Welcome to 21st Century Quotes, a curated collection of insightful, thought-provoking, and inspiring quotes that encapsulate the essence of our rapidly evolving world. In an era defined by technological advancements, cultural shifts, and global connectivity, the words of visionaries, innovators, and leaders resonate more profoundly than ever before. Whether it’s wisdom imparted by renowned figures or pearls of wisdom from everyday individuals, these quotes encapsulate the spirit of the 21st century, offering guidance, motivation, and reflection.
As we navigate through the complexities of modern life, these quotes serve as beacons of inspiration, reminding us of the power of resilience, innovation, and compassion in overcoming challenges and shaping a brighter future. From discussions on technology’s transformative impact to reflections on societal values and human potential, the quotes gathered here reflect the diverse tapestry of human experiences in the 21st century. Whether you’re seeking motivation, insight, or simply a moment of contemplation, explore the words that have shaped our era and discover the wisdom they hold.
L’Oreal’s slogan ‘because you’re worth it’ has come to epitomise banal narcissism of early 21st century capitalism; easy indulgence and effortless self-love all available at a flick of the credit card. Geoff Mulgan
The great paradox of the 21st century is that, in this age of powerful technology, the biggest problems we face internationally are problems of the human soul. Ralph Peters
Fortunately I own a vintage brain, and I am alive and well in the 21st century, still making records, still working at an intense pace and most of all, still having fun doing it. Tony Visconti
The two major challenges for the 21st century are to improve the economic situation of the majority and save as much of the planet as we can. E. O. Wilson
The great challenge of the 21st century is to provide good standards of living for 7 billion people without depleting the earth’s resources or running up massive levels of public debt. To achieve this, government and business alike will need to find new models of growth that are in both environmental and economic balance. Paul Polman
Green technologies – going green – is bigger than the Internet. It could be the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century. John Doerr
You’d think that in this age, especially in the 21st century – especially with all the technology and all the discoveries that we’ve made – that we would figure out how to tackle abuse. Tori Amos
The main environmental challenge of the 21st century is poverty. When you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, it’s hard to consider the environment 100 years down the line. Bjorn Lomborg
The Finland of the 21st century can thrive only if women of learning – in common with their male counterparts – are guaranteed the opportunity to use their creative potential to the full. Tarja Halonen
Involvement in the arts engages kids in their community, improves self-esteem, reclaims at-risk youth, and builds the creative skills that are required of a 21st century workforce. Gavin Newsom
I think there’s every reason this 21st century will be much happier. Dalai Lama
I believe race is too heavy a burden to carry into the 21st century. It’s time to lay it down. We all came here in different ships, but now we’re all in the same boat. John Lewis
In the 21st century when few of us stay in the same job all our lives, I would like to think there was flexibility so teachers could become social workers, or foster carers become teachers. Estelle Morris
The 21st century for the black community is about building human capital. That is the undone business. That is the unmet need. That is the completion of the civil rights mission. Amy Wax
In the long march of history, at least two poles of attraction and antagonism have been the norm in world politics. Rarely has only one nation carried the burden of leadership. The unipolar world of the 21st century, dominated for the past two decades by the United States, is a historical anomaly. Eskinder Nega
As a trusted institution with brick-and-mortar facilities in every corner of the United States, our public Postal Service is uniquely positioned to serve as a communications, finance, and service hub for the 21st century. Marcia Fudge
For many residents, the DMV is the face of state government – it is an office that virtually every adult needs to interact with and for far too long it has been overly bureaucratic, arduous, and – quite frankly – operating in the 21st century while relying on 20th century processes. Ned Lamont
I happen to think that conservatism, when properly applied to the 21st century, could actually help everybody. And the message of Trump’s campaign was obviously not super-appealing to Latino Americans, black Americans and so forth. That really bothered me. J. D. Vance
As we think of power in the 21st century, we want to get away from the idea that power’s always zero sum – my gain is your loss and vice versa. Power can also be positive sum, where your gain can be my gain. Joseph Nye
