Wole Soyinka

threat freedom absence criticism

“The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism.”

― Wole Soyinka

tiger proclaim tigritude pounce

“A tiger doesn't proclaim his tigritude, he pounces”

― Wole Soyinka

shadows seriously reality safety reject illusion

“Don't take shadows too seriously. Reality is your only safety. Continue to reject illusion.”

― Wole Soyinka

books writing terror suppress truth

“Books and all forms of writing are terror to those who wish to suppress truth.”

― Wole Soyinka

fire consume arsonist

“For the fire consumes all but the arsonist.”

― Wole Soyinka

religion fanatic fear hysteria killing device

“The fault, of course, is not in religion, but in the fanatic of every religion. Fanaticism remains the greatest carrier of the spores of fear, and the rhetoric of religion, with the hysteria it so readily generates, is fast becoming the readiest killing device of contemporary times.”

― Wole Soyinka

intolerance ideology lethal proportions

"Intolerance has become, I think, the reigning ideology of the world today, the intolerance versus intolerance and it's taken on lethal proportions."

― Wole Soyinka

ultimate lesson sit write

"But the ultimate lesson is just sit down and write. That's all."

― Wole Soyinka

religion monster inquisition crusade jihad

"Religion has really spawned some monsters. It always has, historically. Go all the way back to the Inquisition, you know, the Crusades, the Jehad and so on."

― Wole Soyinka

art science symbiosis human existential impulse explore reality

"Arts and the Sciences are a natural symbiosis. They stem from the same human existential impulse - exploration. Exploration of what lies beneath the surface, and re-confuguration of elements of what we call reality."

― Wole Soyinka

governance dig huge whole know

"Governance can dig itself into a huge hole and not even know it's in there."

― Wole Soyinka

statement contrary industrialized world strong man syndrome

"See, even despite pious statements to the contrary, much of the industrialized world has not yet come to terms with the recognition of the fallacy of what I call the strong man syndrome."

― Wole Soyinka

leader encourage impunity society lost

"When a leader encourages the culture of impunity, the society is lost and it makes the work harder for the rest of us"

― Wole Soyinka

slavery deprivation human volition

"My definition of slavery is the deprivation of human volition, any form of relationship between two peoples which is based on the deprivation of volition of one side."

― Wole Soyinka