Thomas Friedman Quotes

A collection of quotes by Thomas Friedman.

Thomas Friedman is an American journalist, columnist, and author who has gained widespread recognition for his insightful analysis of global affairs and economics. Born on July 20, 1953, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Friedman developed a passion for journalism at an early age. He attended Brandeis University, where he earned a degree in Mediterranean studies before continuing his studies at St Antony's College, Oxford.

Friedman's career took off when he joined The New York Times in 1981 as a reporter. Over the years, he covered a wide range of topics, including international relations, Middle Eastern politics, and globalization. Known for his distinctive voice and engaging writing style, he became one of the most influential voices in American journalism.

Friedman has won numerous awards for his work, including three Pulitzer Prizes. His books, such as "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" (1999) and "The World Is Flat" (2005), have become international bestsellers. These books explore the impact of globalization and technological advancements on politics, economics, and culture.

Renowned for his ability to simplify complex issues and articulate them to a broad audience, Friedman's work has had a significant impact on the way people understand and discuss global affairs. Through his writings and lectures, he continues to influence public opinion and shape conversations about the challenges and opportunities facing our interconnected world.

I think we have lost our groove as a country. One of the rea

I think we have lost our groove as a country. One of the reasons was the attack on 9/11. We got knocked off our game. From a country that always exported hope we went into the business of exporting fear.

Thomas Friedman


There's no question that a great teacher can make a huge dif

There's no question that a great teacher can make a huge difference in a student's achievement, and we need to recruit, train and reward more such teachers. But here's what some new studies are also showing: We need better parents. Parents more focused on their children's education can also make a huge difference in a student's achievement.

Thomas Friedman

Education Teacher Great Children

If you followed this economic crisis and you do not think th

If you followed this economic crisis and you do not think that the world is getting flatter, you are not paying attention. We saw the entire global economy at one time acting totally in sync. The real truth is the world is even flatter than I thought. Our mortgage crisis is killing Deutsche Bank. You still don't think the world is flat?

Thomas Friedman

Time Truth Thetimes

My mom enlisted in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and my par

My mom enlisted in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and my parents actually bought our home thanks to the loan she got through the GI Bill.

Thomas Friedman

Home

We are led by lawyers who do not understand either technolog

We are led by lawyers who do not understand either technology or balance sheets.

Thomas Friedman

Legal

No matter where I go - London, Beirut, Jerusalem, Washington

No matter where I go - London, Beirut, Jerusalem, Washington, Beijing, or Bangalore - I'm always looking to rediscover that land of ten thousand lakes where politics actually worked to make people's lives better, not pull them apart.

Thomas Friedman

Politics

It created a global platform that allowed more people to plu

It created a global platform that allowed more people to plug and play, collaborate and compete, share knowledge and share work, than anything we have ever seen in the history of the world.

Thomas Friedman

History

The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention argues that no two co

The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention argues that no two countries that are both part of the same global supply chain will ever fight a war as long as they are each part of that supply chain.

Thomas Friedman

War

The country that owns green, that dominates that industry, i

The country that owns green, that dominates that industry, is going to have the most energy security, national security, economic security, competitive companies, healthy population and, most of all, global respect.

Thomas Friedman

Respect

We need better neighbors, neighbors that care about the scho

We need better neighbors, neighbors that care about the schools in their neighborhood whether they have kids in them or not, because they know that the health and vitality of that neighborhood depends on it.

Thomas Friedman

Health

Golf has an ambivalent relationship with the environment. On

Golf has an ambivalent relationship with the environment. On one hand, it's a great preserver of open spaces. Golf doesn't pave the world - it helps to green the world. But the downside is, it uses a lot of fertilizer, pesticides and water.

Thomas Friedman

Relationship

Sometimes, when my wife and I were going out to dinner, I wo

Sometimes, when my wife and I were going out to dinner, I would take my laptop with me and work in the car, so as to take advantage of the half hour going and coming.

Thomas Friedman

Car

I went into journalism because I like to be a translator fro

I went into journalism because I like to be a translator from English to English.

Thomas Friedman


I've been a critic of the antiglobalization movement, and th

I've been a critic of the antiglobalization movement, and they've been a critic of me, but the one thing I respect about the movement is their authentic energy. These are not people who don't care about the world.

Thomas Friedman

Respect

Rock stars get room keys, I get business cards.

Rock stars get room keys, I get business cards.

Thomas Friedman

Business

Optimists are usually wrong. But all the great change in his

Optimists are usually wrong. But all the great change in history, positive change, was done by optimists.

Thomas Friedman

History