15+ Neal Ascherson Quotes On Education, Religion

Neal Ascherson is a British journalist and writer. He is a regular contributor to The Guardian and The London Review of Books, and has written extensively on international affairs, particularly on the history and politics of Eastern Europe. He is also the author of several books, including Black Sea: The Birthplace of Civilisation and Its Darkest Hour. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Neal Ascherson on education, religion, leadership.

The way that words mutate reminds me of fashions in music. The word--the note--is a constant. But the setting and chord in which it occurs alters with the mood of a nation from major to minor, from the assertive to the mournful and foreboding. — Neal Ascherson

It was a real revolution. But with one missing feature. That is the feeling in a people that "We have done it once, and if the new lot let us down, we can do it again!" It was that proud, menacing confidence which made the French revolution special. But it's not around in 21st-century Europe. After 1989, the people handed over liberty to the experts. Will they ever want it back? — Neal Ascherson

Broadly speaking, most people lived their lives in a kind of unwilling conformity. The thing was that they were offered, as time went by, various kinds of freedom, most of which were sort of dummy freedoms somehow. — Neal Ascherson

But the people did get it. They had lost something -- not exactly their fear, but their patience. Suddenly it seemed unbearable to go on accepting these systems, these portly little idiots in their blue suits, for another year, and then for another day, another hour. That special sort of impatience is the power-surge of revolution. — Neal Ascherson

Darwinism did not strip meaning from the world but intensified it, 'by identifying it in as many aspects of life as possible'. — Neal Ascherson

For the past 15 years or so, British governments have tried to persuade the rest of us that the best judges of the national interest are...businessmen. This may be a ridiculous statement, but -- ominously -- fewer and fewer people laugh at it. — Neal Ascherson

Who invented political tolerance? The English invented it, it's something which has taken roots with some difficulty in Scottish politics. — Neal Ascherson

I think England has been in the long-term damaged by Britishness. — Neal Ascherson

There are many kinds of revelation. But the most powerful is the vision which transcends the mental boundary between life and non-life, and Scotland is a place where this sort of revelation often approaches. Staring into a Scottish landscape, I have often asked myself why--in spite of all appearances--bracken, rocks, man and sea are at some level one. — Neal Ascherson

I'm always interested in debunking myths if they are untrue. But it's also important to identify myths and how they function, what value they may have. — Neal Ascherson

History--the product, not the raw material--is a bottle with a label. For many years now, the emphasis of historical discussion has been laid upon the label (its iconography, its target-group of customers) and upon the interesting problems of manufacturing bottle-glass. The contents, on the other hand, are tasted in a knowing, perfunctory way and then spat out again. Only amateurs swallow them. — Neal Ascherson

On the Black Sea, my father saw it begin. And on the Black Sea, seventy years on, I saw the beginning of its end. — Neal Ascherson

I am always fascinated when people talk about 'the forging of a nation'. Most nations are forgeries, perpetrated in the last century or so. — Neal Ascherson

To be defeated, but not to give in, is victory. — Neal Ascherson

I went into journalism in a grandiose way. I thought maybe I'd do a little journalism whilst I write the great novel of all time you see -- one has to keep oneself afloat. — Neal Ascherson

Life Lessons by Neal Ascherson

1. Neal Ascherson's work demonstrates the importance of understanding history and politics in order to make informed decisions. He is a reminder that journalism should be used to uncover the truth and to hold those in power accountable.
2. Ascherson's work also highlights the need for journalists to be critical and to question the status quo. He encourages readers to think for themselves and to be aware of the consequences of their actions.
3. Finally, Ascherson's work shows the importance of being an advocate for justice and equality, and of standing up for those who are marginalised and oppressed.