“Fear is a habit; I am not afraid.”

The quintessential revolution is that of the spirit, born of an intellectual conviction of the need for change in those mental attitudes and values which shape the course of a nation’s development.

With the right kind of institutions, starting with the rule of law, Burma could progress very quickly.

Kindness can change the lives of people.

Sometimes, 24 hours can bring a total revolutionary change.

There’s a vast difference between no checkmate and stalemate. This is what the democratic process is like.

How can you call it a sacrifice when you choose to do something because you believe in it?

Without a revolution of the spirit, the forces which produced the iniquities of the old order would continue to be operative, posing a constant threat to the process of reform and regeneration.

Peace as a goal is an ideal which will not be contested by any government or nation, not even the most belligerent.

Weak logic, inconsistencies and alienation from the people are common features of authoritarianism.

You may not think about politics, but politics think about you.

I think in some ways it’s better to have the people of the world on your side than the governments of the world, even if governments can be more effective in certain directions.

I was given some Harry Potter books by a young friend. I wanted to know why young people liked it so much. And I noted that there were some values in Harry Potter that are common to many books that are popular all over the world. In the end,

The people have to take part. They have to understand that they have the power to move things, and they must really commit themselves to change if they want it.

Sometimes I think that a parody of democracy could be more dangerous than a blatant dictatorship, because that gives people an opportunity to avoid doing anything about it.

We will surely get to our destination if we join hands.

You must have perseverance, and then you must have wisdom. Then you combine these four and then you get to where you want to get to.

Love may not make the world go round, but I must admit that it makes the ride worthwhile.

The knighthood I received was a fantastic honour but it’s not something I’ve ever used and I don’t think I ever will.

That one can love another of the same gender, that is what the homophobe really cannot stand.

It is not often that idealism of student days finds adequate opportunity for expression in the later life of manhood.

If I wasn’t an actress, I’d be a chef. I’d love to open a restaurant.

Knowledge, if it does not determine action, is dead to us.

One of the very few things that I do every single day is put on fragrance. If I’m not wearing make-up, if my hair’s not done, if I’m walking around in pyjamas – I still put my fragrance on. I will brush my teeth and put on my perfume.

Man can change his destiny-not by wishing for it, but by working for it.