Cold Quote by John le Carre
“I worked for MI6 in the Sixties, during the great witch-hunts, when the shared paranoia of the Cold War gripped the services.”
About This Quote
Source Memoir: The Secret Life of a Spy, 1995
MI6 in the 1960s was marked by paranoia and witch‑hunt mentalities during the Cold War.
In simple terms: Cold War spy work was paranoid and fearful.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how fear shapes institutions.
Themes
espionage
paranoia
history
Mood
serious
historical
Type
analytical
reflective
When to use this quote
- intelligence work
- policy analysis
- historical study
Key Concepts
Cold War
institutional fear
Questions to Reflect On
- What impact did paranoia have on decision‑making?
- How can modern agencies avoid similar hysteria?
A Different Perspective
May overlook positive achievements of the era.
![“[Dan] Brown states that five million women were killed by the Church as witches. In fact, modern research has shown that the witch hunts began in the sixteenth century in Europe and that between 30,000 and 50,000 men and women were burned to death for the crime of witchcraft. However, 90 per cent…” quote by Michael Coren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/938/michael-coren-29704_dan-brown_dan-brown-states-that-five-million-women_404065.jpg)
![“This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day [as a Fairfax Justice of the Peace] since I have been at Home. I wish I knew where to get a good one myself; for I find cold Sheets extreamly disagreeable.” quote by George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b92/george-mason-8435_bedfellows_this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young_3953.jpg)
