Quotes About Conformity

In the last few years I've become an accepted eccentric at best, and a fuckup at worst. I feel like I'll let people down if I take away the behavior they've grown accustomed to disapproving of. They try to discipline me, I refuse to be disciplined. They object, I'm objectionable. We all know exactly what to do.

They are anxious to have everything the white man has even if it is harmful.

The problem of holding the Negro down, therefore, is easily solved. When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his "proper place" and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.

When you control a man's thinkng you do not have to worry about his actions, You do not have to tell him not to stand he or go yonder . he will find his 'proper' place and will stay in it. You do not have to send him to the back door. he will go without being told

The present system under the control of the whites trains the Negro to be white and at the same time convinces him of the impropriety or the impossibility of his becoming white.

When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his "proper place" and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.

While being a good American, he must above all things be a "good Negro"; and to perform this definite function he must learn to stay in a "Negro's place.

While serving his country he must serve within a special group. While being a good American, he must above all things be a "good Negro"; and to perform this definite function he must learn to stay in a "Negro's place.

There is a possessiveness in the idealist's attitude . . . . "You are to be like me. I will shape you, or hammer you, into the shape of my ideal. You must enjoy my pleasures. Your tastes must coincide with mind. You must have only my values. You must be restricted by my limitations

One of the eternal verities of human life is that if you make the same choices as other people, they will think you are intelligent.

There are no exceptions to the rule that everybody likes to be an exception to the rule.

In suburbia," Van Sickler said, "no one can hear you scream.

The hand does not argue with the head.

If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

The horrors that we have seen, the still greater horrors we shall presently see, are not signs that rebels, insubordinate, untamable men are increasing in number throughout the world, but rather that there is a constant increase in the number of obedient, docile men. —George Bernanos

In contrast to the traditional idea of creative discovery as great leaps into the unknown by the 'man of genius' - the exploration of the adjacent possible by diverse perspectives can explain autocatalytic innovation within the context of cultural learning and conformity. The growth of diversity is self-accelerating because the size of the possible exponentially increases with the dimensions of the attributes being tinkered with.

Of course it was still odd, but when everyone does the same odd thing, it seems almost normal.

There are innumerable instances suggesting that modern intellectuals do not believe themselves, that they don't really believe what they say, that they say certain things only in order to assure themselves that they possess opinions and ideas that are different from those that are entertained by the common herd of men.

Those who are too lazy and comfortable to think for themselves and be their own judges obey the laws. Others sense their own laws within them.

Birds of a feather flock together.

One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him.

The nail that sticks out is hammered down.

When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other. Originality is deliberate and forced, and partakes of the nature of a protest.