Leon Trotsky's Quotes

Life is not an easy matter... You cannot live through it without falling into frustration and cynicism unless you have before you a great idea which raises you above personal misery, above weakness, above all kinds of perfidy and baseness.

The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end.

There are no absolute rules of conduct, either in peace or war. Everything depends on circumstances.

You may not be interested in strategy, but strategy is interested in you.

The depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves. People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life, for only then do they have to fall back on their reserves.

England is nothing but the last ward of the European madhouse, and quite possibly it will prove to be the ward for particularly violent cases.

Fascism is nothing but capitalist reaction.

Not believing in force is the same as not believing in gravity.

Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man.

If we had had more time for discussion we should probably have made a great many more mistakes.

Ideas that enter the mind under fire remain there securely and for ever.

In a serious struggle there is no worse cruelty than to be magnanimous at an inopportune time.

Technique is noticed most markedly in the case of those who have not mastered it.

From being a patriotic myth, the Russian people have become an awful reality.

If we had more time for discussion we should probably have made a great many more mistakes.

Insurrection is an art, and like all arts has its own laws.

Learning carries within itself certain dangers because out of necessity one has to learn from one's enemies.

Revolutions are always verbose.

Where force is necessary, there it must be applied boldly, decisively and completely. But one must know the limitations of force; one must know when to blend force with a maneuver, a blow with an agreement.

Let a man find himself, in distinction from others, on top of two wheels with a chain - at least in a poor country like Russia - and his vanity begins to swell out like his tires. In America it takes an automobile to produce this effect.

The historic ascent of humanity, taken as a whole, may be summarized as a succession of victories of consciousness over blind forces - in nature, in society, in man himself.

A jazz musician can improvise based on his knowledge of music. He understands how things go together. For a chef, once you have that basis, that's when cuisine is truly exciting.

Chefs, as a whole, say yes to any project, fundraiser, or tasting because they have such a generous spirit.

All four elements were happening in equal measure - the cuisine, the wine, the service, and the overall ambience. It taught me that dining could happen at a spiritual level.

One must know combinations, one must have a true knowledge of food to be in the moment.

Students need to learn how to think critically, how to argue opposing ideas. It is important for them to learn how to think. You can always cook.