Macmillan Quotes & Sayings

After a long life I have come to the conclusion that when all the Establishment is united it is always wrong. — Harold Macmillan

If you live a long life and get to the end of it without ever once having felt crushingly depressed, then you probably haven't been paying attention. — Duncan MacMillan

The glories of the past compensated for the imperfections of the present. — Margaret MacMillan

If you believe in yourself, things are possible. — Shannon MacMillan

It is the duty of Her Majesty's government neither to flap nor to falter. — Harold Macmillan

But the superiority of the British is that it is a matter of complete indifference to them if they appear to be stupid. — Margaret MacMillan

Today, as a result of the policy of Macmillan's Government, Great Britain presents in the United Nations the face of Pecksniff and in Katanga the face of Gradgrind. — Conor Cruise O'Brien

You have to dream big and go for it. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and ignore those who try to bring you down. Never give up, no matter what - overcoming obstacles makes you stronger! — Shannon MacMillan

a cocktail of characteristics that I found addictive, — Gilly Macmillan

No man should ever lose sleep over public affairs. — Harold Macmillan

In the usual way I submitted manuscripts to publishers. This was not so much a feeling that I should be published as a wish to escape the feared and hated drudgery of "normal" work. In my twenties some of my work for children was published by Macmillan. However, I was twenty-seven before my adult novel, The Birthgrave, was taken by DAW Books in the USA. This enabled me finally to stop doing stupid and soul-killing jobs, and start working day and night as a professional writer. It felt like a rescue from damnation, and still does. — Tanith Lee

Although I am still in favour of a National Government in these difficult times, and shall probably be found in the great majority of cases in the Government Lobby, there are some issues that have arisen, or are likely to arise, upon which I am unable to give the Government the support which it has, perhaps, the right to expect from those receiving the Government Whip. It occurs to me, therefore, that it would perhaps be more satisfactory if I was no longer regarded as being among the supporters of the present Administration. — Harold Macmillan

90% of what we did the Press didn't know about, and 90% of what they did know about they got wrong. — Harold Macmillan

We have not overthrown the divine right of kings to fall down for the divine right of experts. — Harold Macmillan

I have learned that in all negotiations nothing matters except the will to reach agreement. — Harold Macmillan

I was chef to the French Presidents between '56 and '59, finished with de Gaulle, and during de Gaulle I remember serving Eisenhower, Nehru, Tito, Macmillan; those were the heads of state at the time. I never saw anyone. No one would ever, ever, ever come to the kitchen. You couldn't even see them. — Jacques Pepin

Part of Nietzsche's appeal was that it was easy to read a great deal into his work, and people including socialists, vegetarians, feminists, conservatives and, later, the Nazis did. Sadly, Nietzsche was not available to explain himself; he went mad in 1889 and died in 1900, the year of the Paris Exposition. — Margaret MacMillan

As a student, I had stayed with Winston Churchill; later, I had lunched with Harold Macmillan - in fact, had met most of the post-war prime ministers of Great Britain from Douglas-Home to Tony Blair. — Nigel Hamilton

One word can change your life forever.
I love you
I hate you
Think about it — Alan Macmillan Orr

Louvain was a dull place, said a guidebook in 1910, but when the time came it made a spectacular fire. — Margaret MacMillan

remember this old Zen joke, "Don't just do something, sit there!" I can think of no better market advice when you are feeling emotional. — Palgrave Macmillan Trade

Wilson agreed reluctantly to their attempts: I don't much like to make a compromise with people who aren't reasonable. They will always believe that, by persisting in their claims, they will be able to obtain more. — Margaret MacMillan

Passionate and forcefully argued, Tar Sands is a wake-up call not just to Canadians but to the wider world to take a serious look at what is happening in northern Alberta. To call this book a polemic is a compliment. — Margaret MacMillan

What may seem like a reasonable way of protecting oneself can look very different from the other side of the border. — Margaret MacMillan

In a secular world, which is what most of us in Europe and North America live in, history takes on the role of showing us good and evil, virtues and vices. Religion no longer plays as important a part as it once did in setting moral standards and transmitting values ... History with a capital H is being called in to fill the void. It restores a sense not necessarily of a divine being but of something above and beyond human beings. It is our authority: it can vindicate us and judge us, and damn those who oppose us. — Margaret MacMillan

