Home / Topics / Authority Quotes

Authority Quotes

Browse 3390 quotes about Authority.

Authority Quotes

“Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities - the political, the religious, the educational authorities - who attempted to comfort us by giving us order, rules, regulations, informing - forming in our minds - their view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable open-mindedness, chaotic, confused vulnerability to inform yourself.”

“I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they're good talkers, but they don't have good ideas. It's so easy to confuse schmoozing ability with talent. Someone seems like a good presenter, easy to get along with, and those traits are rewarded. Well, why is that? They're valuable traits, but we put too much of a premium on presenting and not enough on substance and critical thinking.”

“When I was a kid, my parents smartly raised us to keep quiet, be respectful to older people, and generally not question adults all that much. I think that's because they were assuming that 99 percent of the time, we'd be interacting with worthy, smart adults... They didn't ever tell me 'Sometimes you will meet idiots who are technically adults and authority figures. You don't have to do what they say.”

People Thinking Sometimes Kids Parent Figures Quiet Authority Smart Percent Adults Assuming Raised Worthy Idiot Respectful Interacting Older People Be Respectful Authority Figures

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Indeed, organizing atheists has been compared to herding cats, because they tend to think independently and will not conform to authority.”

Thinking Has Beens Authority Cat Atheist Conform Herding Cats

Book:The God Delusion

Source: The God Delusion

“There are many perks to living for twenty-one centuries, and foremost among them is bearing witness to the rare birth of genius. It invariably goes like this: Someone shrugs off the weight of his cultural traditions, ignores the baleful stares of authority, and does something his countrymen think to be completely batshit insane. Of those, Galileo was my personal favorite. Van Gogh comes in second, but he really was batshit insane.”

Thinking Doe Century Birth Genius Authority Tradition Weight Twenties Insane Witness Staring Vans Twenty One Countrymen Perks Bearing Witness

Book:The Iron Druid Chronicles 6-Book Bundle: Hounded, Hexed, Hammered, Tricked, Trapped, Hunted

Source: The Iron Druid Chronicles 6-Book Bundle: Hounded, Hexed, Hammered, Tricked, Trapped, Hunted

“I think there ought to be a strict separation or wall built between our religious faith and our practice of political authority in office. I don't think the President of the United States should extoll Christianity if he happens to be a Christian at the expense of Judaism, Islam or other faiths.”

“Anyone who thinks we can continue to have world wars but make them nice polite affairs by outlawing this weapon or that should meditate upon the outlawing of the cross-bow by Papal authority. Setting up the machinery for international law and order must surely precede disarmament. The Wild West did not abandon its shooting irons till after sheriffs and courts were established.”

“As we are concerned with what others think of us, so we are anxious to know all about them; and from this arise the crude and subtle forms of snobbishness and the worship of authority. Thus we become more and more externalized and inwardly empty. The more externalized we are, the more sensations and distractions there must be, and this gives rise to a mind that is never quiet, that is not capable of deep search and discovery.”

Thinking Knows Giving Mind Form Quiet Authority Worship Capable Discovery Concerned Empty Arise Subtle Gossip Sensations Distraction Anxious Crude Deep Sea Snobbishness

Book:Commentaries on Living 2

Source: Commentaries on Living 2

“Remember: you are the only person who thinks in your mind! You are the power and authority in your world.”

Thinking World Mind Persons Remember Authority Anxiety Positivity Remember You Remembers You

Author:Louise Hay

“Questioning authority is, I think, a great thing to instill in children. I just didn't have enough of that when I was little.”

Thinking Children Littles Enough Authority Great Things Questioning Instill

Author:Amy Chua

“I'm convinced that a controlled disrespect for authority is essential to a scientist. All the good experimental physicists I have known have had an intense curiosity that no Keep Out sign could mute. Physicists do, of course, show a healthy respect for High Voltage, Radiation, and Liquid Hydrogen signs. They are not reckless. I can think of only six who have been killed on the job.”