Top 10 Most Depressing Quotes from Orwell's 1984
"Do you begin to see, then, what kind of world we are creating? It is the exact opposite of the stupid hedonistic Utopias that the old reformers imagined. A world of fear and treachery and torment, a world of trampling and being trampled upon, a world which will grow not less but more merciless as it refines itself. Progress in our world will be progress toward more pain."
"There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized."
"From where Winston stood it was just possible to read, picked out on its white face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the Party:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."
"Never again will you be capable of ordinary human feeling. Everything will be dead inside you. Never again will you be capable of love, or friendship, or joy of living, or laughter, or curiosity, or courage, or integrity. You will be hollow. We shall squeeze you empty and then we shall fill you with ourselves."
"The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from all the oligarchies of the past, in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just round the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. 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. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power."
"We are not content with negative obedience, nor even with the most abject submission. When finally you surrender to us, it must be of your own free will. We do not destroy the heretic because he resists us; so long as he resists us we never destroy him. We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him. We burn all evil and all illusion out of him; we bring him over to our side, not in appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul. We make him one of ourselves before we kill him. It is intolerable to us that an erroneous thought should exist anywhere in the world, however secret and powerless it may be. Even in the instance of death we cannot permit any deviation . . . we make the brain perfect before we blow it out."
"The ideal set up by the Party was something huge, terrible, and glittering—a world of steel and concrete, of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons—a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting—three hundred million people all with the same face."
"A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledge hammer, seemed to flow through the whole group of people like an electric current, turning one even against one's will into a grimacing, screaming lunatic. And yet the rage that one felt was an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched from one object to another like the flame of a blowlamp."
"We shall abolish the orgasm. Our neurologists are at work upon it now. There will be no loyalty, except loyalty towards the Party. There will be no love, except the love of Big Brother. There will be no laughter, except the laugh of triumph over a defeated enemy. There will be no art, no literature, no science. When we are omnipotent there will be no need of science. There will be no distinction between beauty and ugliness. There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always—do not forget this Winston—always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever."
"He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast!
Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."
(Image courtesy of Yelena Ebel and www.theactorsgang.com)
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User Comments - Add a Comment
Digg - 2008-03-12 21:04:47
I am digg FEAR ME
Asrrin29 - 2008-03-12 21:24:47
Freedom is the freedom to say that 2 + 2 = 4. All else shall follow.
abraxas - 2008-03-12 21:27:47
not to forget....
"underneath the spreading chestnut tree, i sold you and you sold me"
genius.
@Digg - 2008-03-12 21:30:37
Ha! With your fascistic GoDaddy sponsorships and all!
Fear Digg? Not after its owners become sellouts.
It will happen, and it will taste of boot upon face.
Fight it, violently.
Seb - 2008-03-12 21:45:30
Don't fucking quote the ending u silly noobs
mgroves - 2008-03-12 22:11:38
I would've selected "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever." as #1, personally. It just paints a picture of eternal hopelessness.
Alexandre Wilson - 2008-03-12 22:19:32
What a coincidence. I just read this book!
Amazing piece of literature.
Digg User - 2008-03-12 22:30:28
Digg is nothing to be afraid of, it is the 15 min. hate in 1984 that never ends.
Scorpio - 2008-03-12 23:09:26
Many of the quotes are frightfully remenisent of current neo-con behavior and philosophy. If they manage to steal another "election", we may not be able to turn the tide of their quest for totalitarianism.
ryanwmu - 2008-03-12 23:32:54
quoting the end is too easy, although it is quite extraordinary. his writing style is beautiful. political satire has never been the same since.
O_P - 2008-03-12 23:33:07
"Seb - 2008-03-12 21:45:30
Don't fucking quote the ending u silly noobs"
Quoted for truth.
Anon - 2008-03-12 23:39:20
"Sanity is not statistical"
To be honest, there are better quotes in there, far more powerful because they raise serious questions about current politics and morality/philosophy, but still... nice to see a list made, and on digg.com as well :)
And quoting the ending is a bit harsh in that it was such as shocker for me, I wouldnt of wanted it spoiled... any other book I wouldnt mind...
