"Human beings want to be free and however long they may agree to stay locked up, to stay oppressed, there will come a time when they say 'That's it.' Suddenly they find themselves doing something that they never would have thought they would be doing, simply because of the human instinct that makes them turn their face towards freedom."

Time

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Insight & Reflection

This reflection on time by Aung San Suu Kyi resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in time is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese politician, diplomat, and author who served as State Counsellor of Myanmar and Union Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2021. She has served as the general secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD) since the party's founding in 1988 and was registered as its chairperson while it was a legal party from 2011 to 2023. She played a vital role in Myanmar's transition from military junta to partial democracy in the 2010s. She has been widely described as the de facto leader of Myanmar from 2016 to 2021. She was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

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"If I advocate cautious optimism it is not because I do not have faith in the future but because I do not want to encourage blind faith."

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"Every government must consider the security of the country. That is just part of the responsibilities of any government. But true security can only come out of unity within a country where there are so many ethnic nationalities."

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"Here is what we know after more than a decade of Republican rule: Texas works. Even 'The New York Times' let it slip into its pages that, 'Texas is the future.'"

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"The worst thing that can happen in a democracy - as well as in an individual's life - is to become cynical about the future and lose hope."

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"I tell you the past is a bucket of ashes, so live not in your yesterdays, no just for tomorrow, but in the here and now. Keep moving and forget the post mortems and remember, no one can get the jump on the future."

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