16 Orson Scott Card Quotes on Influence

Orson Scott Card quotes on influence

15. Welcome to the human race. Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to be controlled by good people, by people who love you.

48. Is it some law of human nature that you inevitably become whatever your first commander was? I can quit right now, if that's so.

151. She did not understand all of human nature, but [he] had taught her this: to stop a human being from doing something, you must find a way to make this person stop wanting to do it.

269. Now I have second-guess all my future decisions wondering how much my choices are influenced by the fact that this kid really pisses me off

270. He knows how to form a group into the shape he wants it to have. He knows how to get people to work together. And he does it by the most minimal means possible

276. Damn, but they've got us brainwashed, haven't they!

286. What you don't seem to understand is, sometimes you have to tell people the truth and ask them to do the thing you want, instead of trying to trick them into it.

345. How does he do it? How does he master people without bluster or bullying? How does he make people fear him or love him, not in spite of his ruthlessness but because of it?

361. Real power does not demonstrate itself in anything that can be purchased in mere money. Money only buys the illusion of power. Real power is in the force of will - will strong enough that others bend to it for it's own sake, and follow it willingly. Power that is won through deception will evaporate under the hot light of truth, as more closely you look at it, even when it resides only in a single person, without armies, without servants, without friends, but with indomitable will.

443. We can wash people in the water all we want, but we can never wash their parents out of their hearts

476. [He] always wondered at that smile even as it triumphed over his own anger or envy. Where could such a power over others come from?

483. I realized it wouldn't do [him] any good to have a bunch of puppets doing his will. What he wants is companions. Do you see? He wants us to become like him, to want the same things he wants. To work towards the same goals, freely and willingly, because we want to

745. She had the sort of beauty that started wars

787. I don't like making people do things against their will No, sees-in-the-dark. You just refuse to leave them alone until they change their minds. Of their own free will

897. You looked so intense. Whatever you were saying, you seemed to mean it, and it wasn't amusing at all. Started quite a fashion. People keep looking for purpose now. Complicates everything

999. Justice hates it when I make people obey me out of fear. She thinks it's ugly and not nice. She always used to make people obey her by changing what they wanted, so it didn't occur to them to disobey. I think that's degrading and turns people into animals