Shandooga - 2008-03-12 23:53:22
All this time we thought "1984" was written as a warning. Apparently, the Gatling effect still applies; some have received it as an instruction.
mike - 2008-03-12 23:57:20
depressingly familial. Homeland security anyone?
phase_shyfter - 2008-03-13 00:11:41
Brilliant masterpiece, only problem was that it was set almost a quarter of a century before the fact, maybe it was an intentional heads-up... and just to reiterate, good job on quoting the end, lmao...
1984 Orwell is ALREADY here... you Brainwashed Idiots - 2008-03-13 00:42:50
Empire of Cities :Ring of Power (google video, youtube and downloadable at The PirateBay.com) and ZEITGEISTmovie.com. The New World Order is upon us. STOP THE FREEMASONS, FASCIST ZIONISTS, AND THE ULTRA WEALTHY ELITE OR BE CRUSHED UNDER THEIR FEET.
Big Thanks - 2008-03-13 03:20:00
The further I read, the more I wanted to read the book. But the last quote made me reconsider. Thanks for the spoiler, fuckface.
Morgan - 2008-03-13 07:36:51
believe it or not, my friend's kid got suspended from school 2 years back for writing his book report on 1984 and relating it to present day America. The teacher actually called the essay unpatriotic. Insanity..
Garret Jax - 2008-03-13 08:01:09
The ending isn't the important part of the book. After all the largest portion of the book lies before it. Furthermore, if we quoted every ending to every book, we probably wouldn't be spoiling very much.
If he determines the last quote is the biggest impression, the best you can do is provide a quote you think trumps his.
Mox - 2008-03-13 08:54:04
The book is almost 60 years old! It's kind of ridiculous to never expect to hear about the ending at this point. There was even a spoiler warning.
Just read the thing already.
Anonymous - 2008-03-13 08:54:38
Arguably the greatest satircal novel as well as a contender as the greatest novel.
For those moaning about the spoiler at the end: the article is call "Top 10 Most Depressing Quotes from Orwell's 1984" and none were more depressing than the victory over Winston Smith.
And those that refuse to read it now because of the spoiler, then you are not the likely audience, simply because, although it is a gripping read, Orwell clearly intended the reader to modify their outlook and actions accordingly and not just to entertain you for a couple of hours.
stukpixel - 2008-03-13 09:03:03
Great book. Good quotes.
Big Brother - 2008-03-13 09:04:42
I love how people quote a work of fiction like it's the bible. I'm sorry the government hasn't legalized pot douchebags.
For your health - 2008-03-13 09:42:58
Remember kids:
BIG BROTHER IS A PEDOPHILE
If he promises you a toy or candy, that means he's trying to fuck you.
If he gets his hands on you, it may already be too late to say "no".
Big Brother is a known member of the NAGCLA - North American Government-Citizen Love Association.
If you see Big Brother in your neighborhood, break his cameras with rocks and never get into his van, even if he offers you a Barbie.
in4m8ionman - 2008-03-13 09:43:09
scorpio - you have a lot to learn my friend. You are being fed the party line and you are able to repeat it perfectly. I hope that some day you will finally understand that the real totalitarians are already here and they come from the left - they take your money and give it to others, they want to force you to get your healthcare from them, and on and on - all because they can't trust you to do it on your own because you are too stupid and too unrefined - you have become a member of the herd. I find 1984 fantastic because of all the things that exist already in society - I find it very interesting how Mr. Orwell talks about the Press manipulating reality to support the agenda. Happens every day. Wake up people.
Jesus - 2008-03-13 09:44:14
"I love how people quote a work of fiction like it's the bible."
For all you know the Bible is a work of fiction too. Don't even get me started...
Geo - 2008-03-13 09:49:01
I love how people quote the bible like its some sort of non-fiction. Idiots.
will - 2008-03-13 11:09:49
I always found the 2+2=5 passage to be very moving, i was surprised that you did not include this one.
Laura - 2008-03-13 12:33:47
Amazing book and the ending was very depressing but brilliant at the same time glad you included it.
