Unlikely Quotations

That so unlikely an outcome should accrue to a man possessed of such limited talent and so many flaws, and one lacking in a sense of ethics and decency was one of the bitter ironies of history.

The story of Harold Fry and his unlikely pilgrimage began as an afternoon play for radio. For many years, I have been writing plays and adapting novels for 'Woman's Hour' and the 'Classic' series. So this was originally a three-hander play, broadcast one sunny afternoon on BBC Radio 4.

Teaching the history of the British Empire links in with that of the world: for better and for worse, the Empire made us what we are, forming our national identity. A country that does not understand its own history is unlikely to respect that of others.

My dream is to try to reach as many kids and readers who might need an unlikely hero to connect to.

'Perfect' is about a set-up that looks perfect from the outside - beautiful country house, beautiful wife and mother, everything where it should be - and the deep fissures that, in fact, lie beneath that. 'Perfect' was partly a response to the shock of my first book, 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry,' being a success.

Global poverty is a complex web of interlinked problems. There is no one 'silver bullet' that will solve global inequality. Multiple contributing factors must be tackled in parallel. Yes, education alone is unlikely to lead to employment without economic reform to address the demand side in much of the developing world.

Human uploads have such a natural advantage over present-day people in the environment of space, it's exceedingly unlikely flesh-and-blood beings will ever engage in interstellar travel.

Ever since the collapse of cap and trade legislation and the realization that President Obama is unlikely to ever utter the words 'climate change' in public again, much less use the bully pulpit to prepare the nation for the catastrophic risks of inaction, the movement has been in a funk.

A voyage to Europe in the summer of 1921 gave me the first opportunity of observing the wonderful blue opalescence of the Mediterranean Sea. It seemed not unlikely that the phenomenon owed its origin to the scattering of sunlight by the molecules of the water.

At the highest stage of capitalism, the most necessary revolution appears as the most unlikely one.

I had come to the point when I realized it was unlikely that my film career was going to move beyond a certain level of role. And I was - because I had graphic instances of it - handicapped by the success of Star Trek. A director would say, 'I don't want Jean-Luc Picard in my movie' - and this was compounded by X-Men as well.

Nothing is black or white, nothing's 'us or them.' But then there are magical, beautiful things in the world. There's incredible acts of kindness and bravery, and in the most unlikely places, and it gives you hope.

It's always fun to put fake celebrities in unlikely situations, but somehow it's even more fun when politicians are involved.

Much as I like and admire Richard Dawkins, I do think that to call a book 'The God Delusion' is very worrying because the title implies that if you don't believe in what I believe then you are 'deluded.' That, I think, is a dangerous concept and one that is unlikely to win hearts and minds.

When I create a character, particularly my central character, I want someone who is interesting and feels real and who might have quite a few virtues but is unlikely to be perfect, who hasn't necessarily made all the right choices.

What is necessary is possible, what we want is expensive. What is unnecessary is unlikely.

As China is about adaptation, not transformation, it is unlikely to change the world dramatically should it ever assume the global driver's seat. But this does not mean that China won't exploit that world for its own purposes.

Ursula Nordstrom was famous for finding artists in unlikely places. Maurice Sendak was a window designer, and she just came across one of his windows. Everyone was looking to find a talent.

Either God is alive, in which case he'll deal with us as he sees fit. Or he is dead, in which case he was never alive, it being unlikely that he died of old age.

The growth model China has relied on for the last 30 years - one predicated on low-cost exports to the rest of the world and investment in resource intensive heavy manufacturing - is unlikely to serve it well in the next 30 years.

I'm always amazed how many politicians have a very unlikely story, and when I talk to groups of students, I remind them that not everybody who gets into politics is a lawyer or went to school to study it. We all come to it for different reasons.

An employee who's one of hundreds, rather than one of a few, is unlikely to feel personally responsible for helping the organization adapt and change.

A scientist is an unlikely character to put at the center of a movie.

