Crime is naught but misdirected energy.

—Emma Goldman

About Emma Goldman

Portrait of Emma Goldman

Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Russian-born anarchist revolutionary, political activist, and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

More quotations from Emma Goldman

The most absurd apology for authority and law is that they serve to diminish crime. Aside from the fact that the State is itself the greatest criminal, breaking every written and natural law, stealing in the form of taxes, killing in the form of war and capital punishment, it has come to an absolute standstill in coping with crime.

—Emma Goldman

war law apology authority crime taxes capital punishment

All wars are wars among thieves who are too cowardly to fight and who therefore induce the young manhood of the whole world to do the fighting for them.

—Emma Goldman

cowardice fighting Wars draft

As to the great mass of working girls and women, how much independence is gained if the narrowness and lack of freedom of the home is exchanged for the narrowness and lack of freedom of the factory, sweatshop, department store, or office?

—Emma Goldman

Every government, whatever its form, character, or color—be it absolute or constitutional, monarchy or republic, Fascist, Nazi, or Bolshevist—is by its very nature conservative, static, intolerant of change and opposed to it.

—Emma Goldman

politics change government conservatism Nazi monarchy

The most violent element in society is ignorance.

—Emma Goldman

politics ignorance society violence

More quotations tagged with “energy”

Energy, like the biblical grain of the mustard-seed, will remove mountains.

—Hosea Ballou

will energy mountains

The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It's more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit.

—Gretchen Rubin in The Happiness Project

happiness belief effort generosity feelings discipline energy unhappiness selfishness care selflessness lightheartedness

Prayer does not use up artificial energy, doesn't burn up any fossil fuel, doesn't pollute. Neither does song, neither does love, neither does the dance.

—Margaret Mead

prayer energy songs dancing

There is a muscular energy in sunlight corresponding to the spiritual energy of wind.

—Annie Dillard

energy sunlight wind

The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one.

—Albert Einstein

war weapons necessity problems energy

History

11 Jul 2015 Added