"I am the son of an illiterate father and mother."

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Politics See all quotes by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva →

React to this quote

More by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

“President Bush Welcomes President Lula of Brazil to Camp David”

“If the US is the country that most contributes with greenhouse gases, in the world, it should assume more responsibility to reduce emissions.”

“This is a crisis that was caused by people, white with blue eyes. And before the crisis they looked as if they knew everything about economics.”

“Brazil is in a solid position. In the past, if the United States sneezed, we caught pneumonia. Today, if the United States sneezes, we sneeze too.”

“From an ethical point of view the price difference is grotesque and from a political point of view, it represents a lack of respect, as though a sick Brazilian is inferior.”

“I want to know if the people are in the shit and I want to take the people out of the shit in which they are." – during a speech in São Luís, the capital of the Brazilian state of Maranhão. After recognizing he cursed, he stated: "Of course I cursed. Tomorrow, commentators of the major newspapers will say that Lula cursed, but I'm aware that they curse more than I do everyday, and I'm aware of how the poor people of this country live.”

Resonant Thoughts

"Each person belongs to the environment, in his own person, as himself."

— William Saroyan

Literature1908–1981

#family

"Philosophers often behave like little children who scribble some marks on a piece of paper at random and then ask the grown-up "What's that?" — It happened like this: the grown-up had drawn pictures f…"

— Ludwig Wittgenstein

Philosophy1845–1925

#family

"My father was as well aware as anyone that Christians do not, in general, undergo the demoralizing consequences which seem inherent in such a creed, in the manner or to the extent which might have bee…"

— John Stuart Mill

Philosophy1806–1873

#philosophy

"For at a congress of the Lacedaemonian allies and the other Greeks, in which Amyntas, the father of Philip, being entitled to a seat, was represented by a delegate whose vote was absolutely under his …"

— Aeschines

Politics-389–-314

#philosophy