This is true enough, but success is the next best thing to happiness, and if you can't be happy as a success, it's very unlikely that you would find a deeper, truer happiness in failure.

Until 1869, when they were banned, debtors' prisons were the great incinerators of British reputations. Those who were unable to pay their bills were jailed until their creditors were paid - an unlikely event, given that the prisoner was unable to work.

If a product's future is unlikely to be remarkable - if you can't imagine a future in which people are once again fascinated by your product - it's time to realize that the game has changed. Instead of investing in a dying product, take profits and reinvest them in building something new.

It's unrealistic to expect the person you go to for sage advice also to be the person you go out and have a good time with. And it's unlikely that he or she will be the same person who's pushing you and motivating you to do more every day, like a coach or manager does.

The reality is that a person who has always struggled with numbers is unlikely to be a great accountant or statistician.

You're unlikely to discover something new without a lot of practice on old stuff, but further, you should get a heck of a lot of fun out of working out funny relations and interesting things.

Some leaders think time will solve the problem. Their hope is that Assad's regime will ultimately fall from the heavy toll of the horrors it has spawned. From past experience with such regimes, this scenario is unlikely to happen.

I sometimes find reality far more fantastical and unlikely than what I could just make up.

In constructing the plot and working it out with the proper diction, the poet should place the scene, as far as possible, before his eyes. In this way, seeing everything with the utmost vividness, as if he were a spectator of the action, he will discover what is in keeping with it, and be most unlikely to overlook inconsistencies.

A talib fires three shots at point-blank range at three girls in a van and doesn't kill any of them. This seems an unlikely story.

My understanding of Nokia's management makes it unlikely that they would want to do this. Nokia has been doing well with organic growth and not doing large acquisitions. On the other hand, Lucent has a lot of assets that might be valuable, and some of those assets might match up well with Nokia. Lucent needs strong management, and Nokia definitely has that.

My upbringing has always been quite equal in terms of cultural influences. But it's unlikely that anything could prepare you for a job that involves belting out Proclaimers songs on camera, in Edinburgh and in public.

My sense is that the games will break even, but we're unlikely to make a lot of money. It's like having people over to dinner. The food may be not so expensive, but you need to select the right furniture, carpets, and so on.

On paper it's unlikely we should beat them, but they haven't won the meet yet.

I grew up with a fascination with Marco Polo. I had this unlikely interest in the East as a young man, and you can't really read about Chinese history and philosophy without encountering him at every turn.

Nice philosophy/ May tolerate unlikely arguments,/ But heaven admits no jest.

I would put our chances of qualifying at very low at the moment. We are relying on other people, and they are very unlikely to lose. We are not playing well enough at the moment, and that is the bottom line. We have still got a very tough game tomorrow - and we have got to look hard at what we are doing.

Lightning probably won't strike again. Jesse's undistinguished tenure as governor in Minnesota, coupled with Arnold's troubles in California, make it unlikely that celebrity candidates will ever have the inviting luster of novelty that they had a few years ago.

Some might consider me an unlikely advocate for gun rights because I sustained terrible injuries in a violent shooting. But I'm a patriot, and I believe the right to bear arms is a definitive part of our American heritage.

Online sales are unlikely to benefit from problems with gas prices,

Only about 10 percent of India's population uses the web, making it unlikely that Internet freedom will be a decisive ballot-box issue anytime soon.

No one should be fooled into believing that the slight improvement relative to July indicates a change in trend. Any growth came from heavy discounting, which is not sustainable - especially as retailers' margins are already being squeezed by rising labour, property and energy costs. The underlying position is still weak and unlikely to improve unless and until there are further cuts in interest rates.

Politically, Obama's amazing streak of self-destructing opponents who have lain beneath his feet during his unlikely political career appears to be holding.

People who buy medicines marketed via spam messages are not only encouraging the spammers to send more of their nuisance emails, but are also potentially putting their lives at risk. Daniel Lin is unlikely to be sending any more spam, but there are plenty of other spammers out there prepared to make a quick buck with their unwanted marketing messages. All computer users should defend their email addresses with up-to-date anti-spam software, and remember to never buy goods marketed via spam.

