Quotes by Diplomat | Beyond Motive

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Quotes by Diplomat

"Dictators are rulers who always look good until the last ten minutes."

"Dictators are rulers who always look good until the last ten minutes."

Jan Masaryk, Czechoslovakian Diplomat

Leadership, Dictators

82

"One of the chief tasks of any dialogue with the Gentile world is to prove that the distinction between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism is not a distinction at all."

"One of the chief tasks of any dialogue with the Gentile world is to prove that the distinction between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism is not a distinction at all."

Abba Eban, Israeli Diplomat

77

"I agree with the many who consider freezing all sorts of weapons systems a first step in a realistic disarmament policy."

"I agree with the many who consider freezing all sorts of weapons systems a first step in a realistic disarmament policy."

Alva Myrdal, Swedish Diplomat

Policy, First, Weapons

67

"Ones reputation is like a shadow, it is gigantic when it precedes you, and a pigmy in proportion when it follows."

"Ones reputation is like a shadow, it is gigantic when it precedes you, and a pigmy in proportion when it follows."

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, French Diplomat

Reputation, Shadow

60

"Because my love for you is beyond words, I decided to shut up."

"Because my love for you is beyond words, I decided to shut up."

Nizar Qabbani, Syrian Diplomat

59

"I have always regarded global development as a struggle between the forces of good and evil. Not to be simplified as a struggle between Jesus and Satan, since I do not consider that the process is restricted to our own sphere of culture."

"I have always regarded global development as a struggle between the forces of good and evil. Not to be simplified as a struggle between Jesus and Satan, since I do not consider that the process is restricted to our own sphere of culture."

Alva Myrdal, Swedish Diplomat

Development, Culture, Evil, Satan

59

"Never for the sake of peace and quiet deny your convictions."

"Never for the sake of peace and quiet deny your convictions."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

58

"Any solution for the Iraqi problem cannot be reached without Arabs and Arab participation."

"Any solution for the Iraqi problem cannot be reached without Arabs and Arab participation."

Amr Moussa, Egyptian Diplomat

Participation, Solution

58

"Time and again these governments have rejected proposals today - and longed for them tomorrow."

"Time and again these governments have rejected proposals today - and longed for them tomorrow."

Abba Eban, Israeli Diplomat

Time, Today, Tomorrow

58

"Life only demands from you the strength that you possess. Only one feat is possible; not to run away."

"Life only demands from you the strength that you possess. Only one feat is possible; not to run away."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

58

"It is when we all play safe that we create a world of utmost insecurity."

"It is when we all play safe that we create a world of utmost insecurity."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

Society, Insecurity, Play, World

57

"The tormenting dilemma of the Middle East is this: either we have one people too many, or one state too few."

"The tormenting dilemma of the Middle East is this: either we have one people too many, or one state too few."

Afif Safieh, Palestinian Diplomat

57

"The national unity government will need to implement a program that brings all Iraqis together, builds a happy future for the people of Iraq, and gets Iraq to stand on its own feet."

"The national unity government will need to implement a program that brings all Iraqis together, builds a happy future for the people of Iraq, and gets Iraq to stand on its own feet."

Zalmay Khalilzad, Afghan Diplomat

Government, People, Feet, Future

57

"Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong."

"Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong."

James Bryce, English Diplomat

Patriotism, Country

54

"The pursuit of peace and progress cannot end in a few years in either victory or defeat. The pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and its errors, its successes and its setbacks, can never be relaxed and never abandoned."

"The pursuit of peace and progress cannot end in a few years in either victory or defeat. The pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and its errors, its successes and its setbacks, can never be relaxed and never abandoned."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

Peace, Progress, Victory, Defeat

53

"What makes loneliness an anguish is not that I have no one to share my burden, but this: I have only my own burden to bear."

"What makes loneliness an anguish is not that I have no one to share my burden, but this: I have only my own burden to bear."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

Burden, Loneliness

52

"Forgiveness is the answer to the child's dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is made clean again."

