WIST Quotations

Mead, Margaret -- “Mead’s Maxim”

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.

Margaret Mead (1901-1978) American anthropologist
“Mead’s Maxim”

(in John Peers, comp., 1,001 Logical Laws, p. 155, 1979)

Mead, Margaret -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don’t come home at night.

Margaret Mead (1901-1978) American anthropologist
(Attributed)

Sometimes given "Having someone wonder where you are when you don't come home at night is a very old human need."

Mead, Margaret -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Jealousy is not a barometer by which the depth of love can be read. It merely records the degree of the lover’s insecurity.

Margaret Mead (1901-1978) American anthropologist
(Attributed)

Mead, Margaret -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead (1901-1978) American anthropologist
(Attributed)

Phrase frequently attributed to Mead, but not found in her writings. The first sentence, however, is trademarked.

Mead founded the Institute for Intercultural Studies in 1944 (it dissolved in 2009). Regarding this quote, the IIS noted on its still extant website:

We have been unable to locate when and where it was first cited, becoming a motto for many organizations and movements. We believe it probably came into circulation through a newspaper report of something said spontaneously and informally. We know, however, that it was firmly rooted in her professional work and that it reflected a conviction that she expressed often, in different contexts and phrasings.

Additional discussion about this quotation's origins: Never Doubt That a Small Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens Can Change the World; Indeed, It’s the Only Thing That Ever Has – Quote Investigator.

Mead, Margaret -- (Attributed)

Dave — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 13:22:12 +0000

It is an open question whether any behavior based on fear of eternal punishment can be regarded as ethical or should be regarded as merely cowardly.

Margaret Mead (1901-1978) American anthropologist
(Attributed)

Quoted in Redbook (Feb 1971)

Mead, Margaret -- (Attributed)

Dave — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 22:46:42 +0000

It may be necessary temporarily to accept a lesser evil, but one must never label a necessary evil as good.

Margaret Mead (1901-1978) American anthropologist
(Attributed)

Mead, Margaret -- Some Personal Views (1979)

Dave — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:35:12 +0000

I personally measure success in terms of the contributions an individual makes to her or his fellow human beings.

Margaret Mead (1901-1978) American anthropologist
Some Personal Views (1979)
(Source)