Authority Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Authority Quotes

"All my authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

"All my authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

Jesus Christ, Jewish Clergyman

Authority, Earth, Heaven

190

"In my day, the president ruled with authority before the law, but now all that is lost."

"In my day, the president ruled with authority before the law, but now all that is lost."

Kim Y. Sam, South Korean President

Authority, Day, Law, Now

171

"The proper balance between individual liberty and central authority is a very ancient problem."

"The proper balance between individual liberty and central authority is a very ancient problem."

Arthur Keith, Scottish Scientist

Authority, Balance, Liberty

162

"The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis."

"The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis."

Dalai Lama XIV, Tibetan Spiritual Leader

Authority, Reason, Rest, Leader

156

"Authority poisons everybody who takes authority on himself."

"Authority poisons everybody who takes authority on himself."

Golda Meir, Israeli Leader

139

"Authority is never without hate."

"Authority is never without hate."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Authority, Hate

83

"Think for yourself and question authority."

"Think for yourself and question authority."

Timothy Leary, American Educator

Authority, Question

79

"I am the Roman Emperor, and am above grammar."

"I am the Roman Emperor, and am above grammar."

Emperor Sigismund, German Statesman

Authority, Grammar

74

"Writing is a dreadful labor, yet not so dreadful as Idleness."

"Writing is a dreadful labor, yet not so dreadful as Idleness."

Thomas Carlyle, Scottish Philosopher

Authority, Idleness, Labor, Writing

74

"If an individual is born with the obligation to obey, who is born with the right to command?"

"If an individual is born with the obligation to obey, who is born with the right to command?"

Tom G. Palmer, American Educator

Authority, Obligation, Right

62

"Authority pisses me off. I think everyone should be able to drink and get loud whenever they want."

"Authority pisses me off. I think everyone should be able to drink and get loud whenever they want."

James Hetfield, American Musician

Authority, Want

58

"Liberty is the proper end and object of authority, and cannot subsist without it; and it is liberty to that which is good, just, and honest."

"Liberty is the proper end and object of authority, and cannot subsist without it; and it is liberty to that which is good, just, and honest."

John Winthrop, English Celebrity

Authority, End, Liberty

55

"The more she rejected us the more convinced I was that she was another version of the real Molly, her disdain for authority, her scepticism that she had to do what the white man told her because it was good for her... She is Molly."

"The more she rejected us the more convinced I was that she was another version of the real Molly, her disdain for authority, her scepticism that she had to do what the white man told her because it was good for her... She is Molly."

Phillip Noyce, Australian Director

55

"Authority forgets a dying king."

"Authority forgets a dying king."

Alfred Lord Tennyson, English Poet

Authority, Dying

54

"The burnt odor in Washington is from the disintegrating authority of the governing classes."

"The burnt odor in Washington is from the disintegrating authority of the governing classes."

William Greider, American Author

Authority, Washington

54

"If you're going to kick authority in the teeth, you might as well use two feet."

"If you're going to kick authority in the teeth, you might as well use two feet."

Keith Richards, English Musician

Authority, Feet

54

"The earl shook his head, exhibiting a degree of frosty offense that could only be achieved by an aristocrat whose wishes had just been gainsaid. "I've never heard of a man being so eager to confess to the parent of a girl he's just ruined, he said sourly."

"The earl shook his head, exhibiting a degree of frosty offense that could only be achieved by an aristocrat whose wishes had just been gainsaid. "I've never heard of a man being so eager to confess to the parent of a girl he's just ruined, he said sourly."

Lisa Kleypas, American Novelist

Authority, Power, Regret, Pride, Tradition

54

"Those who enjoy responsibility usually get it; those who merely like exercising authority usually lose it."

"Those who enjoy responsibility usually get it; those who merely like exercising authority usually lose it."

Malcolm Forbes, American Publisher

Authority, Responsibility

54

"We have one authority and one law and everyone has the responsibility to follow that law and that authority."

"We have one authority and one law and everyone has the responsibility to follow that law and that authority."

Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Statesman

Authority, Law, Responsibility

53

"He may not enter anywhere at the first, unless there be some one of the household who bid him to come, though afterwards he can come as he please."

"He may not enter anywhere at the first, unless there be some one of the household who bid him to come, though afterwards he can come as he please."

Bram Stoker, Irish Writer

Authority, First, May

52

"They don't want to be reminded that there is an authority higher than the authority of the state."

"They don't want to be reminded that there is an authority higher than the authority of the state."

Roy Moore, American Judge

Authority, State, Want

52

"In order to be respected, authority has got to be respectable."

"In order to be respected, authority has got to be respectable."

Tom Robbins, American Author

Authority, Order

52

"In some South Pacific cultures, a speaker holds a conch shell as a symbol of temporary position of authority. Leaders must understand who holds the conch that is, who should be listened to and when."

"In some South Pacific cultures, a speaker holds a conch shell as a symbol of temporary position of authority. Leaders must understand who holds the conch that is, who should be listened to and when."

Max de Pree, American Executive

Authority, Leaders, Symbol

51

"No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority."

"No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority."

Robert A. Heinlein, American Writer

51

"The Priestly Code preponderates over the rest of the legislation in force, as well as in bulk; in all matters of primary importance it is the normal and final authority."

"The Priestly Code preponderates over the rest of the legislation in force, as well as in bulk; in all matters of primary importance it is the normal and final authority."

Julius Wellhausen, German Educator

Authority, Force, Importance, Legislation

50

"Respect by fear isn't respect... it's fear."

"Respect by fear isn't respect... it's fear."

Christina Engela, South African Author

Authority, Fear, Respect, Power, Truth

49

"The man who prefers his country before any other duty shows the same spirit as the man who surrenders every right to the state. They both deny that right is superior to authority."

"The man who prefers his country before any other duty shows the same spirit as the man who surrenders every right to the state. They both deny that right is superior to authority."

Lord Acton, British Historian

Authority, Country, Duty, Man

49

"Celebrity distorts democracy by giving the rich, beautiful, and famous more authority than they deserve."

"Celebrity distorts democracy by giving the rich, beautiful, and famous more authority than they deserve."

Maureen Dowd, American Journalist

Authority, Celebrity, Democracy, Famous

48

"I believe that historians and analysts of historical events need the authority of facts supplied by living witnesses to the events, which they make their subject."

"I believe that historians and analysts of historical events need the authority of facts supplied by living witnesses to the events, which they make their subject."

Ibrahim Babangida, Nigerian Statesman

Authority, Events, Facts, Historians

48

"Nearly everywhere monarchs raised themselves further above the level of the greatest nobles and buttressed their new pretensions to respect and authority with cannons and taxation."

"Nearly everywhere monarchs raised themselves further above the level of the greatest nobles and buttressed their new pretensions to respect and authority with cannons and taxation."

J. M. Roberts, British Historian

Authority, Respect, Taxation

48

"You can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility."

"You can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility."

Byron Dorgan, American Politician

Authority, Responsibility

47

"Moral authority has been laid to rest, world opinion is no more than a game show and the difference between good and evil is about as relevant as changing channels."

"Moral authority has been laid to rest, world opinion is no more than a game show and the difference between good and evil is about as relevant as changing channels."

Ralph Steadman, British Cartoonist

Authority, Difference, Evil, Opinion

47

"The Captain of the Watch says if you're still in the City by sunrise he will personally have you buried alive."

"The Captain of the Watch says if you're still in the City by sunrise he will personally have you buried alive."

Terry Pratchett, English Author

Authority, Power, Fear, City, Justice

47

"We have to give value to authority. We have to give value to office, being in office, holding office."

"We have to give value to authority. We have to give value to office, being in office, holding office."

James Hillman, American Psychologist

Authority, Being, Office, Value

47

"I wasn't good with authority, went to lots of schools, didn't like the fact that there was no autonomy."

"I wasn't good with authority, went to lots of schools, didn't like the fact that there was no autonomy."

Nigella Lawson, British Journalist

Authority, Fact, Schools

46

"That's why editors and publishers will never be obsolete: a reader wants someone with taste and authority to point them in the direction of the good stuff, and to keep the awful stuff away from their door."

