Welcome to our collection of state quotes, where we delve into the profound words spoken by prominent figures throughout history regarding the concept of the state. From philosophers to politicians, poets to activists, the notion of the state has long captivated the minds of individuals, shaping societies and influencing the course of human civilization. Whether extolling its virtues, critiquing its shortcomings, or contemplating its very essence, these quotes offer invaluable insights into the complexities of governance, citizenship, and societal organization.
Throughout the annals of time, thinkers and leaders have grappled with the fundamental question of the state’s role in human affairs. From Plato’s idealized Republic to Machiavelli’s pragmatic treatises, from Rousseau’s social contract to Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, the concept of the state has been a recurring theme in philosophical discourse and political rhetoric. As societies evolve and cultures intersect, the definition and function of the state continue to be subjects of intense debate, reflecting the ever-changing dynamics of power, authority, and collective identity.
Below, you’ll find a curated selection of quotes that encapsulate the diverse perspectives on the state from various epochs and ideologies. Whether you seek inspiration, contemplation, or simply a deeper understanding of this complex institution, these quotes are sure to provoke thought and spark dialogue. Feel free to copy them, pair them with imagery, or creatively display them using stylish fonts to enhance their impact. Let the wisdom of these words illuminate your exploration of the state and its significance in the tapestry of human existence.
A sound mind in a sound body, is a short, but full description of a happy state in this World: he that has these two, has little more to wish for; and he that wants either of them, will be little the better for anything else. John Locke
We are in a wrong state of mind if we are not in a thankful state of mind. Charles Spurgeon
I think that peace will require two states, a Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state. Benjamin Netanyahu
Being broke is a temporary situation. Being poor is a state of mind. Mike Todd
Caste is not a physical object like a wall of bricks or a line of barbed wire which prevents the Hindus from co-mingling and which has, therefore, to be pulled down. Caste is a notion; it is a state of the mind. B. R. Ambedkar
There is one consolation in being sick; and that is the possibility that you may recover to a better state than you were ever in before. Henry David Thoreau
We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our education system. Charles Bukowski
I worked my way up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty. Groucho Marx
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one. Thomas Paine
Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. Just lie down. Natalie Goldberg
The foundation of every state is the education of its youth. Diogenes
All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state. Benito Mussolini
Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop a peaceful state of mind. Start each day by affirming peaceful, contented and happy attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful. Norman Vincent Peale
Remaining childish is a tremendous state of innocence. John Lydon
I’m completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death. George Carlin
Happiness, true happiness, is an inner quality. It is a state of mind. If your mind is at peace, you are happy. If your mind is at peace, but you have nothing else, you can be happy. If you have everything the world can give – pleasure, possessions, power – but lack peace of mind, you can never be happy. Dada Vaswani
A Union that can only be maintained by swords and bayonets has no charm for me. If the Union is dissolved and government disrupted, I shall return to my native state and share the miseries of my people, and save in defense will draw my sword on none. Robert E. Lee
Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good. Vaclav Havel
Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people. Jawaharlal Nehru
Unconditional love really exists in each of us. It is part of our deep inner being. It is not so much an active emotion as a state of being. It’s not ‘I love you’ for this or that reason, not ‘I love you if you love me.’ It’s love for no reason, love without an object. Ram Dass
The god of love lives in a state of need. It is a need. It is an urge. It is a homeostatic imbalance. Like hunger and thirst, it’s almost impossible to stamp out. Plato
Without health life is not life; it is only a state of langour and suffering – an image of death. Buddha
Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success. Joyce Brothers
What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it. Alexander Graham Bell
My trust in God flows out of the experience of his loving me, day in and day out, whether the day is stormy or fair, whether I’m sick or in good health, whether I’m in a state of grace or disgrace. He comes to me where I live and loves me as I am. Brennan Manning
The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination. Carl Rogers
When there is state there can be no freedom, but when there is freedom there will be no state. Vladimir Lenin
The deviation of man from the state in which he was originally placed by nature seems to have proved to him a prolific source of diseases. Edward Jenner
Champions are not the ones who always win races – champions are the ones who get out there and try. And try harder the next time. And even harder the next time. ‘Champion’ is a state of mind. They are devoted. They compete to best themselves as much if not more than they compete to best others. Champions are not just athletes. Simon Sinek
It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope. Niccolo Machiavelli
When you are spiritually connected, you are not looking for occasions to be offended, and you are not judging and labeling others. You are in a state of grace in which you know you are connected to God and thus free from the effects of anyone or anything external to yourself. Wayne Dyer
The primary distinction of the artist is that he must actively cultivate that state which most men, necessarily, must avoid; the state of being alone. James Baldwin
The state should, I think, be called ‘anesthesia.’ This signifies insensibility. William Thomas Green Morton
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. Thomas Jefferson
Luxury is a state of mind. L’Wren Scott
Loneliness is different than isolation and solitude. Loneliness is a subjective feeling where the connections we need are greater than the connections we have. In the gap, we experience loneliness. It’s distinct from the objective state of isolation, which is determined by the number of people around you. Vivek Murthy
I’m a liberal Democrat, and I state that proudly. Tom Bergeron
Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. John Adams
Fears are nothing more than a state of mind. Napoleon Hill
When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state. Swami Vivekananda
If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos. E. O. Wilson
The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries. James Madison
If the First Amendment means anything, it means that a state has no business telling a man, sitting alone in his house, what books he may read or what films he may watch. Thurgood Marshall
I have here in my hand a list of two hundred and five people that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department. Joseph R. McCarthy