Most of our people have never had it so good. — Harold Macmillan

Every time one of my books sells a million copies in paperback, Pan Macmillan gives me a gold statuette of Pan. I have about 20 of them. — Wilbur Smith

If you don't believe in God, all you have to believe in is decency. Decency is very good. Better decent than indecent. But I don't think it's enough. — Harold Macmillan

It's a good thing to be laughed at. It's better than to be ignored. — Harold Macmillan

When I was doing 'Tales from Hollywood' at the National, I was invited to dinner by the choreographer, Kenneth MacMillan. He told me I had the heart of a dancer and asked me if I'd like to come on at the end of 'Romeo and Juliet' as a friar. I said I'd love to, but sadly, MacMillan died shortly after. — Michael Gambon

After long experience of politics, I have never found that there is any inhibition caused by ignorance as regards criticism. — Harold Macmillan

It isn't those who always addressing each other as comrade who necessarily show the most brotherly feelings. — Harold Macmillan

British would use every means from persuasion to bribery in Morocco and when those failed the wives of British diplomats knew what they had to do to further Britain's interests. — Margaret MacMillan

As usual the Liberals offer a mixture of sound and original ideas. Unfortunately none of the sound ideas is original and none of the original ideas is sound. — Harold Macmillan

I wish now that I'd valued more the words that tumbled freely out of him before he was taken. I wish I'd collected them and kept them safely in packages that I wrapped up carefully, secured with a ribbon, and stored in a safe place for the future. I wish I hadn't been too distracted to listen to every word he said. — Gilly Macmillan

Trust is the essential quality in any team relationship. Team members will not work interdependently with anyone they do not trust. And without interdependence there can be no effective division of the task, no leverage of the gifts and skills of individual team members, and therefore, no synergy. No trust, no relationship, no team. — Pat MacMillan

We believe that unless we give opportunity to the strong and able, we shall never have the means to provide real protection for the weak and the old. — Harold Macmillan

Britain's most useful role is somewhere between bee and dinosaur. — Harold Macmillan

Sir Kenneth MacMillan's version of 'Romeo and Juliet' is my favorite full-length ballet, Sergei Prokofiev's breathtaking score a favorite composition of music. As a student of martial arts, I loved drawing my sword in defense of my Capulet kin. — Sascha Radetsky

Macmillan's rejection had left him very downcast ... Patrick Swift was invited to peruse the contents and decided that the poems should be published. — Patrick Kavanagh

and dangerous depths of the labyrinth that was her depression. It had prevented her from slipping — Gilly Macmillan

The only quality needed for an MP is the ability to write a good letter. — Harold Macmillan

I'd like that translated if I may.

British Prime Minster Harold Macmillan
on Nikita Khruschev's shoe banging at the UN General Assembly on 29th September 1960 — Harold Macmillan

There are three bodies no sensible man directly challenges: the Roman Catholic Church, the Brigade of Guards and the National Union of Mineworkers — Harold Macmillan

The delegates to the peace conference after World War I tried to impose a rational order on an irrational world. — Margaret MacMillan

3053Geography also gave Russia a rich choice of potential enemies. — Margaret MacMillan

I didn't bother with television myself because it consisted largely of windmills, puppets and pottery wheels, interspersed with elderly men smoking pipes while they discussed Harold Macmillan in Old Etonian accents. — Christopher Fowler

Once the bear's hug has got you, it is apt to be for keeps. — Harold Macmillan

I have never found, in a long experience of politics, that criticism is ever inhibited by ignorance. — Harold Macmillan

Marxism is like a classical building that followed the Renaissance; beautiful in its way, but incapable of growth. — Harold Macmillan

Mati took in my expression, and a moment later I was in his arms. His kisses washed over me like floodwater over parched earth. I clutched him helplessly, tears falling down my face and mingling with his as he whispered my name. — Kathy MacMillan

Nationalist movements often overlapped with economic and class issues: Rumanian and Ruthenian peasants, for example, challenged their Hungarian and Polish landlords. — Margaret MacMillan