"That's why editors and publishers will never be obsolete: a reader wants someone with taste and authority to point them in the direction of the good stuff, and to keep the awful stuff away from their door."

Walter Jon Williams, American Writer

Authority, Direction, Editors, Taste

46

"I'm the guy who wrote The Authority Song. Did they think I was kidding? Did they think it was only a song to entertain?"

"I'm the guy who wrote The Authority Song. Did they think I was kidding? Did they think it was only a song to entertain?"

John Mellencamp, American Musician

Authority, Song

46

"Of course the UN brings in a lot of moral authority."

"Of course the UN brings in a lot of moral authority."

Lakhdar Brahimi, Algerian Public Servant

46

"The Hamas organization is unwilling to honor the obligations that the Palestinian Authority has signed."

"The Hamas organization is unwilling to honor the obligations that the Palestinian Authority has signed."

Moshe Katsav, Israeli Statesman

Authority, Honor

44

"Scientists and scholars should constitute themselves as an international NGO of exceptional authority."

"Scientists and scholars should constitute themselves as an international NGO of exceptional authority."

John Charles Polanyi, Canadian Scientist

Authority, Scientists

44

"By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes is his duty against the influence of authority and majorities, custom and opinion."

"By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes is his duty against the influence of authority and majorities, custom and opinion."

John Acton, English Historian

Authority, Custom, Duty, Influence

44

"Courtrooms contain every symbol of authority that a set designer could imagine. Everyone stands up when you come in. You wear a costume identifying you as, if not quite divine, someone special."

"Courtrooms contain every symbol of authority that a set designer could imagine. Everyone stands up when you come in. You wear a costume identifying you as, if not quite divine, someone special."

Irving R. Kaufman, American Judge

Authority, Symbol

44

"Instead, I was interested in what I guess I could call narrative indeterminacy, in questioning the apparent, taken-for-granted authority of any particular representation of the events in question."

"Instead, I was interested in what I guess I could call narrative indeterminacy, in questioning the apparent, taken-for-granted authority of any particular representation of the events in question."

Peter Straub, American Writer

Authority, Events, Question, Questioning

44

"For a trial is initiated not to render justice but to annihilate the defendant.Even when the trial is of dead people, the point is to kill them off a second time: by burning their books; by removing their names from the schoolbooks; by demolishing their monuments; by rechristening the streets that bore their names."

"For a trial is initiated not to render justice but to annihilate the defendant.Even when the trial is of dead people, the point is to kill them off a second time: by burning their books; by removing their names from the schoolbooks; by demolishing their monuments; by rechristening the streets that bore their names."

Milan Kundera, Czechoslovakian Writer

Authority, Justice, History, Truth, Control

44

"It is not a sign of arrogance for the king to rule. That is what he is there for."

"It is not a sign of arrogance for the king to rule. That is what he is there for."

William F. Buckley, Jr., American Journalist

Authority, Arrogance, William F. Buckley, Jr.

44

"Freedom of conscience entails more dangers than authority and despotism."

"Freedom of conscience entails more dangers than authority and despotism."

Michel Foucault, French Historian

Authority, Conscience, Freedom

44

"I'll be on my third honeymoon, so I'm more of an authority than I care to be."

"I'll be on my third honeymoon, so I'm more of an authority than I care to be."

Alan Thicke, Canadian Actor

Authority, Care

44

"A throne is only a bench covered with velvet."

"A throne is only a bench covered with velvet."

Napoleon Bonaparte, French Leader

Authority, Power, Illusion, Status, Reality

43

"Majority rule gives the ruthless strong man plenty of elbow room to oppress his fellows."

"Majority rule gives the ruthless strong man plenty of elbow room to oppress his fellows."

Robert A. Heinlein, American Writer

Authority, Power, Oppression, Majority, Politics

43

"The dead and past stories that I have told again in divers fashions, are not set down without authority."

"The dead and past stories that I have told again in divers fashions, are not set down without authority."

Marie de France, French Poet

Authority, Past

42

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