Marriage is the highest state of friendship. If happy, it lessens our cares by dividing them, at the same time that it doubles our pleasures by mutual participation. Samuel Richardson
Almost half of the population of the world lives in rural regions and mostly in a state of poverty. Such inequalities in human development have been one of the primary reasons for unrest and, in some parts of the world, even violence. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
People who have never dealt with depression think it’s just being sad or being in a bad mood. That’s not what depression is for me; it’s falling into a state of grayness and numbness. Dan Reynolds
Anyone who attempts to generate random numbers by deterministic means is, of course, living in a state of sin. John von Neumann
Leave the matter of religion to the family altar, the church, and the private school, supported entirely by private contributions. Keep the church and state forever separate. Ulysses S. Grant
I am the state. Louis XIV
Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind. Morihei Ueshiba
I have probably become a lot more Zionist than I used to be. Jews have a history of being persecuted over a long, long period of time so I think it is absolutely right to have a country that is a Jewish state. Grant Shapps
A man who is eating or lying with his wife or preparing to go to sleep in humility, thankfulness and temperance, is, by Christian standards, in an infinitely higher state than one who is listening to Bach or reading Plato in a state of pride. C. S. Lewis
Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state. Noam Chomsky
The argument that gay marriage doesn’t affect straight marriages is a ridiculous red herring: Gay marriage affects society and law in dramatic ways. Religious groups will come under direct assault as federal and state governments move to strip them of their non-profit statuses if they refuse to perform gay marriages. Ben Shapiro
What really matters is how God sees me. He isn’t concerned with labels; he is concerned about the state of man’s soul. Billy Graham
Acceptance looks like a passive state, but in reality it brings something entirely new into this world. That peace, a subtle energy vibration, is consciousness. Eckhart Tolle
Challenging the meaning of life is the truest expression of the state of being human. Viktor E. Frankl
The more people who are dependent on government handouts, the more votes the left can depend on for an ever-expanding welfare state. Thomas Sowell
A birthday is just another day where you go to work and people give you love. Age is just a state of mind, and you are as old as you think you are. You have to count your blessings and be happy. Abhishek Bachchan
Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear – kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor – with the cry of grave national emergency. Douglas MacArthur
Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land. Aldo Leopold
The reason there are two senators for each state is so that one can be the designated driver. Jay Leno
Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content. Helen Keller
Most jokes state a bitter truth. Larry Gelbart
The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected. Sun Tzu
Cold is a state of mind. Bud Grant
An artist’s duty is rather to stay open-minded and in a state where he can receive information and inspiration. You always have to be ready for that little artistic Epiphany. Nick Cave
Being self-made is a state of mind, and once you put that mentality to work, your success will come. Dave East
In the state of nature profit is the measure of right. Thomas Hobbes
Letting go helps us to to live in a more peaceful state of mind and helps restore our balance. It allows others to be responsible for themselves and for us to take our hands off situations that do not belong to us. This frees us from unnecessary stress. Melody Beattie
The best way of learning to be an independent sovereign state is to be an independent sovereign state. Kwame Nkrumah
Death is not natural for a state as it is for a human being, for whom death is not only necessary, but frequently even desirable. Marcus Tullius Cicero
If there were an Oscar for best theatrical performance by a country, Israel would win every year. It’s a country based on theater. It’s a lunatic state – completely insane. Norman Finkelstein
To think that you can – as a Zionist, Jewish independent state at the end of the 20th century – rule over another people for generations without having any consequences – it’s ridiculous. Ehud Barak
To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. George Santayana
Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life. Samuel Ullman
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. Calvin Coolidge
The Kingdom of Heaven is not a place, but a state of mind. John Burroughs
To pursue a goal which is by definition unattainable is to condemn oneself to a state of perpetual unhappiness. Emile Durkheim
I seek truth over a lie; I seek justice over injustice; I seek righteousness over the rewards of evildoers, and I love Allah more than I love the state. H. Rap Brown
Wellness is the compete integration of body, mind, and spirit – the realization that everything we do, think, feel, and believe has an effect on our state of well-being. Greg Anderson
When the satisfaction or the security of another person becomes as significant to one as one’s own satisfaction or security, then the state of love exists. Under no other circumstances is a state of love present, regardless of the popular usage of the term. Harry Stack Sullivan
There is no life to be found in violence. Every act of violence brings us closer to death. Whether it’s the mundane violence we do to our bodies by overeating toxic food or drink or the extreme violence of child abuse, domestic warfare, life-threatening poverty, addiction, or state terrorism. bell hooks
A state is better governed which has few laws, and those laws strictly observed. Rene Descartes
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. Winston Churchill
The more I work with the body, keeping my assumptions in a temporary state of reservation, the more I appreciate and sympathize with a given disease. The body no longer appears as a sick or irrational demon, but as a process with its own inner logic and wisdom. George MacDonald
In a state of grace, the soul is like a well of limpid water, from which flow only streams of clearest crystal. Its works are pleasing both to God and man, rising from the River of Life, beside which it is rooted like a tree. Saint Teresa of Avila
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. John Stuart Mill
The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual crime. Max Stirner
Crime and bad lives are the measure of a State’s failure, all crime in the end is the crime of the community. H. G. Wells
Love is the total absence of fear. Love asks no questions. Its natural state is one of extension and expansion, not comparison and measurement. Gerald Jampolsky
I think it’s important to get your surroundings as well as yourself into a positive state – meaning surround yourself with positive people, not the kind who are negative and jealous of everything you do. Heidi Klum
The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws. Tacitus
Daydreaming is one of the key sources of poetry – a poem often starts as a daydream that finds its way into language – and walking seems to bring a different sort of alertness, an associative kind of thinking, a drifting state of mind. Edward Hirsch
The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity. Glenn Gould
The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation. Pierre Trudeau
A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values. Ayn Rand
