“The reason I made women's issues central to American foreign policy, was not because I was a feminist, but because we know that societies are more stable if women are politically and economically empowered.” IfsKnowsMadeReasonIssuesPolicyFeministForeign PolicyStableEmpoweredAmerican Foreign Policy Author:Madeleine Albright
“I do consider myself a feminist. I know the word has weird implications for people now, but I do think that its important to have women involved, whether its business or public service or...anything.” PeopleThinkingKnowsImportantInvolvedFeministImplicationsPublic Service Author:Madeleine Albright
“We went to the same college so I know [Hillary Clinton's] study habits, but when she was first lady of Arkansas, she did a lot of things already for children, and she was head of the Children's Defense Fund, and that's how I first heard her or met her, she was very very involved in really a very important social program to do something about children and women and education.” KnowsFirstsChildrenImportantSocialStudyHeardCollegeHabitInvolvedMetsProgramClintonDefenseFundFirst LadyArkansasSocial Programs Author:Madeleine Albright
“You can't just think that you will get a job for no good reason... And I think that the other part is you have to work your way up, you know I did a lot of Xeroxing and getting coffee...I always did what I was asked to do. I delivered. People knew that I would get things done and get them done well. And that is a big part of our resumes, are based on being responsible and being willing to do what needed to be done.” PeopleThinkingKnowsWayWellsReasonDoneBigsJobsWillingNeededResponsibleCoffeeThings DoneBeing ResponsibleResumes Author:Madeleine Albright
“In terms intellectually, [what] shaped my life was the whole Munich thing [the Munich Agreement] that I knew about all my life, in terms of how large powers make decisions that affect small countries, and the unintended consequences of that. The other part is I knew about the Holocaust. l just didn't know that it applied to my family. But that did affect the way I thought about what I was seeing as ethnic cleansing in the Balkans; there's no question about that.” KnowsWayCountryWholeTermDecisionSeeingConsequenceMy FamilyAgreementHolocaustCleansingEthnic CleansingMunichBalkansSmall CountriesUnintended Consequences Author:Madeleine Albright
“John Kerry knows more about more subjects than an awful lot of people. But I think it's a very hard job [Secretary of State].” PeopleThinkingKnowsHardStatesJobsSubjectsAwfulSecretaryJohn Kerry Author:Madeleine Albright
“I think that we all know what evil is. We have a sense of what's evil, and certainly killing innocent people is evil. We're less sure about what is good. There's sort of good, good enough, could be better - but absolute good is a little harder to define.” PeopleThinkingKnowsLittlesEnoughEvilHarderAbsolutesKillingInnocentGood Enough Author:Madeleine Albright
“Women have to be active listeners and interrupters - but when you interrupt, you have to know what you are talking about.” KnowsTalkingActiveListeners Author:Madeleine Albright
“One of the issues I kept saying to my students is you have to learn to interrupt. When you raise your hand at a meeting, by the time they get to you, the point is not germane. So the bottom line is active listening. If you are going to interrupt, you look for opportunities. You have to know what you're talking about.” IfsKnowsLooksHandsOpportunityLinesTalkingIssuesStudentsListeningRaisesMeetingsBottomActiveBottom Line Author:Madeleine Albright
“Really, I have to laugh because there was a whole set of stories that made me sound like the Dragon Lady, you know, 'tough this and tough that.' Then there is this business about 'gooey.' The bottom line is I am a pragmatic idealist.” KnowsMadeWholeStoriesSoundLinesLaughingToughBottomDragonsBottom LinePragmaticIdealist Author:Madeleine Albright
“But I think there are some who believe they are actually protecting women, you know, and that it is better for women to be taken care of. I think women want to take care of themselves, and I think having a voice in how that is done is very important. And frankly, I don’t understand — I mean, I’m obviously a card-carrying Democrat — but I can’t understand why any woman would want to vote for Mitt Romney, except maybe Mrs. Romney.” ThinkingKnowsWantBelieveMeanI CanImportantDoneCareVoiceTakenVoteDemocratTake CareCardsRomneyWomen Want Author:Madeleine Albright
“I think that there is never an indispensable leader, you know? I think that there is a time with dignity that one needs to leave.” ThinkingKnowsNeedsLeaderDignityIndispensable Author:Madeleine Albright
“I know that war is very cruel and that life is harder when you aren't able to live in the place you called home.” KnowsWarHomeAbleLife IsHarderLife Is Hard Author:Madeleine Albright
“The difference between humans and other mammals is that we know how to accessorize.” KnowsHumansDifferencesKnow HowMammals Author:Madeleine Albright
