#persuasion

Our Constitution recognises no other power than that of persuasion, for enforcing religious observances. ↗

— Richard Mentor Johnson

#enforcing #observances #other #our #persuasion

[O]ne has to have endured a few decades before wanting, let alone needing, to embark on the project of recovering lost life. And I think it may be possible to review 'the chronicles of wasted time.' William Morris wrote in The Dream of John Ball that men fight for things and then lose the battle, only to win it again in a shape and form that they had not expected, and then be compelled again to defend it under another name. We are all of us very good at self-persuasion and I strive to be alert to its traps, but a version of what Hegel called 'the cunning of history' is a parallel commentary that I fight to keep alive in my mind. ↗

— Christopher Hitchens

#battles #hegel #history #life #reminiscence

Modern formulations are necessary even in defense of very ancient truths. Not because of any alleged anachronism in the old ideas – the Beatitudes remain the essential statements of the Western code – but because the idiom of life is always changing ↗

— William F. Buckley

#conservatism #persuasion #phrasing #relevance #change

Don't raise your voice, improve your argument." [Address at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa, 23 November 2004] ↗

— Desmond Tutu

#debate #discussion #persuasion #shouting #africa

It is safe to assume that any individual or group you wish to influence has access to more wisdom than they currently use. It is also safe to assume that they also have considerably more facts than they can process effectively. Giving them even more facts adds to the wrong pile. They don't need more facts. They need help finding their wisdom. Contrary to popular belief, bad decisions are rarely made because people don't have all the facts. ↗

— Annette Simmons

#narrative #persuasion #story #art

What! Would I be turned back from doing a thing that I had determined to do, and that I knew to be right, by the airs and interference of such a person, or any person I may say? No, I have no idea of being so easily persuaded. When I have made up my mind, I have made it. ↗

— Jane Austen

#empowerment #independence #interference #judgment #persuasion

I told you I'm not going to criticize my successor. I'll just tell you that there are people at Gitmo that will kill American people at a drop of a hat and I don't believe that persuasion isn't going to work. Therapy isn't going to cause terrorists to change their mind. ↗

— George W. Bush

#american people #believe #cause #change #criticize

It's much easier to be convincing if you care about your topic. Figure out what's important to you about your message and speak from the heart. ↗

— Nicholas Boothman

#persuasion #public-speaking #business

In politics, if you're explaining, you're loosing. ↗

— Rick Perlstein

#persuasion #communication

The problem with breaking up with someone, if you are a little unsure — and so often, people are unsure — is that breaking up involves persuasion. You have to persuade your ex that it is better this way for everyone. And this is difficult if you have not entirely persuaded yourself. It is especially tricky to do this if you are also naked, and making two cups of coffee. ↗

— Adam Thirlwell

#love #persuasion #relationshops #love