Thomas Paine - 2008-03-13 16:40:40
Good call on the left trying to control you. That's exactly what they want to do. But nope, we'll follow along like the good stupid cattle we are.
I found this on the Internet off a different blog.
http://www.hostbarracks.com/obama4.php
It's a pic of Obama with the caption: WWBOD?
LOL
We're so gullible!
Anonymous - 2008-03-13 17:44:43
do you really read a list of quotes and not expect to see any spoilers? don't read the quotes then.
lebowski - 2008-03-13 18:29:17
i believe that the emerging north american dictatorship will not be the last but a world dictatorship will follow soon destroying all countries and mergingthem to one nightmare.
Oz_ - 2008-03-13 18:43:40
Great quotes, but the scariest one, in my opinion, was: (SPOILER ALERT!)
"Do anything to me! You've been starving me for weeks. Finish it off and let me die here. Shoot me. Hang me. Sentence me to twenty-five years. Is there somebody else you want me to give away? Just say who it is and I'll tell you anything you want. I don't care who it is or what you do to them. I've got a wife and three children. The biggest of them isn't six years old. You can take the whole lot of them and cut their throats in front of my eyes, and I'll stand by and watch it. But not room 101!"
- the skull-faced man, 1984
WTF!!!! - 2008-03-13 22:08:51
Don't quote the end!!!! FUCK!!
Kira - 2008-03-13 22:19:32
This sounds like the company I work for!
"There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized."
jim johnson - 2008-03-13 23:21:55
Orwell nailed life under Islam.
bluezombie - 2008-03-14 08:42:56
"Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." --Thomas Jefferson
In other words, they can't do it to you without at least your tacit permission. See also ...
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." --Edmund Burke
JP - 2008-03-14 12:05:09
Those who think 1984 is a criticism of "the left" are ignorant of the beliefs of Orwell. He was a convinced man of the left but he was disgusted with the totalitarian USSR and marxist-leninism. He believed in social justice and individual freedom, just like any modern left-winger, unlike the right who are only, in the words of John Kenneth Galbraith:
"[The modern conservative is] engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."
Totalitarian ideologies exist on all degrees of the scale, from left to right: soviet communism, present day chinese state-capitalism (modern maoist communism), north-korean communism, mussolini fascism, franco fascism, pinochet militaristic fascism, burmese military fascism and so on and on... Right now, in the US, the White House right-wing hawks are the ones to look out for when it comes to paving the way of big brother!
Matt - 2008-03-14 19:05:57
Left, right.. just different sides on the same two-headed beast.
Jaxon Brown - 2008-03-15 09:51:18
How in God's name could "Double plus good" not be in the Top 10?
in4m8ionman - 2008-03-15 18:11:10
JP - That was really funny - Individual Freedom - the left - really. And can you say that you are for social justice AND individual freedom in the same sentence? Isn't that kind of oxymoronic?
I don't disagree that many of the modern Republican (Party) ideas would also send us in the wrong direction - but I can't agree that an administration that is fighting against a regime that demands total submission for a MAJOR part of its society and promotes jihad against anyone that dares to debate their ways is in any way "Big Brother" - Unless you mean a "Big Brother" that will stand up against a bully on the playground - then I agree.
(more agreement to follow) On your Totalitarian Ideologies statements - yep - right there with you.
But Folks - again - today's mainstream society is dominated by groups of individuals that are outright lying to you and prompting you to believe things by repeating the message until you believe it. The hypocrisy can be cut into slices it is so thick! Latest case in point - research project - at what point did your local paper mention that Gov. Spitzer was a Democrat? I believe in the NYT - it was around paragraph 15! Quickly followed by the obligatory mention of REPUBLICAN LARRY CRAIG's scum-bag ways. Sure it seems funny - but it stops being funny right around the time your job is to go back and alter the old news to reflect current thought (1984 reference).
