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Authority Quotes

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Authority Quotes

“Gym class was, of course, where the strongest, best-looking kids were made captains and chose us spazzes last. More important, it was where the figures of supposed authority allowed them to do so. Forget the work our parents did molding our minds and values. Everything fell apart as soon as we put on those maroon polyester gym suits.”

MindMadeImportantKidsLastsValuesCoursesParentForgetClassFiguresAuthoritySuitsStrongestGymCaptainsMoldingGym ClassMaroon
Book:Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace
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“I can look back . . . at two distinct periods of opinion whose foundations I have successively come to distrust - a period before 1919 or so, when the weight of classic authority unduly influenced me, and another period from 1919 to about 1925, when I placed too high a value on the elements of revolt, florid colour, and emotional extravagance or intensity.”

LooksI CanTwoValuesOpinionEmotionalPeriodsAuthorityElementsWeightFoundationClassicColourIntensityDistrustRevoltExtravagance
Author:H. P. Lovecraft
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“If the modern spirit, whatever that may be, is disinclined towards taking the Lord's word at its face value (as I hear is the case), we may observe that Isaiah's testimony to the character of the masses has strong collateral support from respectable Gentile authority. Plato lived into the administration of Eubulus, when Athens was at the peak of its jazz-and-paper era, and he speaks of the Athenian masses with all Isaiah's fervency, even comparing them to a herd of ravenous wild beasts.”

IfsMayCharacterFacesSpiritValuesSpeakStrongLordCasesSupportModernAuthorityPaperMassJazzAdministrationErasCompareBeastPlatoTestimonyRespectableHerdsAthensWild BeastsGentilesCollateralFace ValueAthenians
Author:Albert J. Nock
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“Yes, I direct commercials as well. I get these really weird offers and then I have to bid on them and win the job. One offer that I have now, and I've already done this last year for the same company, is for Cash Value Cheese, this cheese out in the midwest. I did two spots for them last year and I'm going to probably do three this year. I also did some for the Utah Transit Authority, which was weird and interesting and they turned out really funny - they actually won an award.”

YearsWellsTwoDoneJobsLastsValuesThreeWinningInterestingCompanyOffersAuthorityDirectSpotsAwardsCashLast YearCheeseMidwestReally WeirdUtah
Author:Andy Dick
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“I have always been, am, and propose to remain a mere scholar. All that I have ever proposed to myself is to say, this and this I have learned; thus and thus have I learned it; go thou and learn better; but do not thrust on my shoulders the responsibility for your own laziness if you elect to take, on my authority, conclusions the value of which you ought to have tested for yourself.”

IfsValuesEducationResponsibilityLearningOughtAuthorityMereShouldersConclusionScholarLazinessI Have LearnedTestedProposeThrust
Author:Thomas Huxley
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“If there should chance to be any mathematicians who, ignorant in mathematics yet pretending to skill in that science, should dare, upon the authority of some passage of Scripture wrested to their purpose, to condemn and censure my hypothesis, I value them not, and scorn their inconsiderate judgement. De Revolutionibus Coelestibus”

IfsShouldPurposeValuesChanceSkillsAuthorityMathematicsDareScriptureIgnorantJudgementPretendingPassagesMathematicianHypothesisScornCensureInconsiderate
Author:Nicolaus Copernicus
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“Either we, as a society, decide that copyright is the greater value to society, and take active steps to give up private communications as a concept. Either that, or we decide that the ability to communicate in private, without constant monitoring by authorities, has the greater value - in which case copyright will have to give way.”

WayGivingValuesAbilityStepsCasesGreaterCommunicationGiving UpAuthorityConceptsConstantCommunicateActiveCopyrightMonitoringAbility To Communicate
Author:Rick Falkvinge
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“Under theocracies and other authoritarian regimes, the rulers are the moral authorities. Under genuine democracy some basic values are entrenched in the legal system, which is expected to be under democratic vigilance, and others are left to the person or the group, which ideally debate moral problems in a rational, free and cooperative manner.”

PersonsProblemValuesLeftMoralDemocracyGroupsAuthorityDemocraticExpectedDebateGenuineRationalRegimesRulersVigilanceCooperativesLegal SystemTheocracyMoral Authority
Author:Mario Bunge
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“No power but Congress can declare war, but what is the value of this constitutional provision, if the President of his own authority may make such military movements as must bring on war?”

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Book:Dinner to the Hon. D. W. ... by the merchants, and other citizens of Philadelphia, December 2, 1846, with Mr. W.'s speech
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“No power but Congress can declare war; but what is the value of this constitutional provision, if the President of his own authority may make such military movements as must bring on war? ... [T]hese remarks originate purely in a desire to maintain the powers of government as they are established by the Constitution between the different departments, and hope that, whether we have conquests or no conquests, war or no war, peace or no peace, we shall yet preserve, in its integrity and strength, the Constitution of the United States.”

IfsMayDifferentWarStatesGovernmentDesireValuesPresidentUnitedUnited StatesMilitaryMovementIntegrityAuthorityConstitutionCongressPreservesDepartmentConquestRemarksProvisionPeace WarNo WarConstitution Of The United States
Author:Daniel Webster
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“The intelligence services would probably be in a better position to make an assessment of the advancement of the Iranian nuclear program than Podhoretz or Ledeen. They don't have access to any specific information. So for them to dismiss it has no great value because they have no authority whatsoever on this issue. For them to push forward with their efforts to get a war started between the U.S. and Iran, you certainly cannot say that Iran does not have a nuclear program. If you say that, then the justification for war has basically been eliminated.”

