The prestige of the news is founded on the unstated assumption that our lives are forever poised on the verge of critical transformation thanks to the two driving forces of modern history: politics and technology.

—Alain de Botton in Religion for Atheists

news rapid change politics technology

About Alain de Botton

Portrait of Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton (; born 20 December 1969) is a British author and public speaker. His books discuss various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life. He published Essays in Love (1993), which went on to sell two million copies. Other bestsellers include How Proust Can Change...

More quotations from Alain de Botton

Most of our childhood is stored not in photos, but in certain biscuits, lights of day, smells, textures of carpet.

—Alain de Botton

It's great when you finally realize that being miserable doesn't protect you from bad stuff happening.

—Alain de Botton

pessimism sadness miserable

You get down to work when the fear of having done nothing finally exceeds the fear of doing it wrong.

—Alain de Botton

fear accomplishment error work

One rarely falls in love without being as much attracted to what is interestingly wrong with someone as what is objectively healthy.

—Alain de Botton

love perfection imperfection health

We all possess wisdom that we lack the strength properly to enact in our lives.

—Alain de Botton in Religion for Atheists

action wisdom strength

More quotations tagged with “technology”

The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.

—Sir William Preece

technology America telephone messengers

There is an evil tendency underlying all our technology—the tendency to do what is reasonable even when it isn't any good.

For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.

—Robert Pirsig

Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.

—Richard Feynman

We make our gadgets our own by the way that we use them, with or without the permission of the manufacturer.

History

14 Nov 2012 Added
8 Dec 2014 Edited (details weren’t recorded yet)