It’s hard to choose the best 1984 quotes, because every paragraph is beautifully constructed. I absolutely love this book, it’s easily one of my all time favorites. So it was well worth the time to analyze them all. George Orwell was a master with linguistics.
Not only that, but it seems like he gave an instruction manual to the elites to follow on how to subvert a country, because many of the things he fictionally stated the ministries did – our own politicians also do.
So every once in awhile I cave and have to pick it back up again.
Because of that, I recently re-read 1984 by George Orwell. And I picked up a few quotes along the way that I have always thought were truly powerful messages. I truly believe the pen can be much mightier than the sword (unless you’re in an actual sword fight, in which case – drop the pen).
Without further ado:
here is the Top Ten Best 1984 Quotes
- 1. War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.
- 2. He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.
- 3. The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power – pure power.
- 4. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.
- 5. We are at war with Eastasia. We have always been at war with Eastasia.
- 6. The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.
- 7. Until they became conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.
- 8. The choice for mankind lies between freedom and happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is better.
- 9. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else.
- 10. Sanity is not statistical.
And why not, here’s one more freebie:
- 11. Big Brother is watching you
If you haven’t read it yet, you absolutely should. It’s an excellent novel and provides a lot of critical thinking when you compare it to modern day society.
Do you think I missed any? What’s your favorite 1984 quote?