Heathenism is a state of mind. You can take it that I’m referring to one who does not see his world. He has no mental light. He destroys almost unwittingly. He cannot feel any Gods presence in his life. He is the 21st century man. David Bowie
The dilemma for early 21st century journalism is this: Who will pay for the news? Nathan Myhrvold
If you’re going to have any kind of political opposition in the 21st century, then it has to be as fundamentally liquid as the rapidly changing society we’re living in. Alan Moore
I think the environmental problem will be the number one item on the agenda of the 21st century… This is a problem that cannot be postponed. Mikhail Gorbachev
Without any doubt at all, teacher quality is the fundamental differentiator. Not just, incidentally, of education, but I would argue, probably the biggest single differentiator of success for the nations of the 21st Century. David Puttnam
I think there are more good young actors now than ever. It’s a medium that everyone wants to be connected with – it is such a hip medium going into the 21st century. Robert Duvall
The social justice movement of the 21st century is economic development. Wendell Pierce
For people of the younger generation, the 21st century has started for them with a positive sign that Valencia is and will continue to be a very modern city. Santiago Calatrava
We will pay a heavy price if we insist on navigating the 21st century with a 20th century mindset. Tom Steyer
This 21st century economy holds great promise for our people. But unless we give all Americans the skills they need to succeed, countries like India and China will take good-paying jobs that should be ours. Harry Reid
Ultimately, it is the convergence of artificial and human intelligence that will enable manufacturers to achieve a new era of speed, flexibility, efficiency, and connectivity in the 21st century. Joe Kaeser
I figure this current era of history is the one with the best chance of quality of life for a black, female, disabled, middle-aged, queer person who’s most comfortable not fitting in. The odds still aren’t great, mind you. But I’ll take my chances with the 21st century. Nalo Hopkinson
It’s time to fundamentally change the way that we do business in Washington. To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative. That will demand new thinking and a new sense of responsibility for every dollar that is spent. Barack Obama
It’s important to move the theatre into the 21st Century. David Soul
Solar power, wind power, the way forward is to collaborate with nature – it’s the only way we are going to get to the other end of the 21st century. Bjork
‘Indian policy’ has now been brought down upon the American people, and the American people are the new Indians of the 21st Century. Russell Means
It seemed to me the perfect company for the 21st century would be one that was technology-orientated with great content and national scale. Brian L. Roberts
The intelligent minority of this world will mark 1 January 2001 as the real beginning of the 21st century and the Third Millennium. Arthur C. Clarke
Basically, I think 21st century conservation is moving toward preserving ecosystems by dealing with the needs of people. Edward Norton
I founded a club, which is called the Brutally Early Club. It’s basically a breakfast salon for the 21st century where art meets science meets architecture meets literature. Hans-Ulrich Obrist
The 20th century taught us how far unbridled evil can and will go when the world fails to confront it. It is time that we heed the lessons of the 20th century and stand up to these murderers. It is time that we end genocide in the 21st century. Allyson Schwartz
In thinking about religion and society in the 21st century, we should broaden the conversation about faith from doctrinal debates to the larger question of how it might inspire us to strengthen the bonds of belonging that redeem us from our solitude, helping us to construct together a gracious and generous social order. Jonathan Sacks
I’m representative of 21st century Irish design, so I promote Irishness all over the world wherever I go. Philip Treacy
The 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act will reestablish a wall between commercial and investment banking, make our financial system more stable and secure, and protect American families. Elizabeth Warren
I believe in the city as a natural human environment, but we must humanize it. It’s art that will re-define public space in the 21st Century. We can make our cities diverse, inspirational places by putting art, dance and performance in all its forms into the matrix of street life. Antony Gormley
Facebook has gone from a nice-and-boring social network to becoming an identity layer of the web. It is where nearly a billion people are depositing the artifacts of civilization in the 21st century – photos, videos, and birthday wishes. Om Malik
My goal in the new administration is to engage all of the stakeholders, everyone who can help us meet the challenges of the 21st century, and ensure that we work together. Valerie Jarrett
I’m sad to report that in the past few years, ever since uncertainty became our insistent 21st century companion, leadership has taken a great leap backwards to the familiar territory of command and control. Margaret J. Wheatley