Only a week away!" said Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff, emerging from the crowd, his eyes gleaming. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him. . . ." "Cedric?" said Ron blankly as Ernie hurried off. "Diggory," said Harry. "He must be entering the tournament." "That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" said Ron as they pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the staircase. "He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch," said Hermione. "I've heard he's a really good student - and he's a prefect." She spoke as though this settled the matter. "You only like him because he's handsome," said Ron scathingly. "Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!" said Hermione indignantly. Ron gave a loud false cough, which sounded oddly like "Lockhart! — J.K. Rowling

I am not, nor will I ever be interested in the possibility of defeat. — Shannon MacMillan

The failure of the talks between Chamberlain and the German ambassador in London, the public and private outbursts of the Kaiser, the well-reported anti-British and pro-Boer sentiment among the German public, even the silly controversy over whether Chamberlain had insulted the Prussian army, all left their residue of mistrust and resentments in Britain as well as in Germany. — Margaret MacMillan

In the eyes of others, we're often not who we imagine ourselves to be. — Gilly Macmillan

I should have celebrated my life as it was, imperfections, sadness, and all, and not forensically examined its faults. — Gilly Macmillan

Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points so, Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new Headmistress. Macmillan, five for contradicting me. Five because I don't like you, Potter. Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that. Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a Mudblood, Granger, so ten off for that. — J.K. Rowling

Groupthink stifles the possibility of suspending one's assumptions. In fact, its whole purpose is to elevate and protect those assumptions from any assault by logic. Creative and synergistic communication is doomed within groups infected with the symptoms of groupthink. Any new or unusual notions quickly fall victim to the group's terminal sense of certainty. — Pat MacMillan

Those homes were like holding pens, where residents waited for death with little more status than corpses. Loneliness, confusion, pain, and the smell of urine and boiled food seemed to be their only companions as the light faded on their lives. Those places had made me shudder, and sometimes weep. Carpe — Gilly Macmillan

But here's the thing; none of us deserve anything. That's an illusion we all exist under — Gilly Macmillan

We don't look at what happens in our business in six-month periods. — Whitney MacMillan

You can hardly say boo to a goose in the House of Commons now without cries of "Ungentlemanly," "Not fair" and all the rest. — Harold Macmillan

They saw me as a freak show. I frightened people because I was someone to whom the worst was happening, and they turned on me like a pack of dogs. I've — Gilly Macmillan

You will find the Americans much as the Greeks found the Romans: great, big, vulgar, bustling people more vigorous than we are and also more idle, with more unspoiled virtues but also more corrupt. — Harold Macmillan

Carpe diem was the lesson to be learned. It's what I had been trying to teach Ben when I let him run ahead in the woods. Seize the day - be brave - be independent - be thoughtful - don't be scared to make mistakes - keep learning - all of those things, all the time. And somebody had taken him. More fool me. Ruth's — Gilly Macmillan

Lovegood had got out The Quibbler again. Meanwhile, at the Hufflepuff table Ernie Macmillan was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge, but he was glassy-eyed and Harry was sure he was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect's badge gleaming on his chest. Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Harry had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have ploughed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though, judging by her — J.K. Rowling

Seize the day - be brave - be independent - be thoughtful - don't be scared to make mistakes - keep learning - all those things, all the time — Gilly Macmillan

Effective leaders are able to manage the tensions of these two objectives and ensure that the team regularly addresses its processes. They understand that processes are the best vehicle through which the team both works together and thinks together, and the team cannot perform any better than its processes will allow it to. — Pat MacMillan

He is forever poised between a cliche and an indiscretion. — Harold Macmillan

To be alive at all involves some risk. Harold Macmillan — Anonymous

Food has become such an interesting issue in the nation and the world. — Whitney MacMillan

I was a sort of son to Ike, and it was the other way round with Kennedy. — Harold Macmillan

We do not intend to part from the Americans and we do not intend to be satellites. I am sure they do not want us to be so. The stronger we are, the better partners we shall be; and I feel certain that as the months pass we shall draw continually closer together with mutual confidence and respect. — Harold Macmillan

I'll have them niggers voting Democratic for the next two hundred years. [Said to two governors regarding the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to then-Air Force One steward Robert MacMillan] — Lyndon B. Johnson

