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George Orwell Quotes

Writer

George Orwell, renowned for his incisive political commentary and literary works, explored the complexities of society, power, and human behavior. His quotes reflect his commitment to truth, justice, and critical thinking, often highlighting the dangers of oppression and complacency. Together, they offer timeless insights that challenge us to question, reflect, and strive for a more honest and equitable world.

War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
From 1984
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Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.
From Animal Farm
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So long as human beings stay human, death and life are the same thing.
From 1984
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The consequences of every act are included in the act itself.
From 1984
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Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting.

(in "The Sporting Spirit", Tribune, GB, London, December 1945)
From The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell 1903-1950
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For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable – what then?
From 1984
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We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.
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Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on--that is, badly.
From Animal Farm
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One wants to live, of course, indeed one only stays alive by virtue of the fear of death, but I think, as I thought then, that it is better to die violently and not too old.
From Decline Of The English Murder and Other Essays
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If you set yourself to it, you can live the same life, rich or poor. You can keep on with your books and your ideas. You just got to say to yourself, "I'm a free man in here" - he tapped his forehead - "and you're all right.
From Down and Out in Paris and London
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Perhaps a man really dies when his brain stops, when he loses the power to take in a new idea.
From Coming up for Air
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The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely.
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Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.
From 1984
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He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights.
'White to play and mate in two moves.'
Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm power. White always mates.
From 1984
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This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half.
From Animal Farm
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Big Brother is watching you.
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On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.
From All Art is Propaganda: Critical Essays
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War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
From 1984
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Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.
From Animal Farm
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So long as human beings stay human, death and life are the same thing.
From 1984
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The consequences of every act are included in the act itself.
From 1984
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Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting.

(in "The Sporting Spirit", Tribune, GB, London, December 1945)
From The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell 1903-1950
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For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable – what then?
From 1984
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We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.
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Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on--that is, badly.
From Animal Farm
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One wants to live, of course, indeed one only stays alive by virtue of the fear of death, but I think, as I thought then, that it is better to die violently and not too old.
From Decline Of The English Murder and Other Essays
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If you set yourself to it, you can live the same life, rich or poor. You can keep on with your books and your ideas. You just got to say to yourself, "I'm a free man in here" - he tapped his forehead - "and you're all right.
From Down and Out in Paris and London
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Perhaps a man really dies when his brain stops, when he loses the power to take in a new idea.
From Coming up for Air
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The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.
From 1984
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He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights.
'White to play and mate in two moves.'
Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm power. White always mates.
From 1984
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This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half.
From Animal Farm
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Big Brother is watching you.
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On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.
From All Art is Propaganda: Critical Essays
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War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
From 1984
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Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.
From Animal Farm
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So long as human beings stay human, death and life are the same thing.
From 1984
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The consequences of every act are included in the act itself.
From 1984
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Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting.

(in "The Sporting Spirit", Tribune, GB, London, December 1945)
From The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell 1903-1950
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For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable – what then?
From 1984
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We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on--that is, badly.
From Animal Farm
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One wants to live, of course, indeed one only stays alive by virtue of the fear of death, but I think, as I thought then, that it is better to die violently and not too old.
From Decline Of The English Murder and Other Essays
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
If you set yourself to it, you can live the same life, rich or poor. You can keep on with your books and your ideas. You just got to say to yourself, "I'm a free man in here" - he tapped his forehead - "and you're all right.
From Down and Out in Paris and London
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Perhaps a man really dies when his brain stops, when he loses the power to take in a new idea.
From Coming up for Air
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The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.
From 1984
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights.
'White to play and mate in two moves.'
Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm power. White always mates.
From 1984
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This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half.
From Animal Farm
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Big Brother is watching you.
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On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.
From All Art is Propaganda: Critical Essays
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