IfsDoeWarValuesEffortIssuesInformationPositionAuthorityProgramAccessNuclearIranJustificationAdvancementAssessmentIranianGreat ValueIntelligence Services
Author:Trita Parsi
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“To the security of a free Constitution it [knowledge] contributes in various ways: by teaching the people themselves to know and to value their own rights, to discern and provide against invasions of them, to distinguish between oppression and the necessary exercise of lawful authority, between burdens proceeding from a disregard to their convenience and those resulting from the inevitable exigencies of society.”

PeopleKnowsWayValuesRightsTeachingSecurityExerciseAuthorityConstitutionVariousBurdenOppressionInevitableInvasionConvenienceDisregardProceeding
Author:George Washington
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“The security of the Nation is not at the ramparts alone, Security also lies in the value of our free institutions. A cantankerous press, an obstinate press, a ubiquitous press must be suffered by those in authority in order to preserve the even greater values of freedom of expression and the right of the people to know.”

PeopleKnowsLyingValuesOrderNationsGreaterSecurityExpressionAuthorityInstitutionsPressesPreservesFreedom Of ExpressionObstinate
Author:Murray Gurfein
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“That kind of skeptical, questioning, "don't accept what authority tells you" attitude of science - is also nearly identical to the attitude of mind necessary for a functioning democracy. Science and democracy have very consonant values and approaches, and I don't think you can have one without the other.”

ThinkingMindKindValuesAttitudeAcceptingDemocracyAuthorityApproachQuestioningSkepticalIdenticalDemocracies HaveConsonants
Book:Conversations with Carl Sagan
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“The books of jurisprudence were interesting to few, and entertaining to none: their value was connected with present use, and they sunk forever as soon as that use was superseded by the innovations of fashion, superior merit, or public authority.”

BookUseValuesInterestingForeverFashionAuthorityInnovationConnectedSuperiorsMeritEntertainingJurisprudence
Book:The Modern Library Essential World History 4-Book Bundle: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Abridged); Montcalm and Wolfe; History of the Conquest of Mexico; The Naval War of 1812
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“My mother's side of the family is Methodist, which is how I was raised. It was conservative in that I had strong values - sitting down and eating with the family every day, listening to authority and going to church every week and having perfect attendance at Sunday school.”

SchoolMotherValuesStrongSidesChurchPerfectWeekListeningAuthorityEatingSittingDown AndRaisedConservativeSundaySitting DownSunday SchoolMethodistsAttendanceGoing To ChurchStrong Values
Author:Jonathan Groff
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“The states have the authority to change this voting system for president, right now, in fact, if they wanted, on an emergency basis, they could adopt a ranked-choice system, which simply allows you to go to the poll, and rather than rolling your dice and deciding whether to vote your values or your fears, you get to rank your choices, knowing that if your first choice loses your vote is automatically assigned to your second choice. It's kind of a no-brainer system. It works very well.”

IfsFirstsWellsKindStatesFactsWantedValuesChoicesPresidentLosesKnowingRight NowAuthorityVoteBasesVotingRollingEmergenciesPollsDiceNo BrainerSecond Choice
Author:Jill Stein
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“Mindfulness is the primary tool in that we get a little space between ourselves and the thoughts and then we actually can be more responsive, as in: Do I want to listen to that? Do I want to ignore it? Do I want to say "no thank you". Do I want to inquire if that's really true or helpful? So we start with mindfulness and we're not engaging, because as soon as we do that, we've given the critic authority. Instead, we want to notice the critic but not give it any attention, not really give it much value.”

IfsWantGivingLittlesValuesGivenSpaceAttentionAuthorityMindfulnessToolsCriticsPrimariesHelpfulEngagingSpace BetweenReally True
Author:Mark Coleman
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“I think there is a modern temper. The authority figures we revered in the past are all up for grabs - they're gone. We are groping for meaning in a world where some of our gods have died. We're asking ourselves, 'Who is our true brother and sister, where is our true home?' The modern tempter is our struggle to lead meaningful lives, and even if we don't believe in religion, we can reach down and hold on to our core values for guidance.”

ThinkingWorldBelieveHomePastValuesStruggleModernBrotherAuthorityMeaningfulGuidanceTemperBrothers And SistersMeaningful LifeCore Values
Author:Anne Rice
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“Ed Lawler and I document that the key to creating good, productive jobs in all industries is to organize work processes and systems in ways that allow employees to contribute significant amounts of "added value" to the products they make and services they provide. When mangers give employees the organizational structure, resources, and authority needed for them to contribute their ideas and efforts, American workers, like those at Harley-Davidson, almost always prove capable of effectively competing against their overseas counterparts.”

GivingValuesEffortProveAuthorityCapableSignificantEmployeeProductiveOrganizeCompetingOrganizational
Author:James O'Toole
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“The technotronic era involves the gradual appearance of a more controlled society. Such a society would be dominated by an elite, unrestrained by traditional values. Soon it will be possible to assert almost continuous surveillance over every citizen and maintain up-to-date complete files containing even the most personal information about the citizen. These files will be subject to instantaneous retrieval by the authorities.”

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Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski
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“Old age, especially an honored old age, has so great authority, that this is of more value than all the pleasures of youth.”

AgeTimeValuesPleasureYouthAuthorityAgingOld AgeHonoredGreat Author
Book:Three Books of Offices; Or, Moral Duties: Also His Cato Major, an Essay on Old Age; Laelius, an Essay on Friendship; Paradoxes; Scipio's Dream; and Letter to Quintus on the Duties of a Magistrate. Literally Translated, with Notes, Designed to Exhibit a Comparative View of the Opinions of Cicero, and Those of Modern Moralists and Ethical Philosophers
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