#petty

To him, a stilted geometric love of arrangement was “system,” and indefatigable and feverish interest in the pettiest facets of day-to-day bureaucracy was “industry”, indecision when right was “caution”, and blind stubbornness when wrong, “determination. ↗

— Isaac Asimov

#petty #love

In a republic, that paradise of debility, the politician is a petty tyrant who obeys the laws. ↗

— Emile M. Cioran

#obeys #paradise #petty #politician #republic

Petty laws breed great crimes. ↗

— Ouida

#crimes #great #laws #petty

Its smallness is not petty; on the contrary, it is profound. ↗

— Jan Morris

#on the contrary #petty #profound #smallness

Every man may reign secure in his petty tyranny, and spread terror and desolation around him, until the trump of the Archangel shall excite different emotions in his soul. ↗

— James Otis

#desolation #different #different emotions #emotions #every

I think there's a suspicion in the South of people putting on airs. You see it in most successful Southern politicians, but you also see it in someone like Richard Petty, who may be a multimillionaire stock car driver, but he's also beloved because he has a nice self-deprecatory way about him. ↗

— John Shelton Reed

#airs #also #because #beloved #car

A chief petty officer taught me shorthand, which got me promoted to yeoman first class. ↗

— Jack Adams

#class #first #first class #got #me

I have very little respect for Nancy Reagan. There is something about her that is very petty. ↗

— Walter Annenberg

#her #i #little #nancy #nancy reagan

A family on the throne is an interesting idea. It brings down the pride of sovereignty to the level of petty life. ↗

— Walter Bagehot

#down #family #idea #interesting #interesting idea

Don't be afraid of failure; be afraid of petty success. ↗

— Maude Adams

#failure #petty #success