Social Studies Quotes

“I hear my father's voice. "Political differences divided what used to be America into The Nationalist States and The Patriot States: Then Nats declared war on the Patriots. Why?"
Olmo answers in an overly enthusiastic tone. "Because they couldn't agree on the division of derritoryes!"
"Territories," corrects Dad.
"That, too," says Olmo cheerfully.”
― Mya Robarts, The V Girl: A Coming of Age Story

“As you know, I have always been curious about our immortality... how it feels to live on and on through time....I need speculate no longer, I have sampled eternity in Miss Campbell's fifth period "social studies" class. Three days on the concept of "manifest destiny," Vasile. THREE DAYS. I yearned to stand up, rip her lecture notes from her pallid hands, and scream, 'Yes, America expanded westward! Is that not logical, given that Europeans settled on the Eastern shore? What else were they to do? Advance vainly into the sea?”
― Beth Fantaskey, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

“The contrast between genetic and environmental, between nature and nurture, is not a contrast between fixed and changeable. It is a fallacy of biological determinism to say that if differences are in the genes, no change can occur.”
― Richard C. Lewontin, Biology as Ideology: The Doctrine of DNA

“The perfect country doesn't exist, the perfect consciousness doesn't exist, the perfect cosmos doesn't exist.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Tum Dunya Tek Millet: Greatest Country on Earth is Earth

“The world of justice looks very different depending on which side of disparity you belong to. For the everyday commoner, struggle for human rights is the natural way of life, whereas for privileged egomaniacs, activism is a publicity stunt.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Tum Dunya Tek Millet: Greatest Country on Earth is Earth

“Language and ideology are not the same thing. Sociology is a language, socialism is an ideology - economics is a language, capitalism is an ideology. Language is an act of communication, ideology is an act of miscommunication. Focus on the language, not the ideology.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Insan Himalayanoğlu: It's Time to Defect

“The tree of diplomacy only grows thorns of war, not fruits of peace.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Hurricane Humans: Give me accountability, I'll give you peace

“Heritage, in moderation, is an aid to growth, unmoderated, poison.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Rowdy Scientist: Handbook of Humanitarian Science

“Till civic intervention becomes the norm, political intervention will achieve nothing.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Rowdy Scientist: Handbook of Humanitarian Science

“No language speaks to computers better than code,
No language speaks of matter better than physics.
No language speaks of mind better than neurology,
No language speaks pattern better than mathematics.
No language speaks of thought better than philosophy,
No language speaks of emotion better than poetry.
No language speaks of justice better than sociology,
No language speaks of behavior better than psychology.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Insan Himalayanoğlu: It's Time to Defect

“One thing I hate most in this world, next to arrogance, is hypocrisy. Privileged teenagers hysterically yelling about climate action with no tangible contribution on their part - privileged celebrities flying in private jets, sipping fine wine, while barking about equal pay in a room full of other privileged celebrities - all these ain't activism, it's entitled lunacy. When you're struggling with your last ounce of strength to put food on the table, to keep a roof over your family, and still have some generosity left for your neighbors, that's the highest form of human rights struggle there is.

The world of justice looks very different depending on which side of disparity you belong to. For the everyday commoner, struggle for human rights is the natural way of life, whereas for privileged egomaniacs, activism is a publicity stunt. Send these entitled bunch of buffoons to labor in the streets of the developing parts of the world, and all their activism will fly out the window.

It's this simple. Before you start shouting about rights, equality and justice, have the decency and common sense to step out of the lap of privilege and luxury. Remember, there is no difference between a barking dog with golden platter and barking activist with a silver spoon. Struggle in the streets, struggle in the beaches, only then you shall know, what suits the humans, what suits the leeches.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Tum Dunya Tek Millet: Greatest Country on Earth is Earth

“Yelling about justice without using common sense is just as useless as keeping quiet.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Insan Himalayanoğlu: It's Time to Defect

