Dag Hammarskjold Quotes

A collection of quotes by Dag Hammarskjold.

Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961) was a Swedish statesman who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) from 1953 until his untimely death in 1961. Born in JÃ¶nkÃ¶ping, Sweden, Hammarskjold came from a highly influential political family. After completing his education in Uppsala and Stockholm, he gained expertise in economics and political science, working in government positions and as an influential public servant.

Hammarskjold became internationally recognized for his diplomatic skills and unwavering commitment to peace. During his tenure as Secretary-General, he played a crucial role in mediating the Suez Crisis, successfully diffusing tensions between Egypt, Britain, France, and Israel. He advocated for the decolonization of Africa and actively worked towards resolving conflicts in various regions of the world.

Hammarskjold was known for his deep introspection and spiritual beliefs, reflected in his book "Markings," a compilation of his personal thoughts and reflections. He emphasized the importance of individuals taking personal responsibility for global issues and their impact on others.

Tragically, Hammarskjold's life was cut short when his plane crashed in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in September 1961 while en route to ceasefire negotiations in the Congo Crisis. His untimely death shocked the world, and his legacy as a tireless peacemaker and advocate for global cooperation continues to inspire generations.

Time always seems long to the child who is waiting - for Chr

Time always seems long to the child who is waiting - for Christmas, for next summer, for becoming a grownup: long also when he surrenders his whole soul to each moment of a happy day.

Dag Hammarskjold

Life only demands from you the strength that you possess. On

Life only demands from you the strength that you possess. Only one feat is possible not to run away.

Dag Hammarskjold

Maturity: among other things, the unclouded happiness of the

Maturity: among other things, the unclouded happiness of the child at play, who takes it for granted that he is at one with his play-mates.

Dag Hammarskjold

Your body must become familiar with its death -- in all its

Your body must become familiar with its death -- in all its possible forms and degrees -- as a self-evident, imminent, and emotionally neutral step on the way towards the goal you have found worthy of your life.

Dag Hammarskjold

In the last analysis, it is our conception of death which de

In the last analysis, it is our conception of death which decides our answers to all the questions that life puts to us.

Dag Hammarskjold

'Freedom from fear' could be said to sum up the whole philos

'Freedom from fear' could be said to sum up the whole philosophy of human rights.

Dag Hammarskjold

The more faithfully you listen to the voices within you, the

The more faithfully you listen to the voices within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside.

Dag Hammarskjold

It is playing safe that we create a world of utmost insecuri

It is playing safe that we create a world of utmost insecurity.

Dag Hammarskjold

We all have within us a center of stillness surrounded by si

We all have within us a center of stillness surrounded by silence.

Dag Hammarskjold

Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reache

Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.

Dag Hammarskjold

Only he deserves power who every day justifies it.

Only he deserves power who every day justifies it.

Dag Hammarskjold

The pursuit of peace and progress cannot end in a few years

The pursuit of peace and progress cannot end in a few years in either victory or defeat. The pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and its errors, its successes and its setbacks, can never be relaxed and never abandoned.

Dag Hammarskjold

The UN is not just a product of do-gooders. It is harshly re

The UN is not just a product of do-gooders. It is harshly real. The day will come when men will see the U.N. and what it means clearly. Everything will be all right -- you know when? When people, just people, stop thinking of the United Nations as a weird Picasso abstraction, and see it as a drawing they made themselves.

Dag Hammarskjold

Nationalism Nation Nationality

It is not the Soviet Union or indeed any other big Powers wh

It is not the Soviet Union or indeed any other big Powers who need the United Nations for their protection. It is all the others. In this sense, the Organization is first of all their Organization and I deeply believe in the wisdom with which they will be able to use it and guide it. I shall remain in my post during the term of my office as a servant of the Organization in the interests of all those other nations, as long as they wish me to do so.

Dag Hammarskjold

Life yields only to the conqueror. Never accept what can be

Life yields only to the conqueror. Never accept what can be gained by giving in. You will be living off stolen goods, and your muscles will atrophy.

Dag Hammarskjold

In the last analysis it is our conception of death which dec

In the last analysis it is our conception of death which decides our answers to all the questions life puts to us.

Dag Hammarskjold

Praise those of your critics for whom nothing is up to stand

Praise those of your critics for whom nothing is up to standard.

Dag Hammarskjold

If even dying is to be made a social function, then, grant m

If even dying is to be made a social function, then, grant me the favor of sneaking out on tiptoe without disturbing the party.

Dag Hammarskjold

In our era, the road to holiness necessarily passes through

In our era, the road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action.

Dag Hammarskjold

He broke fresh ground-because, and only because, he had the

He broke fresh ground-because, and only because, he had the courage to go ahead without asking whether others were following or even understood. He had no need for the divided responsibility in which others seek to be safe from ridicule, because he had been granted a faith which required no confirmation-a contact with reality, light and intense like the touch of a loved hand: a union in self-surrender without self- destruction, where his heart was lucid and his mind was loving.

Dag Hammarskjold