POWERFUL QUOTES FROM THE WORLD’S MOST

HUMBLE PRESIDENT

15

JOSE “PEPE” MUJICA “Modest yet bold, liberal and fun-loving” – The Economist

ON

REVOLUTIONS

AND REVOLTS

1

"I've seen some springs that ended up being terrible winters. We

human beings are gregarious. We can't live alone. For our lives to be

possible, we depend on society. It's one thing to overturn a

government or block the streets. But it's a different matter altogether

to create and build a better society, one that needs organization,

discipline and long-term work. Let's not confuse the two of them. I

want to make it clear: I feel sympathetic with that youthful energy,

but I think it's not going anywhere if it doesn't become more mature.“

"I've seen some springs that ended up being terrible winters. We

human beings are gregarious. We can't live alone. For our lives to be

possible, we depend on society. It's one thing to overturn a

government or block the streets. But it's a different matter altogether

to create and build a better society, one that needs organization,

discipline and long-term work. Let's not confuse the two of them. I

want to make it clear: I feel sympathetic with that youthful energy,

but I think it's not going anywhere if it doesn't become more mature.“

"I've seen some springs that ended up being terrible winters. We

human beings are gregarious. We can't live alone. For our lives to be

possible, we depend on society. It's one thing to overturn a

government or block the streets. But it's a different matter altogether

to create and build a better society, one that needs organization,

discipline and long-term work. Let's not confuse the two of them. I

want to make it clear: I feel sympathetic with that youthful energy,

but I think it's not going anywhere if it doesn't become more mature.“ (Source)

ON

LEGALIZING

MARIJUANA

2

"It has always been like that with changes. In 1913, we established

divorce as a right for women in Uruguay. You know what they were

saying back then? That families would dissolve. That it was the end

of good manners and society. There has always been a conservative

and traditional opinion out there that's afraid of change. When I was

young and would go dancing at balls, we'd have to wear suits and

ties. Otherwise they wouldn't let us in. I don't think anyone dresses

up for dancing parties nowadays.“

"It has always been like that with changes. In 1913, we established

divorce as a right for women in Uruguay. You know what they were

saying back then? That families would dissolve. That it was the end

of good manners and society. There has always been a conservative

and traditional opinion out there that's afraid of change. When I was

young and would go dancing at balls, we'd have to wear suits and

ties. Otherwise they wouldn't let us in. I don't think anyone dresses

up for dancing parties nowadays.“ (Source)

ON

MATERIALISM

3

“We have sacrificed the old immaterial gods, and now we are

occupying the temple of the Market-God. He organizes our economy,

our politics, our habits, our lives, and even provides us with rates and

credit cards and gives us the appearance of happiness. It seems that

we have been born only to consume and to consume, and when we

can no longer consume, we have a feeling of frustration, and we

suffer from poverty, and we are auto-marginalized.“

“We have sacrificed the old immaterial gods, and now we are

occupying the temple of the Market-God. He organizes our economy,

our politics, our habits, our lives, and even provides us with rates and

credit cards and gives us the appearance of happiness. It seems that

we have been born only to consume and to consume, and when we

can no longer consume, we have a feeling of frustration, and we

suffer from poverty, and we are auto-marginalized.“ (Source)

ON GLOBAL

CONSUMPTION

4

"We can almost recycle everything now. If we lived within our means, by being prudent, the 7 billion people in

the world could have everything they needed. Global politics should

be moving in that direction. But we think as people and countries, not

as a species.“ (Source)

ON ABORTION

& SAME-SEX

MARRIAGE

5

"We applied a very simple principle:

Recognize the facts. Abortion is old as the world. Gay marriage, please — it's older than

the world. We had Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, please. To say

it's modern, come on, it's older than we are. It's an objective reality

that it exists. For us, not legalizing it would be to torture people

needlessly."

"We applied a very simple principle:

Recognize the facts. Abortion is old as the world. Gay marriage, please — it's older than

the world. We had Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, please. To say

it's modern, come on, it's older than we are. It's an objective reality

that it exists. For us, not legalizing it would be to torture people

needlessly.“ (Source)

ON ENDING

CONFLICT

6

“From afar, it seems like a war without a solution and like a long

sacrifice for the entire country. So when a president appears who

tries to open a path to peace, I think that deserves support, because

there is a lot of pain, and if they try to settle scores, the war will

never end. But there is an opportunity. I would feel selfish if I did not

help in any way.

Help does not mean to intervene. I will not meddle if I am not invited

to do so. But if I can serve as a go-between with my experience, I will

support the government's call for dialogue with the rebel forces who

also have their problems, who also have their fears.

I think all us Latin Americans have to help.“ (

“From afar, it seems like a war without a solution and like a long

sacrifice for the entire country. So when a president appears who

tries to open a path to peace, I think that deserves support, because

there is a lot of pain, and if they try to settle scores, the war will

never end. But there is an opportunity. I would feel selfish if I did not

help in any way.

Help does not mean to intervene. I will not meddle if I am not invited

to do so. But if I can serve as a go-between with my experience, I will

support the government's call for dialogue with the rebel forces who

also have their problems, who also have their fears.

I think all us Latin Americans have to help.“ (

“From afar, it seems like a war without a solution and like a long

sacrifice for the entire country. So when a president appears who

tries to open a path to peace, I think that deserves support, because

there is a lot of pain, and if they try to settle scores, the war will

never end. But there is an opportunity. I would feel selfish if I did not

help in any way.

