Quotes by Thinking Everything that we believe in and count on is really in question right now. Our safety net, public education, housing, health care, so many things that are fundamental to a healthy democracy, are under attack. So I think, in general we've got a lot of work to do. Ai-jen Poo safetybelievethinking I think we really need a movement to drive how popular culture understands the issues that feminists care about. When I think about the LGBT movement for example, they have had a really intentional strategy to try to change images and representation of LGBT people in the media and the culture. It really moved the dial politically. That's what is needed in the women's movement - a strategy that can drive awareness and culture change. Ai-jen Poo issuesmediathinking I think this is a moment of a lot of possibilities, and openings. Occupy and the 99% movement are really going to break through, and we are going to create a new economy, an economy that we need that works for everyone. Where everyone works, everyone counts and everyone contributes. Ai-jen Poo break-throughneedsthinking Your own acts tell the world who you are and what kind of society you think it should be. Ai Weiwei chinesechangethinking I think optimism is whether you are still exhilarated by life, whether you are curious, whether you still believe there is possibility. Ai Weiwei optimismbelievethinking I think art certainly is the vehicle for us to develop any new ideas, to be creative, to extend our imagination, to change the current conditions. Ai Weiwei ideasartthinking The deadly weapon against totalitarian society is openness - doing everything very openly on the Internet, letting people know every detail, any little development. Once it is out there, everybody can make their own judgement. [Therefore] holding a trial outside the court. I think that is fairness, that is justice, that is a civil society. Otherwise call it an evil society because everything is hidden. Ai Weiwei evilpeoplethinking When human beings are scared and feel everything is exposed to the government, we will censor ourselves from free thinking. That's dangerous for human development. Ai Weiwei governmentdevelopmentthinking I think art is a very important weapon to achieve human freedom Ai Weiwei importantartthinking If we all say the same thing, then I think the government has to listen. But because no one is saying it, I become singled out, even though what I'm saying is common sense. It's very essential values that we all have to protect. But in Chinese society, people are giving up on protecting these values. Ai Weiwei giving-upgovernmentthinking I think everybody deserves freedom. Freedom is such an abstract word, but it's all we need. Ai Weiwei artneedsthinking I think by not letting young people be fully informed, how can they have energy and passion and the right picture of the world? I think that's the true crime. Ai Weiwei passionpeoplethinking I think by shattering it we can create a new form, a new way to look at what is valuable — how we decide what is valuable. Ai Weiwei lookswaythinking Art should live in the heart of the people. Ordinary people should have the same ability to understand art as anybody else. I don't think art is elite or mysterious. Ai Weiwei should-haveartthinking My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression. I don’t think anybody can separate art from politics. The intention to separate [the two] is itself a very political intention. Ai Weiwei expressionartthinking I think you can give meaning to any condition; you can be poor or unsuccessful or be so-called successful. But I don't think that it would give an individual human being a better condition. Ai Weiwei successfulgivingthinking Any individual can contribute its own belief. And our society or even our government are made by the people. The people would have the final voice, but it requires each individual to act. If we don't act, then the result is very clear. So for too long Americans take liberty as granted. We think we are in the safe hand, the democracy and the liberty, which is not true. And it can be even getting much worse than today. Ai Weiwei longpeoplethinking I think it’s a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression and to use any way to extend this power. Ai Weiwei artistresponsibilitythinking I think of art as coming from daily life, daily experience. I think it's very important not to have it become work for some kind of elite circle. Ai Weiwei circlesartthinking I don't think my father had a direct influence on me, but I do think, more or less, I was influenced by his independent individualism. And the kind of condition he had when he was in this society - the kind of mistreatment society gave him. Ai Weiwei independentfatherthinking«4546474849505152535455»