Nothing is clear, but I would think it would be unlikely that the child would be thrown in the Dumpster alive. ... But they're probably not going to know that until they find the woman,

Nuclear physics is interesting but it is unlikely to help society.

Pfizer clearly is a company with tremendous disregard for the generic drug industry and is not given to settling. But it is not altogether unlikely that Pfizer could settle its litigation. If Pfizer could translate some of its cash hoards into greater certainty on this litigation ... I think they would do that.

Phased retirement is unlikely to be an option on final salary schemes.

Obviously they're trying to repair that reputation. But since their reputation has been so damaged in the aftermarket, it's unlikely they are going to fill the lost orders with replacement tire sales.

Net exports are unlikely to add much to growth this year with rising oil prices and competition from China seen putting upward pressure on the trade deficit.

My life is neither a disaster nor supernatural, yet it is an unlikely event.

If this bill lands on the governor's desk, it's very unlikely that the governor would turn her back on that bill.

Looming on the horizon is Rifle. I think it's unlikely that any of the boys are going to get Andy Banner's (single-season scoring) record this year. But, they have a chance to do something that last year's team didn't do by beating Rifle on the road.

Mobile penetration is unlikely to grow by more than 20 percentage points this year.

Securing the funds is easing concerns of default and other risks. The gains are unlikely to last because there aren't any signs yet that earnings are recovering. You need money to restructure and all they have so far is the barest of necessities.

We might ask you in a notice or a letter to explain your answer on something but it would be very unlikely for us to ask you your Social Security number because we already know it.

Guantanamo is still open, but it's unlikely that serious torture is going on at Guantanamo. There is just too much inspection.

I would think that is highly unlikely any of our employees would do that.

I wouldn't rule out commercial uses either, though China Mobile is unlikely to recklessly sell sensitive information on its high-end customers, given how much effort it expends to keep them happy.

Kids are like glue: they can bond together, unlikely companions, even when there is little else left to maintain the connection.

Jaco signed a three-year deal with NEC and it's unlikely they'll release him.

I would think it was unlikely they would counter offer.

He is saying what everybody has been saying but the real crux is whether he will get rid of non-performers. But it's unlikely because Mugabe runs an elaborate patronage system that continues to reward non-performers. He needs people who can stand up to him and with the resolve to push real political and economic reforms.

Given that the dollar was unable to really bounce on the back of lower than expected trade deficit yesterday, it seems a bit unlikely that even if the retail sales show nice gains that (it) will be able to really benefit from such data.

Given the heinous nature of this case, it's unlikely the parole board will ever release him,

Growth is more likely to firm modestly from here and it's quite unlikely to ease much further.

Frankly it's highly unlikely that I'm going to stay these proceedings ... I don't run (patent office) business and they don't run mine,

Free societies, which allow differences to speak and be heard, and live by intermarriage, commerce, and free migration, and democratic societies, which convert enemies into adversaries and reconcile differences without resort to violence, are societies in which the genocidal temptation is unlikely and even inconceivable.

From a betting odds perspective, what is the most unlikely thing to have happened in football?

Given the recent spate of positive January data, CPI and durable goods are unlikely to disappoint. The USD is positioned to make new gains ... as favorable U.S. growth and interest rate differentials weigh on market sentiment.

From the available biological evidence, it seems very unlikely that a fetus experiences what we think of as pain before 29 weeks of gestation,

For the three years I was in school training to be an actor, I was told, 'It's very unlikely you'll work at all on the stage or in film', so I feel I have to take all the opportunities I can.

For those two reasons, his candidacy is, if not doomed, unlikely too succeed.

If a mother truly does follow the provisions of the law, I think it's very unlikely a prosecutor will file charges. If the baby's safe -- I think that's all they care about.

