Phrases that changed the world

Manche Sätze graben sich ins Bewusstsein der Gesellschaft ein, ändern den Lauf der Geschichte – und manchmal sogar die Welt. VANESSA CLARK stellt zehn Zitate aus dem englischsprachigen Raum vor, die unsere Denkweise prägen.

What are the great turning points in social history? The moments when a new era was born, or a new idea found its time? Sometimes, a whole social or political movement can be condensed into a few words. Here, we look at ten quotations that changed the way we look at the world.

“We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The Declaration of Independence, 1776

America’s Declaration of Independence from the British Empire marked the birth of the United States as a nation. The superpower of our modern world was created with these opening words of the document, which was adopted on 4 July 1776.

Although the declaration boldly claimed that the new nation was based on equality for all men, these rights did not extend to “all men”, as slaves were excluded. Thomas Jefferson, the main author of the Declaration, was himself a slave owner. Women were not included either, of course.

The right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” has been a central tenet of American life ever since, with individual freedom prized and protected. It gave us the American Dream, the idea that anyone can succeed if they work hard enough.

“I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.”

Mary Wollstonecraft, 1792

When did feminism begin? Before the Spice Girls and “girl power” in the 1990s; before the publication of Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch in 1970; before women got the vote 100 years ago… Long before any of these were the “first-wave feminists”, who began to question women’s role in society and to call for political power well over two centuries ago.

In 1792, the pioneering English writer and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft argued that women were not naturally inferior to men, but only seemed less intelligent because they hadn’t had the same education. In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, she imagined a society founded on reason and equal rights.

Wollstonecraft was massively influential in the development of feminism, and a new statue dedicated to her was erected in London in 2020.

“We see beautiful adaptation everywhere and in every part of the organic world.”

Charles Darwin, 1859

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution states that species adapt to changes in their environment by a process called “natural selection”. Individual animals that have a natural advantage over their peers are more likely to survive, breed and pass this advantage on to the next generation.

It took the English naturalist 20 years to develop his groundbreaking theory, which he based on his observations of animals and plants during his many travels. His book On the Origin of Species was published in 1859, and today, more than 160 years later, we are still finding new evidence that supports it.

Darwin’s ideas brought him into conflict with church leaders, who held that all animals were created at the same time in their perfect form by God.

Today, there is overwhelming scientific consensus that Darwin’s great theory is correct, and it is the basis of our modern understanding of the natural world.

“How to Win Friends and Influence People”

Title of a book by Dale Carnegie, 1936

Dale Carnegie’s book promised to teach the ordinary man the psychological tricks needed to become more popular and successful. It offered readers the techniques to make friends more easily, be more persuasive, win new clients, earn more money, avoid conflict and become a better speaker — all for two dollars. The book became massively influential for businessmen and salesmen in the booming American post-war economy. Politicians were quick to learn its tricks, too.

It also generated the whole self-help industry, giving rise to countless other books that promise to help you succeed in life, love and business.

Since its publication in 1936, more than 30 million copies of How to Win Friends and Influence People have been sold worldwide. It’s still in print today and, in 2011, Time magazine placed it at number 19 on its list of the 100 most influential books.

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”

Dr Benjamin Spock, 1946

If your parents hugged you, you can thank Dr Benjamin Spock. His book The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care revolutionized parenting in the post-war years.

Until then, the relationship between parents and children was one of control, rigid routine, discipline and punishment. Spock, an American paediatrician, saw how this strict approach ignored the needs of the child and caused problems for the child’s development and for the happiness of parent and child alike. He encouraged parents to trust their instincts, be attentive to their baby’s needs and give their children physical affection and praise.

New parents appreciated his warm, friendly tone and reassurance. By 1956, the book was selling a million copies a year, and Spock’s positive approach is the one we still follow today.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

UN Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

As Europe and the rest of the world started to rebuild itself from the ruins of the Second

World War, the newly formed

United Nations wanted to make a clear statement to show the right way forward. Representatives of

50 member states came together under the guidance of former

US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to formulate a list of all the human rights that every citizen of the world should enjoy.

The 30 rights and freedoms include the right to life, liberty, free speech, privacy, education, health, justice, asylum and freedom from slavery and torture.

The UN Declaration became the basis for international human rights law. It isn’t fully respected in every country, but it is a useful reference and way to measure the extent to which a country upholds — or fails to uphold — human rights.

According to the UN, it has been translated into more than 500 languages — probably making it the most widely translated document in the world.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Martin Luther King Jr, 1963

“I have a dream...” — probably the most famous phrase of the 20th century — represents an iconic moment in American history.

The whole of the speech was a masterpiece of rhetoric, packed with references to the Bible and to key moments in American history, and delivered in Martin Luther King Jr’s distinctive preacher style. King and the other speakers at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August 1963 had agreed to keep their speeches calm, in order to avoid provoking the kinds of civil disobedience that had often broken out at civil rights events. King’s speech was calm and controlled — but perfectly expressed the deep sense of injustice in the AfricanAmerican community and his great hopes for the future. The phrase “I have a dream...” was repeated eight times in the speech, as King pictured an integrated and unified America.

The following year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize — the youngest man ever to receive it. The Baptist minister and civil rights leader was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39.

“Gay brothers and sisters, you must come out. Come out to your parents. … Come out to your relatives. Come out to your friends. … Come out to your neighbors, to your fellow workers, to the people who work where you eat and shop.”

Harvey Milk, 1978

Gay rights activist Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, gave this speech in San Francisco in the summer of 1978. After the social revolutions of the 1960s, the gay community was gaining a stronger voice, and Milk recognized that it was now time for ordinary gay men and women to become visible in their day-to-day lives.

Five months after giving this speech, Milk was assassinated. He is regarded as a martyr by many LGBTQ+ people and was a trailblazer who had paved the way for other gay people to live more openly. He was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

“We should work toward a universal linked information system…”

Tim Berners-lee, 1989

In these nine words, we see the conception of the internet. They appear in a proposal for a software project at CERN in 1989, written by the British computer scientist Tim Berners-lee. His vision of an interconnected information system ultimately led to the creation of the World Wide Web. BernersLee played a key role in the process and is often called “the father of the internet”.

One leading computer scientist, Dame Wendy Hall, said in an interview: “I don’t think he realized what they were doing at CERN would change the world this much. I think this is as big, if not bigger, than the printing press.”

“Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming whether you like it or not.”

Greta Thunberg, 2019

Greta Thunberg’s words have inspired a whole generation of young climate change activists to take to the streets to protest. In September 2019, she addressed the Climate Action Summit at the UN headquarters in New York and challenged the assembled world leaders over rising global temperatures, accusing them of betraying her generation with their “business as usual” attitude. Thunberg might be Swedish, but she delivered her now famous speech in English — you can watch it on: www.youtube.com/watch?v= KAJSDGTPJPU