We got distracted. Ty said I could come to the tasting."
"Maddy - "
"Please. He's going to put my wine in."
David glanced over. "You're a brave man, MacMillan."
"You never spent an evening chugging any Run, Walk and Fall Down?"
With a grin, David covered Maddy's ears. "Once or twice, and fortunately I lived to regret it.
Your wine club might object to the addition."
"Yeah." The thought of that tickled Ty, too. "It'll broaden their outlook."
"Or poison them."
"Please, Dad. It's for science. — Nora Roberts

(A Foreign Secretary) is forever poised between the cliche and the indiscretion. — Harold Macmillan

Churchill was fundamentally what the English call unstable - by which they mean anybody who has that touch of genius which is inconvenient in normal times. — Harold Macmillan

be whispered more now, only spoken of in hushed terms, because Lucas Grantham might — Gilly Macmillan

It has been said that there is no fool like an old fool, except a young fool. But the young fool has first to grow up to be an old fool to realize what a damn fool he was when he was a young fool. — Harold Macmillan

As the American historian John Lewis Gaddis put it, it is like looking in a rearview mirror: if you only look back, you will land in the ditch, but it helps to know where you have come from and who else is on the road. — Margaret MacMillan

I read a great number of press reports and find comfort in the fact that they are nearly always conflicting. — Harold Macmillan

Told the Reichstag that the age of "Cabinet" wars, that is wars determined by rulers for limited ends, was over: "All we have now is people's war, and any prudent government will hesitate to bring about a war of this nature, with all its incalculable consequences." The great powers, he went on, will find it difficult to bring such wars to an end or admit defeat: "Gentlemen, it may be a war of seven years' or of thirty years' duration - and woe to him who sets Europe alight, who puts the first fuse to the powder keg!"89 — Margaret MacMillan

Grace has such simple needs. Wake, give love, receive love, refuel, expend energy, sleep. I love that about her. — Gilly Macmillan

It's no use crying over spilt summits. — Harold Macmillan

I am MacWonder one moment and MacBlunder the next. — Harold Macmillan

Trust is like that. Once you lose it, you begin to adjust your attitudes toward people, you put up guards, and filter the information you want them to know. — Gilly Macmillan

The wind of change is blowing through the continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact. — Harold Macmillan

This is what a total breakdown must be, I though. You find yourself standing somewhere you should't be, doing something so out of character that you wonder if you've become someone else entirely. You've lost the plot, taken a wrong turning, jumped into a train whose destination is total lunacy — Gilly Macmillan

in business doing nothing is often the hardest thing. (And not just in business. Harold Macmillan, prime minister during the Cuban missile crisis, mused then 'on the frightful desire to do something, with the knowledge that not to do anything was prob. the right answer'.) — Simon Kuper

I'd like that translated, if I may. — Harold Macmillan

Stop-Go seemed more sensiblr than using the brake and accelerator at the same time - a practice that later became fashionable. — Harold Macmillan

Anyone who falls into your hands falls to your sword! — Margaret MacMillan

Theodore Rex. Roosevelt was driven by ambition, idealism and vanity. As his daughter famously remarked: My father always wanted to be the corpse at every funeral, the bride at every wedding, and the baby at every christening. — Margaret MacMillan

History is apt to judge harshly those who sacrifice tomorrow for today. — Harold Macmillan

He (Aneurin Bevan) enjoys prophesying the imminent fall of the capitalist system, and is prepared to play a part, any part, in its burial, except that of mute. — Harold Macmillan

I think that Harold MacMillan is a very intelligent man, who, as so often happens in politics, achieved supreme power too late. — Malcolm Muggeridge

Revolt by all means, but only on one issue at a time. To do more would be to confuse the whips. — Harold Macmillan

Dream big and surround yourself with people that believe in you — Shannon MacMillan

We should not be impressed when our leaders say firmly, "History teaches us" or "History will show that we were right."
They can oversimplify and force inexact comparisons just as much as any of us can. Even the clever and the powerful (and the two are not necessarily the same) go confidently off down the wrong paths. It is useful, too, to be reminded, as a citizen, that those in positions of authority do not always know better. — Margaret MacMillan