Help does not mean to intervene. I will not meddle if I am not invited

to do so. But if I can serve as a go-between with my experience, I will

support the government's call for dialogue with the rebel forces who

also have their problems, who also have their fears.

I think all us Latin Americans have to help.“ (Source)

ON STAYING

HUMBLE IN

OFFICE

7

"As soon as politicians start climbing up the ladder, they suddenly

become kings. I don't know how it works, but what I do know is that

republics came to the world to make sure that no one is more than

anyone else.”

"As soon as politicians start climbing up the ladder, they suddenly

become kings. I don't know how it works, but what I do know is that

republics came to the world to make sure that no one is more than

anyone else.”

The pomp of office, he said, is like something left over from a feudal

past: "You need a palace, red carpet, a lot of people behind you

saying, 'Yes, sir.' I think all of that is awful.“ (Source)

8 ON

REDISTRIBUTION

OF WEALTH

"Businesses just want to increase their profits; it's up to the

government to make sure they distribute enough of those profits so

workers have the money to buy the goods they produce," Mujica told

businessmen at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "It's no mystery —

the less poverty, the more commerce. The most important investment

we can make is in human resources.“

"Businesses just want to increase their profits; it's up to the

government to make sure they distribute enough of those profits so

workers have the money to buy the goods they produce," Mujica told

businessmen at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "It's no mystery —

the less poverty, the more commerce. The most important investment

we can make is in human resources.“ (Source)

ON AGE

9

"What's sad is that an 80-year-old grandpa has to be the

open-minded one. Old people aren't old because of their age, but

because of what's in their heads. They are horrified at this, but they

aren't horrified at what's happening in the streets?“ (Source)

10

ON ADDICTION

"Worse that drugs is drug trafficking. Much worse. Drugs are a

disease, and I don't think that there are good drugs or that marijuana

is good. Nor cigarettes. No addiction is good. I include alcohol.

The only good addiction is love. Forget

everything else."

"Worse that drugs is drug trafficking. Much worse. Drugs are a

disease, and I don't think that there are good drugs or that marijuana

is good. Nor cigarettes. No addiction is good. I include alcohol.

The only good addiction is love.

Forget everything else." (Source)

ON BEING CALLED THE

WORLD’S POOREST

PRESIDENT

11

"I'm not the poorest president.

The poorest is the one who needs a lot to live. My lifestyle is a consequence of my wounds. I'm the son of my

history. There have been years when I would have been happy just to

have a mattress."

"I'm not the poorest president.

The poorest is the one who needs a lot to live. My lifestyle is a consequence of my wounds. I'm the son of my

history. There have been years when I would have been happy just to

have a mattress."

"I'm not the poorest president.

The poorest is the one who needs a lot to live. My lifestyle is a consequence of my wounds. I'm the son of my

history. There have been years when I would have been happy just to

have a mattress." (Source)

ON DONATING 90% OF

HIS SALARY TO CHARITY

12

"I have a way of life that I don't change just because I am a president.

I earn more than I need, even if it's not enough for others. For me, it is

no sacrifice, it's a duty.“ (Source)

ON HIS GOALS

FOR URUGUAY

13

"My goal is to achieve a little less injustice in Uruguay, to help the

most vulnerable and to leave behind a political way of thinking, a

way of looking at the future that will be passed on and used to move

forward. There's nothing short-term, no victory around the corner. I

will not achieve paradise or anything like that. What I want is to fight

for the common good to progress. Life slips by. The way to prolong it

is for others to continue your work.“

"My goal is to achieve a little less injustice in Uruguay, to help the

most vulnerable and to leave behind a political way of thinking, a

way of looking at the future that will be passed on and used to move

forward. There's nothing short-term, no victory around the corner. I

will not achieve paradise or anything like that. What I want is to fight

for the common good to progress. Life slips by. The way to prolong it

is for others to continue your work.“

"My goal is to achieve a little less injustice in Uruguay, to help the

most vulnerable and to leave behind a political way of thinking, a

way of looking at the future that will be passed on and used to move

forward. There's nothing short-term, no victory around the corner. I

will not achieve paradise or anything like that. What I want is to fight

for the common good to progress. Life slips by. The way to prolong it

is for others to continue your work.“ (Source)

ON BEING A

PRESIDENT

14

"A president is a high-level official who is elected to carry out a

function. He is not a king, not a god. He is not the witch doctor of a

tribe who knows everything.

He is a civil servant. I think the ideal way of living is to live like the vast majority of people

whom we attempt to serve and represent."

"A president is a high-level official who is elected to carry out a

function. He is not a king, not a god. He is not the witch doctor of a

tribe who knows everything.

He is a civil servant. I think the ideal way of living is to live like the vast majority of people

whom we attempt to serve and represent."

"A president is a high-level official who is elected to carry out a

function. He is not a king, not a god. He is not the witch doctor of a

tribe who knows everything.

He is a civil servant. I think the ideal way of living is to live like the vast majority of people

whom we attempt to serve and represent.“ (Source)

ON THE SECRET

TO HAPPINESS

15

"To live in accordance with how one thinks.

Be yourself and don't try to impose your criteria on the rest.

"To live in accordance with how one thinks.

Be yourself and don't try to impose your criteria on the rest. I don't expect others to live like me. I want to respect people's

freedom, but I defend my freedom. And that comes with the courage

to say what you think, even if sometimes others don't share those

views." (Source)

Based on the article

“15 Powerful Quotes From the World's Most Humble President”

by Hyacinth Mascarenhas

Asma Ansari

Twitter: @asmaansari7