My hope is that the 21st century will be the first century where there will be no violation of human rights, and to that end, Japan would like to do our outmost. Shinzo Abe
Green-tech could be the largest economic opportunity of the 21st Century. John Doerr
I wonder how many people would have thought at the end of World War II that the capitalist system would be one that was meeting the challenges and making things better for people as we approach the 21st century. Sanford I. Weill
The Lord wants us to follow His righteous life, but yet we have to exist in the 21st century. You can’t be going about riding a bicycle and to travel the world… that is not smart. Benny Hinn
If we want to create a viable, peaceful world, we’ve got to integrate compassion into the gritty realities of 21st century life. Karen Armstrong
I think 21st century should be art without objects. Marina Abramovic
It’s time that America’s government lived by the same values as America’s families. It’s time we invested in America’s future and made sure our people have the skills to compete and thrive in a 21st century economy. That’s what Democrats believe. Harry Reid
No one knows when a robot will approach human intelligence, but I suspect it will be late in the 21st century. Will they be dangerous? Possibly. So I suggest we put a chip in their brain to shut them off if they have murderous thoughts. Michio Kaku
Investing in industries and technology for the 21st century generates high-skilled, high-wage jobs for industries of the future. Jay Inslee
Most of the time in the 21st century, we dominate our surroundings: We tweak the thermostat, and the temperature falls one degree. We push a button, and Taylor Swift sings for us. It’s the opposite in the wilderness, which teaches us constantly that we are not lords of the universe but rather building blocks of it. Nicholas Kristof
Another goal is to look to the resources we have and to see how we could do better to plan, in a sense, for the faculty and infrastructure that we will need to study Asia well into the 21st century. William C. Kirby
Today, my heart and soul lives peacefully for the hope that the 21st century will have to face a great challenge, a peaceful struggle for the enlightenment of humanity. Marcel Marceau
I am now seventy, rather glad, really, that I won’t live to see the horrors to come in the 21st century. Anne Stevenson
The 21st century has more potential than perhaps any other in our brief evolutionary history. We stand on the cusp of computing, genetic and energy generation breakthroughs that were only recently in the realm of science-fiction. A golden age of humanity is tantalisingly within our grasp. Clive Lewis
In the 21st century, I think the heroes will be the people who will improve the quality of life, fight poverty and introduce more sustainability. Bertrand Piccard
How any government could promote the Vardy academies in the North-East of England is absolutely beyond me. Tony Blair defends them on grounds of diversity, but it should be unthinkable in the 21st century to have a school whose head of science believes the world is less than 10,000 years old. Richard Dawkins
We’d love to do Pirates for the 21st century. People have also asked about Colonization, and a few others. Sid Meier
There’s a rising tide of environmental awareness and activism among consumers that’s going to continue to swell in the 21st century. Smart companies will get ahead of that wave and ride it to success and prosperity. Those that don’t are headed for a wipeout. William Clay Ford, Jr.
Arts education is a big part of building a 21st century creative mind, and I think that we have let way too many kids lose their way by not drawing in their young minds with music, dance, painting and the other various ways we can express those things we do not have words for. Heather Watts
Mitt Romney’s energy policy is a relic of the 19th century. We need a 21st century plan. The fate of the planet is at stake. Bernie Sanders
As we move into the 21st century, there’s what the Bible calls a ‘quickening of the spirit.’ Neale Donald Walsch
‘Lean on Pete’ is the story of a boy and his horse, but it is never heart-warming – it ranges in tone from desperate to merely painful – and, while fascinating, it is never entertaining or redemptive. But if you want an unadorned portrait of American life (at least in some places) at the beginning of the 21st century, this is the book for you. Jane Smiley
I’m tired of this discussion of capitalism and socialism; we live in the 21st century, we need an economic system that has democracy as its underpinnings and an ethical code. Michael Moore
I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind. Daisaku Ikeda
Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century. S. J. Perelman
Independence is the only way Scotland can realise its full political and cultural potential in the 21st century. Tariq Ali
The 21st century – and the atheists – needs the presence of religion, just as religion must deal with the real challenges and the thinkers of the day in order to sharpen the conscience and the intelligence of those who study the timeless sacred texts in a spirit of responding to the questions of their time. Tariq Ramadan
