Home / Topics / Ordinary Quotes

Ordinary Quotes

Browse 3099 quotes about Ordinary.

Ordinary Quotes

“He who remembers the evils he has undergone, and those that have threatened him, and the slight causes that have changed him from one state to another, prepares himself in that way for future changes and for recognizing his condition. The life of Caesar has no more to show us than our own; an emperor's or an ordinary man's, it is still a life subject to all human accidents.”

Men Way Humans Stills States Shows Remember Evil Causes Conditions Subjects Changed Ordinary Accidents Threatened Recognizing Emperor Ordinary Man

Book:Essays

Source: Essays

“As we have come to understand the psychology of evil, we have realized that such transformations of human character are not as rare as we would like to believe. Historical inquiry and behavioral science have demonstrated the "banality of evil" -- that is, under certain conditions and social pressures, ordinary people can commit acts that would otherwise be unthinkable.”

“The "Lucifer Effect" describes the point in time when an ordinary, normal person first crosses the boundary between good and evil to engage in an evil action. It represents a transformation of human character that is significant in its consequences. Such transformations are more likely to occur in novel settings, in "total situations," where social situational forces are sufficiently powerful to overwhelm, or set aside temporally, personal attributes of morality, compassion, or sense of justice and fair play.”

“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay small acts of kindness and love.”

Believe Evil Found Kindness Darkness Ordinary And Love Everyday Folks Deeds Checks Great Power Acts Of Kindness Small Acts Small Acts Of Kindness Great Hobbit

Author:Peter Jackson

“It is tempting to believe that social evils arise from the activities of evil men and that if only good men (like ourselves, naturally) wielded power, all would be well. That view requires only emotion and self-praise - easy to come by and satisfying as well. To understand why it is that 'good' men in positions of power will produce evil, while the ordinary man without power but able to engage in voluntary cooperation with his neighbors will produce good, requires analysis and thought, subordinating emotions to the rational.”

“Think always: I am ever-pure, ever-knowing, and ever-free. How can I do anything evil? Can I ever be befooled like ordinary people with the insignificant charms of lust and wealth? Strengthen the mind with such thoughts. This will surely bring real good.”

People Thinking Mind Real Evil Wealth Knowing Pure Ordinary Lust Charm Insignificant Ordinary People

Author:Swami Vivekananda

“American views today are weak, confused, and divided. On one side, many progressive liberals still think that we humans are essentially good and getting better and better. On the other side, many postmoderns actually think it is worse to judge evil than to do evil. And in the middle, many ordinary folk plaster life with rainbows and smile buttons and wander through life on the basis of sentiment and clichés.”

Thinking Humans Stills Today Evil Sides Views Middle Judging Ordinary Weak Bases Folks Wander Get Better Confused Sentiments Progressive Divided Rainbow Buttons Postmodern Plasters

Author:Os Guinness

“I have been primarily interested in how and why ordinary people do unusual things, things that seem alien to their natures. Why do good people sometimes act evil? Why do smart people sometimes do dumb or irrational things?”

People Has Beens Sometimes Seems Evil Hero Smart Ordinary Aliens Dumb Good People Unusual Heroic Irrational Ordinary People Social Psychology Smart People Unusual Things

Author:Philip Zimbardo

“But this was no ordinary chicken. This chicken was evil manifest.”

Evil Ordinary Chickens Manifest

Author:Terry Goodkind

“Give a truly good person power, and they’re still a good person. Give a bad person power, and they’re still a bad person. The question is always about the person in between. The one that isn’t evil, or good, but just ordinary. You don’t always know what an ordinary person is like on the inside.”

Knows Giving Persons Stills Evil Ordinary Good Person Ordinary Person

Book:Incubus Dreams: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel

Source: Incubus Dreams: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel

“jace's clothes had been clean,stylish,ordinary. Sebastian had been wearing a long black wool trench coat that had looked expensive. Like an evil Burbeery ad, Simon said when she was done.”

Long Said Done Evil Black Clothes Ordinary Clean Expensive Ads Coats Jace Trenches Stylish Wool Trench Coats

Author:Cassandra Clare

“Well, you can think what you want, so long as you remember - no matter how ordinary things seem between us - I'm still here, still in love with you, and care about you more than any other guy, evil or otherwise, ever will.”

Thinking Want Wells Long Stills Matter Seems Care Remember Guy Evil Love You Ordinary What You Want Other Guys Ordinary Things Still Love You Still In Love

Book:The Indigo Spell: A Bloodlines Novel

Source: The Indigo Spell: A Bloodlines Novel

“... In contrast to the "banality of evil," which posits that ordinary people can be responsible for the most despicable acts of cruelty and degradation of their fellows, I posit the "banality of heroism," which unfurls the banner of the heroic Everyman and Everywoman who heed the call to service to humanity when their time comes to act. When that bell rings, they will know that it rings for them. It sounds a call to uphold what is best in human nature that rises above the powerful pressures of Situation and System as the profound assertion of human dignity opposing evil.”

“Everything is deception: seeking the minimum of illusion, keeping within the ordinary limitations, seeking the maximum. In the first case one cheats the Good, by trying to make it too easy for oneself to get it, and the Evil by imposing all too unfavorable conditions of warfare on it. In the second case one cheats the Good by keeping as aloof from it as possible, and the Evil by hoping to make it powerless through intensifying it to the utmost.”

Source: Wedding preparations in the country: and other posthumous prose writings. With notes by Max Brod