Voting for impersonal parties and their programmes is a false substitute for the only true way to elect people's representatives: voting by an actual person for an actual candidate. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn More Quotes by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn More Quotes From Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn I have always insisted on the need for local self-government for Russia, but I never opposed this model to Western democracy. On the contrary, I have tried to convince my fellow citizens by citing the examples of highly effective local self-government systems in Switzerland and New England, both of which I saw first-hand. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn citing western democracy What is an optimist? The man who says, "It's worse everywhere else. We're better off than the rest of the world. We've been lucky." He is happy with things as they are and he doesn't torment himself. What is a pessimist? The man who says, "Things are fine everywhere but here. Everyone else is better off than we are. We're the only ones who've had a bad break." He torments himself continually. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn lucky men world We particularly like people who value us highly. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn esteem values people Religion always remains higher than everyday life. In order to make the elevation towards religion easier for people, religion must be able to alter its forms in relation to the consciousness of modern man. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn men order people And the over-all fact that you are a frail vessel full of errors. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn frail errors self Scientific research? Only when not at the cost of ethics-and first of all, those of the researchers themselves. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn cost research firsts How quickly a zek (a prisoner) gets cheeky-or, putting it in literary language, how quickly a man's requirements grow. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn language men needs Nowadays we don't think much of a man's love for an animal; we laugh at people who are attached to cats. But if we stop loving animals, aren't we bound to stop loving humans too? Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn cat love thinking Economic growth is not only unncessary, but ruinous. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn economic economy growth The thoughts of a prisoner - they're not free either. They keep returning to the same things. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn prisoner prison I am a convinced and consistent critic of party-parliamentarism. I am for non-partisan elections of true people's representatives who are accountable to their regions and districts; and who in case of unsatisfactory work can be recalled. I do understand and respect the formation of groups on economical, cooperative, territorial, educational, professional and industrial principles, but I see nothing organic in political parties. Politically motivated ties can be unstable and quite often they have selfish ulterior motives. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn selfish educational party The perception of the West as mostly a "knight of democracy" has been replaced with the disappointed belief that pragmatism, often cynical and selfish, lies at the core of Western policies. For many Russians it was a grave disillusion, a crushing of ideals. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn crush selfish lying I will tell you something else: it is a major responsibility not only of portraiture but of all human communication for each of us to help everyone else discover the best that is in him. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn communication responsibility helping Power is a poison well known for thousands of years. If only no one were ever to acquire material power over others! But to the human being who has faith in some force that holds dominion over all of us, and who is therefore conscious of his own limitations, power is not necessarily fatal. For those, however, who are unaware of any higher sphere, it is a deadly poison. For them there is no antidote. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn dominion have-faith years Oh, how hard it is to part with power! This one has to understand. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn hard It is unthinkable in the twentieth century to fail to distinguish between what constitutes an abominable atrocity that must be prosecuted and what constitutes that "past" which "ought not to be stirred up. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn atrocities failing past I have grown used to the fact that public repentance is the most unacceptable option for the modern politician. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn modern politician facts A human being is all hope and impatience. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn impatience human-beings humans It was wrong to be too pragmatic, to judge people solely by results; it was more humane to judge by intentions. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn judgment judging people Of course, my views developed in the course of time. But I have always believed in what I did and never acted against my conscience. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn always-believe courses views