"Forgiveness is the answer to the child's dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is made clean again."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

Forgiveness, Dream

51

"The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war."

"The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war."

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Indian Diplomat

49

"The Jews are the living embodiment of the minority, the constant reminder of what duties societies owe their minorities, whoever they might be."

"The Jews are the living embodiment of the minority, the constant reminder of what duties societies owe their minorities, whoever they might be."

Abba Eban, Israeli Diplomat

Living, Minority

48

"It is important that the Iraqi people have confidence in the election results and that the voting process, including the process for vote counting, is free and fair."

"It is important that the Iraqi people have confidence in the election results and that the voting process, including the process for vote counting, is free and fair."

Zalmay Khalilzad, Afghan Diplomat

People, Confidence, Results, Vote

46

"The Assembly has witnessed over the last weeks how historical truth is established; once an allegation has been repeated a few times, it is no longer an allegation, it is an established fact, even if no evidence has been brought out in order to support it."

"The Assembly has witnessed over the last weeks how historical truth is established; once an allegation has been repeated a few times, it is no longer an allegation, it is an established fact, even if no evidence has been brought out in order to support it."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

Truth, Fact, Order, Support

45

"We are not going to abandon Iraq."

"We are not going to abandon Iraq."

Zalmay Khalilzad, Afghan Diplomat

45

"I also hear your president say that war is the means of last resort and I think he means that. I met him last autumn and he assured me that they wanted to come through and disarm Iraq by peaceful means, and that's what we are trying to do as hard as we can."

"I also hear your president say that war is the means of last resort and I think he means that. I met him last autumn and he assured me that they wanted to come through and disarm Iraq by peaceful means, and that's what we are trying to do as hard as we can."

Hans Blix, Swedish Diplomat

War, Autumn, Iraq, President

45

"God does not die on the day when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason."

"God does not die on the day when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

God, Day, Reason, Wonder

44

"The U.S. and Iraq will work together next year to shift Iraqi resources from unproductive subsidies to productive uses that enable Iraqis to earn livelihoods."

"The U.S. and Iraq will work together next year to shift Iraqi resources from unproductive subsidies to productive uses that enable Iraqis to earn livelihoods."

Zalmay Khalilzad, Afghan Diplomat

Work, Iraq, Will

44

"It is easy to be nice, even to an enemy - from lack of character."

"It is easy to be nice, even to an enemy - from lack of character."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

Character, Enemy

41

"Your body must become familiar with its death - in all its possible forms and degrees - as a self-evident, imminent, and emotionally neutral step on the way towards the goal you have found worthy of your life."

"Your body must become familiar with its death - in all its possible forms and degrees - as a self-evident, imminent, and emotionally neutral step on the way towards the goal you have found worthy of your life."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

Death, Life, Goal, Body

40

"Speech was given to man to disguise his thoughts."

"Speech was given to man to disguise his thoughts."

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, French Diplomat

Thought, Thoughts, Disguise, Man, Speech

40

"We are tainted by modern philosophy which has taught us that all is good, whereas evil has polluted everything and in a very real sense all is evil, since nothing is in its proper place."

"We are tainted by modern philosophy which has taught us that all is good, whereas evil has polluted everything and in a very real sense all is evil, since nothing is in its proper place."

Joseph de Maistre, French Diplomat

Evil, Nothing, Philosophy, Sense

39

"We shall tax and tax, and spend and spend, and elect and elect."

"We shall tax and tax, and spend and spend, and elect and elect."

Harry Hopkins, American Diplomat

37

"A constitution that is made for all nations is made for none."

"A constitution that is made for all nations is made for none."

Joseph de Maistre, French Diplomat

Constitution, Nations

37

"One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears by listening to them."

"One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears by listening to them."

Dean Rusk, American Diplomat

Communication, Listening

36

"The patient is in intensive care but still alive."

"The patient is in intensive care but still alive."

Javier Perez de Cuellar, Peruvian Diplomat

35

"I am a free man. I feel as light as a feather."

