Quotes and anectdotes from the wise to the foolish, and the courageous to the drunk

Friedrich Durrenmatt Novelist

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: Switzerland
  • Born: Jan 5, 1921
  • Died: Dec 14, 1990

Friedrich Dürrenmatt was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-garde dramas, philosophical crime novels, and macabre satire. Dürrenmatt was a member of the Gruppe Olten.

World history is tragic. history

When death has you by the throat, you don't mince words. death

In a society which is structured the wrong way, piety has no effect. society

A major power can afford a military debacle only when it looks like a political victory. power

Whoever is content with the world, and who profits from its lack of justice, does not want to change it. change

We do not consider patriotism desirable if it contradicts civilized behavior. patriotism

Pretend to be dumb, that's the only way to reach old age. age

Only the freedom of mind can prevent the state from becoming totalitarian and from issuing totalitarian demands. freedom

Emotions have no place in business, unless you do business with them. business

Who sows fear, reaps weapons. fear

The world is bad but not without hope. It is only hopeless when you look at it from an ideal viewpoint. hope

Revolutions demand enormous sacrifices and, at the same time, create a new need to change the world again. change

Power is paradoxical. power

Religion and political expediency go beautifully hand in hand. religion

News reports don't change the world. Only facts change it, and those have already happened when we get the news. change

The freedom of each individual can only be the freedom of all. freedom

It is inhuman to continue a war which could easily be ended. war