Certainly, anti-Syrian forces in Lebanon feel on the defensive, nervous, frightened, depressed. The Syrians may be out in one way, but in others they're always right around the corner and have sufficient friends and supporters in Lebanon that make it unlikely it will turn into a seriously anti-Syrian place.

Based on the data we have it's highly unlikely that it will produce any adverse effects and it is highly possible that it will produce useful effects.

Based on the information that we've been given by ACS, we believe it's highly, highly, unlikely that that information could be, first of all, retrieved. And then, the information that was on there was so minimal that we don't believe that it could be used for any ... could be used inappropriately at all.

But a sour-loan solution remains elusive, the supplementary budget is unlikely to do much for the economy, and the future direction for Wall Street remains unclear.

BT's 2Q 05/06 results would appear at first glance to be bang in line with our below-consensus expectations. But slightly more-than-expected margin weakness and lower cash flow is unlikely to be taken well. Our sell rating is maintained.

Because of what's happening in Asia, we are unlikely to see an acceleration of inflation,

Batman is such a strong property for Mattel, especially among boys between 4 to 6 years old. One recall is unlikely to affect the brand, ... Mattel did the responsible thing and I don't think this recall will affect the launch of the new Batman toys.

What is clear is that it is highly unlikely that Iran is going to accede to the demands of the international community. In order to be credible the Security Council of course has to act.

Gulf production is really struggling. It's very unlikely that prices are going to come significantly under $60 in the next few months.

Her greatness lay in doing what everybody could do but doesn't. She was unexpected. She was untitled. . . . (She was) an improbable warrior that was leading an unlikely army of waitresses and street sweepers and shopkeepers and auto mechanics.

We're in the fortunate position that Rod Eddington left the fleet in good shape. It's unlikely we will do anything in the short-term.

Humanity has nearly suffocated the globe with carbon dioxide, yet nuclear power plants that produce no such emissions are so mired in objections and obstruction that, despite renewed interest on every continent, it is unlikely another will be built in the United States.

Humans have continued to evolve quite a lot over the past ten thousand years, and certainly over 100 thousand. Sure, our biology affects our behavior. But it's unlikely that humans' early evolution is deeply relevant to contemporary psychological questions about dating or the willpower to complete a dissertation.

He was actually delighted that I was still there working that late, ... That was the sort of environment he created. He pushed people reasonably hard, but he balanced that by being a very compelling, almost Moses-like teacher. He knew what he wanted. You're unlikely to ever meet someone who had a more intense and focused mind than Rick.

If technologically and economically feasible, it is unlikely that providers will only offer high-speed Internet access. Most telecom revenues are derived from voice and data-centric providers who ignored voice have had a hard time of making ends meet.

If the 22 percent increase in research funding is allocated in a way that is proportional to past patterns, the Advanced Energy Initiative is unlikely to have an appreciable impact on the development of the technology.

Unless we see something really good that I haven't heard about yet, I would find it extremely unlikely that we could vote for a budget that has a reverse Robin Hood proposal like the income tax hike.

There is no evidence to support this, ... This is just an unlikely assumption. If that were the case, then there would have been gunmen with the suicide bombers. There were no gunmen.

He needs to restore investor confidence, ... It's extremely unlikely he would say anything that would be viewed negatively by the markets. He's going to make it clear that we are not looking at the abyss and we are not looking at a major recession.

He'll be unlikely to be right, Saturday night is going to come around pretty quickly and I don't think Andrew will settle down by then to be honest.

Market players had been refraining from selling the yen before the release of the CPI data. But now, they know that the BOJ is unlikely to change their current monetary policy for a while, and the United States continues to have higher interest rates than Japan.

Market players have been refraining from selling the yen before the release of the CPI data. But now, they know that the BOJ is unlikely to change their current monetary policy for a while and the United States continues to have higher interest rates than Japan.

Material changes to first-half trends are unlikely in the balance of the year and we are therefore comfortable in reiterating our full year guidance of 7 percent organic operating profit growth.