Gnarr Quotes

“I wish you could simply extirpate violence and war from the world, abolish all the armed forces, and destroy all the bombs. But this is probably not very realistic. Ultimately, everyone has to start with themselves. Many want to be active somewhere else, at best in a country where they don't currently live. But what's the point, if there's no peace in your own life? So be at peace with yourself. And how? Through peaceful dealings with others. Start by ensuring peace at home before you go out into the world. Or work for peace in both spheres. You can't be working for a peace camp in the Middle East during the day and then in the evening have a quarrel with your family over the phone.”
― Jón Gnarr, Gnarr: How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World

“Those who want peace must open their mouths wider than others. Peace is a basic human right, and as long as wars are still being waged around the world, we cannot in good conscience count ourselves to be worthy members of the highly civilized species Homo sapiens. We should set ourselves the goal of establishing specific peace zones, and expanding and extending them over the whole world.”
― Jón Gnarr, Gnarr: How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World

“I had no idea what a mayor actually did. We'd had mayors who were mentally unstable and others who were alcoholics. I was neither.”
― Jón Gnarr, Gnarr: How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World

“We're so focused exclusively on success that we've forgotten how to enjoy things. And that's understandable. ...But success has its price. That price, in part, is joy in life. Because ultimate success does not exist. There's always a bit more to do.”
― Jón Gnarr, Gnarr: How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World

“The only realistic way to change things is direct participation in democracy.”
― Jón Gnarr, Gnarr: How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World