Modernity Quotes | Beyond Motive

top of page

Modernity Quotes

"Nothing is so dangerous as being too modern one is apt to grow old-fashioned quite suddenly."

"Nothing is so dangerous as being too modern one is apt to grow old-fashioned quite suddenly."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Modernity, Danger, Growth, Change, Time

21

"The critical method which denies literary modernity would appear - and even, in certain respects, would be - the most modern of critical movements."

"The critical method which denies literary modernity would appear - and even, in certain respects, would be - the most modern of critical movements."

Paul de Man, Belgian Critic

Modernity, Literary

13

"Everything is much easier in the half-blind and half-deaf world of modern giants that seduce processions of the blind into the world of great emptiness. In their sky the stars shine and their names live in the parallel and independently of their work."

"Everything is much easier in the half-blind and half-deaf world of modern giants that seduce processions of the blind into the world of great emptiness. In their sky the stars shine and their names live in the parallel and independently of their work."

Dejan Stojanovic, Serbian Philosopher

Modernity, Giants, Blindness, Stars, Work

10

"This new world was a vicious, sleek world made of street lights and tight jeans, sharp smiles and fast cars. This was a city, edited. A city, pared down to its bare minimums, beautiful and abusive."

"This new world was a vicious, sleek world made of street lights and tight jeans, sharp smiles and fast cars. This was a city, edited. A city, pared down to its bare minimums, beautiful and abusive."

Maggie Stiefvater, American Author

Modernity, City, Life, Beauty, Abuse

10

"He died with his tie on. Do you think that could be our generation's equivalent of that old saying about dying with your boots on? Harry Blakemoor died with his tie on. I like it, Larry."

"He died with his tie on. Do you think that could be our generation's equivalent of that old saying about dying with your boots on? Harry Blakemoor died with his tie on. I like it, Larry."

Stephen King, American Author

Modernity, Mortality, Truth, Wisdom, Power

8

"You don't really need modernity in order to exist totally and fully. You need a mixture of modernity and tradition."

"You don't really need modernity in order to exist totally and fully. You need a mixture of modernity and tradition."

Theodore Bikel, Austrian Actor

Modernity, Order, Tradition

7

"For millions of years, man spoke only to what he could see. Suddenly, in just one decade, 'seeing' and 'speaking' have been separated. We think we're used to it, yet we don't realize the immense impact it's had on our reflexes. Our bodies are simply not used to it. Frankly, the result is that, when we talk on the telephone, we enter a state that is similar to certain magical trances; we can discover other things about ourselves."

"For millions of years, man spoke only to what he could see. Suddenly, in just one decade, 'seeing' and 'speaking' have been separated. We think we're used to it, yet we don't realize the immense impact it's had on our reflexes. Our bodies are simply not used to it. Frankly, the result is that, when we talk on the telephone, we enter a state that is similar to certain magical trances; we can discover other things about ourselves."

Paulo Coelho, Brazilian Novelist

Modernity, Communication, Technology, Awareness, Discovery

6

"Modernity is a qualitative, not a chronological, category."

"Modernity is a qualitative, not a chronological, category."

Theodor Adorno, German Philosopher

6

"To return to antiquity [in literature]: that has been done. To return to the Middle Ages: that too has been done. Remains the present day. But the ground is shaky: so where can you set the foundations? An answer to this question must be found if one is to produce anything vital and hence lasting. All this disturbs me so much that I no longer like to be spoken to about it."

"To return to antiquity [in literature]: that has been done. To return to the Middle Ages: that too has been done. Remains the present day. But the ground is shaky: so where can you set the foundations? An answer to this question must be found if one is to produce anything vital and hence lasting. All this disturbs me so much that I no longer like to be spoken to about it."

Gustave Flaubert, French Novelist

Modernity, Art, Foundation, Creativity

6

"A selfie has more face and fewer feelings."

"A selfie has more face and fewer feelings."

Amit Kalantri, Indian Author

Modernity, Feelings, Expression, Life, Image

5

"In modern time slowness is new sickness."

"In modern time slowness is new sickness."

Amit Kalantri, Indian Author

Modernity, Time, Disease, Society, Life

4

"It struck him that the true characteristic thing about modern life was not its cruelty and insecurity, but simply its bareness, its dinginess, its listlessness."

"It struck him that the true characteristic thing about modern life was not its cruelty and insecurity, but simply its bareness, its dinginess, its listlessness."

George Orwell, British Author

Modernity, Life, Insecurity, Truth, Reality

4

"And here is the shocking plot twist: as farmers produced those extra calories, the food industry figured out how to get them into the bodies of people who didn't really want to eat 700 more calories a day."

"And here is the shocking plot twist: as farmers produced those extra calories, the food industry figured out how to get them into the bodies of people who didn't really want to eat 700 more calories a day."

Barbara Kingsolver, American Novelist

Modernity, Society, Consumption, Health, Food

3

bottom of page