moments of cultural hesitation. I call this the "Wait-a-Minute Moment" - that pivotal instant when girls from traditional cultures start pondering what's in it for them, exactly, to be getting married at the age of thirteen and starting to have babies not long after. They start wondering if they might prefer to make different choices for themselves, or any choices, for that matter. Once girls from closed societies start thinking such thoughts, all hell breaks loose."

Elizabeth Gilbert, American Novelist

Culture, Choice, Tradition, Freedom

"Amazing what the British do with language; the nuances of politeness. The world's great diplomats, surely."

"Amazing what the British do with language; the nuances of politeness. The world's great diplomats, surely."

Anne Rice, American Novelist

Culture, Language, Diplomacy, Communication

"There is no society that does not highly value fictional storytelling. Ever."

"There is no society that does not highly value fictional storytelling. Ever."

Orson Scott Card, American Writer

Culture, Society, Storytelling, Tradition

"To most Americans, a dog is a potential mate. To some Chinese, a dog is potential meat."

"To most Americans, a dog is a potential mate. To some Chinese, a dog is potential meat."

Mokokoma Mokhonoana, South African Philosopher

Culture, Truth, Perception, Humanity

"Despite the fact that an Indonesian island chicken has probably had a much more natural life than one raised on a battery farm in England, people who wouldn't think twice about buying something oven-ready become much more upset about a chicken that they've been on a boat with, so there is probably buried in the Western psyche a deep taboo about eating anything you've been introduced to socially."

"Despite the fact that an Indonesian island chicken has probably had a much more natural life than one raised on a battery farm in England, people who wouldn't think twice about buying something oven-ready become much more upset about a chicken that they've been on a boat with, so there is probably buried in the Western psyche a deep taboo about eating anything you've been introduced to socially."

Douglas Adams, English Writer

Culture, Ethics, Food, Social

"A book has got smell. A new book smells great. An old book smells even better. An old book smells like ancient Egypt."

"A book has got smell. A new book smells great. An old book smells even better. An old book smells like ancient Egypt."

Ray Bradbury, American Writer

Culture, Books, History, Memory

"The analytical framework of this comprehensive field study of what it means to be an American examines how a person's personality, culture, technology, occupational and recreational activities affect a person's sense of purposefulness and happiness. The text evaluates the nature of human existence, formation of human social relations, and methods of communication from various philosophic and cultural perspectives. The ultimate goal is to employ the author's own mind and personal experiences as a filter to quantify what it means to live and die as a thinking and reflective person."

"The analytical framework of this comprehensive field study of what it means to be an American examines how a person's personality, culture, technology, occupational and recreational activities affect a person's sense of purposefulness and happiness. The text evaluates the nature of human existence, formation of human social relations, and methods of communication from various philosophic and cultural perspectives. The ultimate goal is to employ the author's own mind and personal experiences as a filter to quantify what it means to live and die as a thinking and reflective person."

Kilroy J. Oldster, American Author

Culture, America, Life, Personality

"How does the saying go? When two locusts fight, it is always the crow that feasts.'Is that a Luo expression?' I asked. Sayid's face broke into a bashful smile. We have a similar expression in Luo,' he said, 'but actually I must admit that I read this particular expression in a book by Chinua Achebe. The Nigerian writer. I like his books very much. He speaks the truth about Africa's predicament. the Nigerian, the Kenya - it is the same. We share more than divides us."

"How does the saying go? When two locusts fight, it is always the crow that feasts.'Is that a Luo expression?' I asked. Sayid's face broke into a bashful smile. We have a similar expression in Luo,' he said, 'but actually I must admit that I read this particular expression in a book by Chinua Achebe. The Nigerian writer. I like his books very much. He speaks the truth about Africa's predicament. the Nigerian, the Kenya - it is the same. We share more than divides us."

Barack Obama, American President

Culture, Tradition, Identity, Connection

"Generally speaking, though, Americans have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure. Ours is an entertainment-seeking nation, but not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one."

"Generally speaking, though, Americans have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure. Ours is an entertainment-seeking nation, but not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one."

Elizabeth Gilbert, American Novelist

Culture, Pleasure, Entertainment, Relaxation

"Culture is like the visible and invisible levels of an iceberg -the solid state of "water."

