The news of the Iron Lady’s death shocked an entire world, as she was not only a great leader, but a symbol and an inspiration for politicians, democracy fighters and people all over the world. For those too young to know who Margret Thatcher was, she is the lady that together with Ronald Reagan put an end to the cold war. What was the cold war? An ideological confrontation between capitalism and communism which lasted for ages, a battle capitalism won, with some few exceptions. Thatcher was not only one of the most iconic political figures in the world, but in her home country, Great Britain, she became an idol. The first woman prime-minister in Europe, a controversial yet fully respected figure, she held the longest continuous political mandate in the history of Great Britain. She died on April 8th, and she was burred with governmental honors, making her the second British state member, after Winston Churchill, who received such distinction. Thatcher was known not only for her strategic skills, political vision or strength in ruling over Britain, but also for some remarkable pearls of great wisdom and inspiration. So today, in Margaret Thatcher’s memory, let’s see ten of her famous, enlightening quotes.
1. On home and country
“Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country.”
2. On self-discipline
“Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the high road to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction.”
3. On power
“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”
4. On success
“What is success? I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing; knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose.”
5. On perseverance
“I’ve got a woman’s ability to stick to a job and get on with it when everyone else walks off and leaves it.”
6. On defeat
“Defeat? I do not recognize the meaning of the word.”
7. On enemies
“It pays to know the enemy – not least because at some time you may have the opportunity to turn him into a friend.”
8. On her politics
“I am not a consensus politician. I’m a conviction politician.”
9. On economy
“It is not the creation of wealth that is wrong, but the love of money for its own sake.”
10. On battle and war
“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.”