"I am a free man. I feel as light as a feather."

Javier Perez de Cuellar, Peruvian Diplomat

Freedom, Light, Man

34

"The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are, the more leisure we have."

"The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are, the more leisure we have."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

34

"It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses."

"It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

Labor, Salvation

31

"It's up to Kim Jong Il to make that decision, and we can't make that for him."

"It's up to Kim Jong Il to make that decision, and we can't make that for him."

Mitchell Reiss, American Diplomat

Decision-Making, Decision

31

"The point is, once they have a missile that can hit the United States, we are now back in the kind of game we used to worry about with the Soviet Union, only the Soviet Union was more mature about this whole thing than I think the North Koreans will be."

"The point is, once they have a missile that can hit the United States, we are now back in the kind of game we used to worry about with the Soviet Union, only the Soviet Union was more mature about this whole thing than I think the North Koreans will be."

Lawrence Eagleburger, American Diplomat

Now, States, United, Will

31

"Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon."

"Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon."

Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat

30

"On big issues like war in Iraq, but in many other issues they simply must be multilateral. There's no other way around. You have the instances like the global warming convention, the Kyoto protocol, when the U.S. went its own way."

"On big issues like war in Iraq, but in many other issues they simply must be multilateral. There's no other way around. You have the instances like the global warming convention, the Kyoto protocol, when the U.S. went its own way."

Hans Blix, Swedish Diplomat

War, Globalwarming, Iraq

30

"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."

"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."

Abba Eban, Israeli Diplomat

History, Men, Nations

29

"So seven new countries, three of them formerly part of the Soviet Union, and the others part of the Warsaw Pact, will become full members of NATO next year."

"So seven new countries, three of them formerly part of the Soviet Union, and the others part of the Warsaw Pact, will become full members of NATO next year."

Lord Robertson, Scottish Diplomat

Nation, Countries, Will

29

"The inspections started in 1991, right after the Gulf War. One of the conditions for the ceasefire was that Iraq had to do away with all of its weapons of mass destruction - biological, chemical and nuclear weapons and long-range missiles."

"The inspections started in 1991, right after the Gulf War. One of the conditions for the ceasefire was that Iraq had to do away with all of its weapons of mass destruction - biological, chemical and nuclear weapons and long-range missiles."

Hans Blix, Swedish Diplomat

War, Destruction, Iraq, Right

27

"It was to do with information management. The intention was to dramatise it."

"It was to do with information management. The intention was to dramatise it."

Hans Blix, Swedish Diplomat

Management, Information, Intention

27

"The Irish do not want anyone to wish them well; they want everyone to wish their enemies ill."

"The Irish do not want anyone to wish them well; they want everyone to wish their enemies ill."

Harold Nicolson, British Diplomat

Enemy, Enemies, Irish, Want

27

"Man is insatiable for power; he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not. People complain of the despotism of princes; they ought to complain of the despotism of man."

"Man is insatiable for power; he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not. People complain of the despotism of princes; they ought to complain of the despotism of man."

Joseph de Maistre, French Diplomat

Power, People, Man

27

"In the works of man, everything is as poor as its author; vision is confined, means are limited, scope is restricted, movements are labored, and results are humdrum."

"In the works of man, everything is as poor as its author; vision is confined, means are limited, scope is restricted, movements are labored, and results are humdrum."

Joseph de Maistre, French Diplomat

Vision, Man, Poor, Results

25

"His ignorance is encyclopedic."

"His ignorance is encyclopedic."

Abba Eban, Israeli Diplomat

25

"You have to play the cards you are dealt and if it has made it harder, it doesn't matter, you still have to get the deal done."

"You have to play the cards you are dealt and if it has made it harder, it doesn't matter, you still have to get the deal done."

Mitchell Reiss, American Diplomat

24

"Globalisation will make our societies more creative and prosperous, but also more vulnerable."

"Globalisation will make our societies more creative and prosperous, but also more vulnerable."

Lord Robertson, Scottish Diplomat

23

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