"Culture is like the visible and invisible levels of an iceberg -the solid state of "water."

Pearl Zhu, American Author

Culture, Society, Identity, Depth

"Religion is part of the human make-up. It's also part of our cultural and intellectual history. Religion was our first attempt at literature, the texts, our first attempt at cosmology, making sense of where we are in the universe, our first attempt at health care, believing in faith healing, our first attempt at philosophy."

"Religion is part of the human make-up. It's also part of our cultural and intellectual history. Religion was our first attempt at literature, the texts, our first attempt at cosmology, making sense of where we are in the universe, our first attempt at health care, believing in faith healing, our first attempt at philosophy."

Christopher Hitchens, American Author

Culture, Religion, History, Philosophy

"You can tell a lot about the intellectual and moral progress of a nation's citizens, by the quality and nature of the films they watch."

"You can tell a lot about the intellectual and moral progress of a nation's citizens, by the quality and nature of the films they watch."

Abhijit Naskar, Indian Author

Culture, Truth, Power, Life, Wisdom

"I figured this guy was a fair dinkum Australian. The type of guy that worked the land all day, cracked open a beer or two at night and called girls 'sheilas'."

"I figured this guy was a fair dinkum Australian. The type of guy that worked the land all day, cracked open a beer or two at night and called girls 'sheilas'."

S. A. Tawks, British Author

Culture, Identity, Humor, Lifestyle

"From imperial, economic and ideological causes, many cultures are the inheritors, and hence the prisoners, of attitudes of scorn and disdain for other faiths " outlooks which are not ennobling to anyone."

"From imperial, economic and ideological causes, many cultures are the inheritors, and hence the prisoners, of attitudes of scorn and disdain for other faiths " outlooks which are not ennobling to anyone."

Idries Shah, Indian Author

Culture, Faith, Ideology, Tolerance

"Off this fucking predictable soap opera, this will happen now, then that, then that and you say that you are christian and you start watching series of Turkey people which believe in a very different god so far god of hell - Allah..."

"Off this fucking predictable soap opera, this will happen now, then that, then that and you say that you are christian and you start watching series of Turkey people which believe in a very different god so far god of hell - Allah..."

Deyth Banger, American Blogger

Culture, Truth, Wisdom, Power, Today

"In Russia you learn patience," said Ivan. "In America you learn action."

"In Russia you learn patience," said Ivan. "In America you learn action."

Orson Scott Card, American Writer

Culture, Patience, Action, Contrast

"A people that doesn't live at the center of the world, as defined and described by its poets and storytellers, is in a bad way. The center of the world is where you live fully, where you know how things are done, how things are done rightly, done well."

"A people that doesn't live at the center of the world, as defined and described by its poets and storytellers, is in a bad way. The center of the world is where you live fully, where you know how things are done, how things are done rightly, done well."

Ursula K. Le Guin, American Writer

Culture, Life, Knowledge, Poetry

"A large American automobile came crawling close to us, and we could hear from behind its thick windows the deep bass of the radio, and the nasty words of a hateful song.It seemed like so much of modern music, a din to drive human beings mad."

"A large American automobile came crawling close to us, and we could hear from behind its thick windows the deep bass of the radio, and the nasty words of a hateful song.It seemed like so much of modern music, a din to drive human beings mad."

Anne Rice, American Novelist

Culture, Music, Modernity, Emotion, Humanity

"....And above all, it is your civilization, it is you. However much you hate it or laugh at it, you will never be happy away from it for any length of time."

"....And above all, it is your civilization, it is you. However much you hate it or laugh at it, you will never be happy away from it for any length of time."

George Orwell, British Author

Culture, Civilization, Hate, Happiness, Belonging

"The music we listen to may not define who we are. But it's a damn good start."

"The music we listen to may not define who we are. But it's a damn good start."

Jodi Picoult, American Novelist

Culture, Music, Identity, Happiness, Expression

"It is proof of high culture to say the greatest matters in the simplest way."

"It is proof of high culture to say the greatest matters in the simplest way."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet

Culture, Matter, Simplicity

"Sex has become more and more attractive because of its condemnation by priests."

"Sex has become more and more attractive because of its condemnation by priests."

Osho, Indian Spiritual Leader

Culture, Sex, Desire, Condemnation, Religion

bottom of page