For me, electronic music is the classical music of the 21st century. Jean-Michel Jarre
There’s so much in the 21st century that is stymied by bureaucracy and mediocrity and committee. Benedict Cumberbatch
Brighter Than a Thousand Suns’ by Robert Jungk and ‘Surely You’re Joking, Mr Feynman!’ by Richard Feynman were both books my father purchased for me when I was in high school. Both left a lasting impression on me, because they chronicle the lives of some of the most creative scientists of the 21st century. Baiju Bhatt
I think the biggest problem of the 21st century is how to deal with minorities. Avigdor Lieberman
Technology is driving the innovation. Technology is driving the creativity. Technology and the use of that is going to determine our workers’ ability to compete in the 21st century global marketplace. Ron Kind
A state should protect citizens in general and women in particular. And in the 21st Century, every society needs to respect the individual choice of its members to decide freely about their bodies. Alberto Fernandez
People do struggle to meet a partner in the 21st Century with online dating and people not really being who they seem to be. Anna Richardson
I love stories that give me a perspective on how easy American life has become in the 21st century. Hope Davis
I am proud to represent the capital of Kerala, a state that in so many ways is a trailblazer for India’s progress, though in other respects it seems to have been left behind in the race for 21st century development. Shashi Tharoor
Hurricane Katrina was the storm of the 21st century. It devastated an area the size of Great Britain. More than 1,800 Americans died. Three hundred thousand homes were destroyed. There was $96 billion in property damage. I served on the Louisiana Recovery Authority. I saw Congress write one big check and then skip town. Donna Brazile
The possibility of being as free with the camera as we are with the pen is a fantastic prospect for the creative life of the 21st century. Carlos Fuentes
And then, build a bustling wonderful city of the 21st century, with a restoration of a spectacular skyline, which Manhattan, of course, needs. So, that is really the design as a whole. Daniel Libeskind
I think there is a new awareness in this 21st century that design is as important to where and how we live as it is for museums, concert halls and civic buildings. Daniel Libeskind
I think that in the 21st century, medical biology will advance at a more rapid pace than before. Shinya Yamanaka
In the 21st century, I believe the mission of the United Nations will be defined by a new, more profound awareness of the sanctity and dignity of every human life, regardless of race or religion. Kofi Annan
The debate that I’m interested in having is with seriously smart people about how we design institutions in the 21st century that will genuinely address problems of poverty and educational underachievement. Niall Ferguson
On Australia Day 2010, as we enter this second decade of the 21st century, Australians can be optimistic about our future, but we cannot afford to mistake optimism for complacency. Kevin Rudd
The 20th century is a period defined by cultural and artistic movements. However, the 21st century creative-scape that we occupy now doesn’t really have movements in the same way. Instead it’s made up of diverse individuals working across various platforms simultaneously; art, architecture, film, music and literature. Doug Aitken
India, Pakistan, China, Singapore and South Korea are heavily investing in nuclear arms. Since 21st century is the century of Asia, Asian countries should be the first ones to drop this arms race. ?scar Arias
Biotechnology is evolving rapidly in the 21st century and leading firms like Bode help drive the Commonwealth’s position as a leader in this vital sector. We look forward to continuing to see the company’s impact and thank Bode Technology for its confidence in Virginia. Glenn Youngkin
We’re trying to run a 21st century society and economy with 19th century Darwinian, competitive, crude ideas. Susan George
In the 21st century our tastes buds, our brain chemistry, our biochemistry, our hormones and our kitchens have been hijacked by the food industry. Mark Hyman
Computer science teaches and nurtures the type of thinking that 21st century citizens will need to address 21st century issues. We cannot know with any certainty what those challenges will be, but we can arm our students with the tools needed to address them. Eric Adams
I think life is always dangerous. Some people get afraid of it. Some people don’t go forward. But some people, if they want to achieve their goal, they have to go. They have to move… We have seen the barbaric situation of the 21st century in Swat. So why should I be afraid now? Malala Yousafzai
President Bush has shown great leadership. He has said that the 21st century will not be ruled or dictated by terrorists, dictators, and murderers. He is absolutely right. God bless him for his resolve. Lindsey Graham
In order to thrive in the 21st century, you have to be a savvy citizen of the digital economy or risk being left behind. Leila Janah