“Language and ideology are not the same thing. Sociology is a language, socialism is an ideology - economics is a language, capitalism is an ideology. Language is an act of communication, ideology is an act of miscommunication. Focus on the language, not the ideology. Because no matter how perfect an ideology appears to be, sooner or later all ideology gets corrupt, particularly because ideology thrives on rigidity - whereas all languages evolve with time at a simple, natural, and almost seamless pace, with no reliance on allegiance and popularity.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Insan Himalayanoğlu: It's Time to Defect

“It's the welfare of society that matters, not the opinion of society run by populism.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Yarasistan: My Wounds, My Crown

“Society is no longer a property of the state.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Bulletproof Backbone: Injustice Not Allowed on My Watch

“Justice restricted to social media, is but make believe justice.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Either Right or Human: 300 Limericks of Inclusion

“Show me a nation with a huge defense budget, I'll show you a retarded nation. Show me a nation with a huge education budget, I'll show you a nation of the future.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Bulletproof Backbone: Injustice Not Allowed on My Watch

“Education is the ultimate defense policy.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Bulletproof Backbone: Injustice Not Allowed on My Watch

“Education is the highest form of defense.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Bulletproof Backbone: Injustice Not Allowed on My Watch

“When faced by an international conflict, forget diplomacy, forget statecraft, forget strategies and policies and ask yourself, what would a human do in this situation, not a politician, not a bureaucrat, not a law enforcement official, but a human? The tree of diplomacy only grows thorns of war, not fruits of peace.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Hurricane Humans: Give me accountability, I'll give you peace

“World needs love that transcends body.
World needs truth that transcends belief.
World needs honor that transcends wealth.
World needs order that transcends police.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Visvavatan: 100 Demilitarization Sonnets

“World is made in your image.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Yüz Şiirlerin Yüzüğü (Ring of 100 Poems, Bilingual Edition): 100 Turkish Poems with Translations

“When you sit in your car long enough, you will find that this is what everyone is doing.”
― Niedria Dionne Kenny

“Power through paranoia - politics 101.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Humanitarian Dictator

“The iceberg model highlights why we cannot judge a new culture purely on what we see. Instinctively, we know there's more to a situation than we initially perceive... It is essential to take time to uncover the beliefs that underline behavior.”
― Gaiti Rabbani, Curious About Culture: Refocus your lens on culture to cultivate cross cultural understanding

“The peril of unconscious bias is greatest when it seeps into all levels of society and becomes group thinking.”
― Gaiti Rabbani, Curious About Culture: Refocus your lens on culture to cultivate cross cultural understanding

“... the smallest unit we study in anthropology is not the single person, but the relationship between two. It is not the innermost thoughts of the individual that constitute our object of study, but the social dynamics between people and their products; where the innermost thoughts of the person, incidentally, are often expressed.”
― Thomas Hylland Eriksen, What Is Anthropology?

“Spectacles, forced mask of certain personality, self-hatred and life-long traumas, that are hidden behind curated theatrics, which remain unhealed, eventually will swallow your bravado and force you to have an honest conversation with your real self, which you try to hide from everyone, even from yourself.


The reason I never cared for volume in anything, but substance of what I live, create and who I choose to let into my life, was because I don’t need anyone's permission or validation to be alive, brave, afraid, weak, honest, fearless or vulnerable. Substance over noise and chaos, always.”
― Elena Levon

“Why Humanities Matter (Sonnet 2443)

There's not one but two kinds of knowledge,
one is empirical, another is existential.
Maths, physics, chemistry, biology,
these are empirical knowledge that explore
the building blocks of life and universe,

whereas existential knowledge of the humanities
make us unfold new meanings of life and universe,
not in an archaic, blind, preordained sort of way,
but by fostering a deeper sense of lived community.

Empirical disciplines are instrument of efficiency,
while humanities are the carrier of illumination.
Abundance on the outside counts for nothing,
if the inside is suffering from malnutrition.

Empirical disciplines will take us to the stars,
but it's humanities that make sure,
we don't leave behind our humanity,
otherwise we'll just end up a bunch of space monkeys.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Sonnets From The Mountaintop

“Empirical disciplines will take us to the stars, but it's humanities that make sure, we don't leave behind our humanity, otherwise we'll just end up a bunch of space monkeys.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Sonnets From The Mountaintop