#Quote
More Quotes by U Thant
The single most important impediment to global institutions is the concept of "my country, right or wrong".
Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality.
The concept of peaceful coexistence has been criticized by many who do not see the need to make the world safe for diversity. I wonder if they have ever paused to ask themselves the question: What is the alternative to coexistence?
Wars begin in the minds of men, and in those minds, love andcompassion would have built the defenses of peace.
I don't like to be disturbed at home; I tell the cable office not to call me before 6:30 AM, unless there's a war.
Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.
As a Buddhist, I was trained to be tolerant of everything except intolerance. I was brought up not only to develop the spirit of tolerance but also to cherish moral and spiritual qualities such as modesty, humility, compassion, and, most important, to attain a certain degree of emotional equilibrium.
I am afraid if the present trend in Vietnam continues that direct confrontation, first of all between Washington and Peking, is inevitable.
As we watch the sun go down, evening after evening, through the smog across the poisoned waters of our native earth, we must ask ourselves seriously whether we really wish some future universal historian on another planet to say about us: "With all their genius and with all their skill, they ran out of foresight and air and food and water and ideas," or, They went on playing politics until their world collapsed around them.
To understand my feelings — and my conception of the role of Secretary General — the nature of my religious and cultural background must first be understood. I should therefore like to outline not only my beliefs but also my conception of human institutions and of the human situation itself.