Geoff Mulgan Quotes

Science is, rightly, searching for drugs to arrest ageing or to slow the advance of dementia. But the evidence suggests that many of the most powerful factors determining how you age come from what you do, and what you do with others: whether you work, whether you play music, whether you have regular visitors.

~ Geoff Mulgan

Deeper fulfilment is rather different from the happiness of seeing a good film or watching your team win at football, and it doesn't come at the push of a button.

~ Geoff Mulgan

The wrongful arrest of tens of thousands of British Muslims after the September 11 attacks can be explained by the very poor intelligence the police had, and, just possibly, excused by the fact that a terrorist action in Britain linked to British Muslims would have been hugely damaging.

~ Geoff Mulgan

There is incredible potential for digital technology in and beyond the classroom, but it is vital to rethink how learning is organised if we are to reap the rewards.

~ Geoff Mulgan

In Britain, polls show large majorities in favour of mansion taxes and higher taxes on the finance sector.

~ Geoff Mulgan

Huge sums are invested globally in medical research and development - and with good reason.

~ Geoff Mulgan

The most important innovators often don't need any technologies - just imagination and acute sensitivity to people's needs.

~ Geoff Mulgan

The responsibility for good government lies not just with governments themselves but also with every other part of the system they operate in, including media, non-governmental organisations and the public.

~ Geoff Mulgan

Democracy isn't solely about polite conversations in parliaments. It needs to be continually refreshed with raw passions, anger and ideals.

~ Geoff Mulgan

One effect of an individualistic culture that's poor at instilling mutual respect is that people jump more quickly to anger or violence.

~ Geoff Mulgan

On the environment and climate change, I suspect that future generations will think there was too much timidity, too much fear of upsetting business. Basically, New Labour was very nervous about regulating business, or requiring it to do anything, even when there was a very clear social or environmental case for doing so.

~ Geoff Mulgan

So is civil society prepared for the future? Probably not. Most organisations have to live hand to mouth, juggling short-term funding and perpetual minor crises. Even the bigger ones rarely get much time to stand back and look at the bigger picture. Many are on a treadmill chasing after contracts and new funding.

~ Geoff Mulgan

Britain is rich in radicalism, and anyone who says that our society has drifted into fatalism and apathy should get out more.

~ Geoff Mulgan