I don't care who you are - but wake up - you are being programmed to believe things - LEFT - RIGHT - Republican - Democrat - you are being programmed by the very thing that once freed us by bringing us the truth - folks - it is NOT THE TRUTH ANYMORE!
nikolai - 2008-03-17 11:57:18
The things in 1984 which you can directly relate to today's gov't such as spying on citizens, using patriotic propaganda, waging war for peace, etc, are the things that you SEE. What about other things that are NOT so obvious? For example, a friend told me to google "Chemtrails." I did so and found a site with the kooky idea that the gov't was using aerial spraying to blanket us with unknown chemicals for unknown reasons. The proof? Just look up at the jet trails that crisscross the skies! Like I said, I thought this was a pretty kooky idea at first, but I live in Phoenix AZ and I began to keep an eye on these "chemtrails" and now I DO believe something is being sprayed. Case in point, one of the planes was fairly low, and I could see puffs every 100-200 yards or so along the contrail(chemtrail). My son even commented, "It looks like a centipede"! Another day, we had a beautiful cloudless sky, and during the day jet after jet crisscrossed the sky leaving a web of trails until there was (what appeared to be) total cloud cover! You could easily see where the contrails/chemtrails of the planes had been widened and spread out until they webbed together then finally formed one united covering. There was a "sheen" to the light from the sun, that looked remarkably like the sheen when oil is sprayed up into moist air. Maybe this spraying is for bird flu vaccine, after all, the gov't has already stated that migratory birds could spread the bird flu easily, as there's no way they could be controlled, or, maybe it's something more sinister. Whatever the case, I DO now believe the go'vt is spraying SOMETHING, some type of chemical(s) on us regularly. Crazy? I used to think so too, but I don't think it's a crazy idea anymore. Check into this for yourselves, whatever it is, it ISN'T simple water vapor, or it would dissipate, NOT linger for HOURS and form a cloud cover!
tob - 2008-03-18 02:13:26
Sorry nikolai, after reading your comment, I just HAD to say that if the US government were spraying substances from the sky to make everyone in the US more complicit, more law-abiding, and better human beings in general, then they've failed. Miserably.
Unless of course, the spray was intended to do the opposite. Then it's pretty much doing its thing.
fAbO - 2008-03-18 05:25:10
OOOHHHHH, COOOMEEE OOONNN, IN4M8IONMAN!!!
"I can't agree that an administration that is fighting against a regime that demands total submission for a MAJOR part of its society and promotes jihad against anyone that dares to debate their ways is in any way "Big Brother" - Unless you mean a "Big Brother" that will stand up against a bully on the playground - then I agree. "
FIRST OF ALL, your "LetsSaveTheWorld" Administration was the one that put those "bullies" in the government. Second, when exacty was the moment when fucking US thought theirselves as the judges of the World? Man, wake up, YOU are the bullies of this planet. YOU are the real enemy that wants to control everything, by inventing enemies everywere. YOUR government is the one that wants total submission of THE REST OF THE WORLD...
dumbass...
bill - 2008-03-20 13:15:46
this sort of totalitarianism is more a product of socialist philosophy: economic & social control, political correctness, all to ensure equality. An equality of misery achieved by dragging everyone down to the level of the lowest common denominator.
Freedom=4 - 2008-03-21 05:12:58
I see a lot of Left wing, Right wing bashing. Please stop. As the US government stands right now, their electoral parties are no more than two sides of the same coin. Those who bash either wing while supporting the other are being controlled, you fight because you are being made to fight. Obama, Macain, Hillary, these are the same candy in different wrapping. I mean seriously, you think these people are gonna keep their promises, or work for he good of the US and it's people. Like the quotes up their stated, the main goal here, the end is power. These charades of evil dictators, elections, Right wing, Left wing parties, never ending wars that are fueled from both sides by the US, they're just that, charades. A distraction that works, because as people still whine and fight among themselves they become segregated, separated, divided as the system, the Party wishes. Why? Because when the moment comes, and it is clear to those who are left with their minds still unwashed by the system and it's media, and they see what is happening, no one will stand up, no one will do anything. As it stands, the party, the system, has already won.
Big Brother 9 - 2008-03-22 21:31:56
I love the big brother 9 ad over in the right column. Priceless.
Jack - 2008-03-24 21:15:17
The whole book was damned depressing. Especially how the torture and brainwashing made them betray and hate each other in the end.
lost cause - 2008-03-25 11:05:11
Scorpio get a life away from the conspiracy theories... read Jonah Goldberg's, "Liberal Fascism" and truly understand the party of Orwell...
