freedom-of-speech

Democracy was supposed to champion freedom of speech, and yet the simple rules of table decorum could clamp down on the rights their forefathers had fought and died for.

Too many adults wish to 'protect' teenagers when they should be stimulating them to read of life as it is lived.

No man voluntarily expresses his opinion without some intent to make a difference, and even if he does, he shouldn't.

If there's no sense of self, there's no sense of culture. If there's no sense of wisdom, there's no sense of progress. If there's no sense of love, there's no sense of peace. If there's no sense of peace, there's no sense of stability. If there's no room for freedom of expressions, there's no room for growth.

You are not a real thinker if your thoughts haven't landed you in trouble yet

Oil may run out, liquidity may dry up, but as long as ink flows freely, the next chapter of Life will continue to be written.

You can control the visibility of my name and my popularity, but you cannot control the frequency at which people are quoting me. Truth always rises with time.

I want to be part of the happiness team - let's create the happiness team - from love, not greed, love of life & our planet, true & free.

Words to intrigue, inspire, examine, question, praise; Words to help us appreciate our world, our selves, our games; Words to dance our true soul fires gracefully free.

Freedom of speech means setting words free. Imprisoned and freed words are consequential. All words have consequences.

Freedom of speech means setting words free. Imprisoned and freed words are consequential. All words have consequences. Restrain and release words with respect for their consequentialness.

The only truth is that we cannot speak the truth . The only acceptable viewpoint is that we cannot express a viewpoint.

Actually, I am a coward. I say only what is safe to say, and I criticise only what is permissable to criticise.

It is difficult to call myself a writer, even when I stand at a podium to receive a prize, I feel uncomfortable calling myself a writer__ am merely a word criminal.

Genuine bravery for a writer.... It is about calmly speaking the truth when everyone else is silenced, when the truth cannot be expressed. It is about speaking out with a different voice, risking the wrath of the state and offending everyone, for the sake of the truth, and the writer__ conscience.

Why is contemporary China short of works that speak directly? Because we writers cannot speak directly, or rather we can only speak in an indirect way.Why does contemporary China lack good works that critique our current situation? Because our current situation may not be critiqued. We have not only lost the right to criticise, but the courage to do so.Why is modern China lacking in great writers? Because all the great writers are castrated while still in the nursery.

Imagination sees the complete reality, - it is where past, present and future meet... Imagination is limited neither to the reality which is apparent - nor to one place. It lives everywhere. It is at a centre and feels the vibrations of all the circles within which east and west are virtually included. Imagination is the life of mental freedom. It realizes what everything is in its many aspects ... Imagination does not uplift: we don't want to be uplifted, we want to be more completely aware.

Self-expression has to come out pure. It has to have an environment waiting for it. It has to have a garden it can plant itself in.