People always ask me, ‘Lech, aren’t you afraid of being killed?’ And as an answer I shrug my shoulders. – Lech Walesa
I allowed myself to be taken in by the intellectuals. I believed too much in the Polish intellectuals and followed their advice. – Lech Walesa
The fall of the Berlin Wall makes for nice pictures. But it all started in the shipyards. – Lech Walesa
The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change, the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being. – Lech Walesa
I must tell you that the supply of words on the world market is plentiful, but the demand is falling. – Lech Walesa
When I recall my own path of life I cannot but speak of the violence, hatred and lies. A lesson drawn from such experiences, however, was that we can effectively oppose violence only if we ourselves do not resort to it. – Lech Walesa
For now, capitalism is working to produce more money but does not see the people. This problem is getting worse across the world. – Lech Walesa
Our national history has so often filled us with bitterness and the feeling of helplessness. – Lech Walesa
My most ardent desire is that my country will recapture its historic opportunity for a peaceful evolution and that Poland will prove to the world that even the most complex situations can be solved by a dialogue and not by force. – Lech Walesa
My character and personality is today and tomorrow; I do not work well remembering further back. – Lech Walesa
Our firm conviction that ours is a just cause and that we must find a peaceful way to attain our goals gave us the strength and the awareness of the limits beyond which we must not go. – Lech Walesa
Communism is a monopolistic system, economically and politically. The system suppresses individual initiative, and the 21st century is all about individualism and freedom. The development of technology supported these directions. – Lech Walesa
Lying at the root of the social agreements of 1980 are the courage, sense of responsibility, and the solidarity of the working people. Both sides have then recognized that an accord must be reached if bloodshed is to be prevented. – Lech Walesa
It is hardly possible to build anything if frustration, bitterness and a mood of helplessness prevail. – Lech Walesa
My country is in the grips of a major economic crisis. This is causing dramatic consequences for the very existence of Polish families. A permanent economic crisis in Poland may also have serious repercussions for Europe. Thus, Poland ought to be helped and deserves help. – Lech Walesa