Dave
Sane Equillibrium - 2008-03-25 23:39:07
"Stop the Freemasons!"
Come on, I get tired of hearing that conspiracy non-sense. There's no man in an apron controlling your strings, but your corporate owners will certainly try.
p.s. the verification phrase for this comment was "be uniforms".
Solvopugnis - 2008-03-26 19:00:09
don't drink the water. Parepin.
Anonymous - 2008-03-26 23:32:25
how many fingers am I holding up?
Jez - 2008-03-27 15:25:50
Some two weeks or so ago I stumbled upon this page. I didn't read the final quote because I'd the intention of reading the book and didn't want to ruin it. I have just finished reading the book and have now read the final quote. Staggering. Brilliant literature.
Dizzley - 2008-04-01 16:35:55
Wherever people are told that the enemy is waiting to pounce, that it's better for individuals to lose their rights for the good of the homeland, that to disagree is to be unpatriotic - then is it 1984.
We are becoming Winston Smiths - trying to live our quiet little lives in a world of newspeak. relieved that, at least for today, the boot won't meet our own face. Big brother is watching you and today he guards the interests of business and hollow old men.
Homeland security - a phrase which sounds like honey and smells like jackboots. Was such newspeak an invention of Orwell or the White House?
Orwell wrote in 1948 about 1984. How things have changed in 60 years!
Val - 2008-04-01 23:45:05
Solvopugnis-
Dude, I was thinking about perapin.
Apathy.
Anonymous - 2008-04-09 05:46:41
Just to say, I find it hilarious that people are criticising the author for posting the final quote. Did they not bother to read the
"**Spoiler Alert!**" along with the title?
Other than that, I agree that the boot on the face quote should be number one. It's truly horrific.
K@tarina - 2008-04-24 09:10:27
it clearly states SPOILER ALERT (that might mean if you havent read the book dont read that part of the website) ...duh!
Tab - 2008-04-26 11:41:33
Jesus - I love you. (I never thought I'd say that)
friendly viking - 2008-05-03 05:16:54
For the left- and right- wingers playing a game of hyperbolic tennis: calm down. Garden-variety right-wing politics (privitisation etc) are not totalitarian. Garden-variety left-wing politics (welfate etc) are not totalitarian. Totalitarianism can grow from both sides - and when it does, the terms left-wing and right-wing become obsolete; the two ideas meet in the middle and become identical - but you do not live under a dictatorship simply because you are made to give a protion of your wages to society, or because society authorises police to prevent you from causing disorder. You don't even live under fascism simply because the last election was stolen - you simply live under a flawed electoral system in need of revising (and, in the case of America, a media with strong need of regulation). Constant vigilance does not mean seeing extremes where they do not exist. Peace.
Big Brother - 2008-05-04 20:30:35
Sorry to burst your bubble, but is the 2 minute hate, not 15 minutes.
Brandon - 2008-05-29 11:34:22
George Bush is easily the best president we have had since reagan. I love America.
Elvis Einstein Beethoven. - 2008-05-31 22:31:43
"tomorrow never dies."
supersamm - 2008-06-03 20:10:47
Big brother watches me?
I WATCH BIG BROTHER.
O'Brien's_daughter - 2008-06-06 08:24:28
Winston - Does Big Brother exist?
O'Brien - Of course he exists.
Winston - Does he exist like you or me?
O'Brien - You do not exist.
ahartline - 2008-06-23 23:38:56
thank you, friendly viking. a voice of reason.
User3rror - 2008-06-27 01:55:31
JFK was the best president that I know of, and to quote him, "The very word secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society... for we are opposed around the world, by a monolythic and ruthless conspiracy... It is a system which has conscripted was human and material rescources into the building of a thightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific, and political operations. ... I am asking your help with the tremendous task of informing and alerting the American people, confident that with your help man will be what he was born to be. Free and Independant"
Full vid here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=3ngJNIk8elA
furd - 2008-03-12 08:01:03
"And I believe that totalitarianism, if not fought against, could triumph again." - George Orwell