Social Dynamics Quotes

“Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force of the group's normative power to shape the opinions of the followers who conform without thinking things through, they are often taken at face value. The persistent minority forces the others to process the relevant information more mindfully. Research shows that the deciscions of a group as a whole are more thoughtful and creative when there is minority dissent than when it is absent.”
― Philip G. Zimbardo, The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil

“There is no We, there is only I, the only We is when it is in the interest of the I.”
― Isaiah Senones

“Since humans are social animals, you’re basically only as good as your reputation.”
― A.D. Aliwat, Alpha

“It is as futile and dangerous to aim at making of society one large family, as sentimental socialism seeks to do, as to aim at making of it one large team, as positivist socialism seeks to do.”
― Bertrand De Jouvenel, Sovereignty: An Inquiry into the Political Good

“One girl to send her to the guillotine, one to cut the rope, and one to eagerly await the result.”
― Wataru Watari, やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている。4

“Touch connotes ownership.”
― A.D. Aliwat, In Limbo

“He seemed to think Marianne had acces to a range of different identities, between which she slipped effortlessly. This suprised her, because she usually felt confinedinside one single personlaity, which was always the same regardless of what she said or did or said. She had tried to be different in the past, as a kind of experiment, but it had never worked. If she was different with Connel, the difference was not happening inside herself, in her personhood, but between them, in the dynamic.”
― Sally Rooney, Normal People

“Social dynamic theory is philosophy, not politics. There can't be only one correct answer, or there would only be one book." Sharon L Reddy, Worldcon, 1995.”
― Sharon L. Reddy

“Laughter is a whip that keeps us in line. It's horrible to be laughed at against your will. Either you suppress unwelcome laughter or you start controlling it.”
― Keith Johnstone

“The great Bonaventure said that the wise must enhance conceptual clarity with the truth implicit in the actions of the simple...."
"Like the chapter of Perugia and the learned memories of Ubertino, which transform into theological decisions the summons of the simple to poverty." I said.
"Yes, but as you have seen, this happens too late, and when it happens, the truth of the simple has already been transformed into the truth of the powerful, more useful for the Emperor Louis than for a Friar of the Poor Life.”
― Umberto Eco

“The law of all modern states takes account of associations, whose members, in theory, pursue the common end with equal zeal. The experience of all associations proves, however, that this is not the case, and that a lively, constant and vigorous awareness of the end is found only in a minority of the associates; an association is really rather like a comet—a large tail of docile followers dragged along by a small dynamic head.”
― Bertrand De Jouvenel, Sovereignty: An Inquiry into the Political Good

“We never know how much we actually hate one another, the Redeemer thought, until we’re locked in a room together.”
― Yuri Herrera, The Transmigration of Bodies

“Modern dating was a labyrinthine manscape riddled with trolls, bros, haters, and selfie-obsessed divos.”
― Duncan Ralston, In Every Dark Corner

“For the most part, we make an effort to treat each other as though we were equal, and that often involves tactfully ignoring the ways in which we are not. Much of what gets called "social skill" involves inducing the feeling of equality in the face of all the facts that challenge this feeling.”
― Agnes Callard, Open Socrates: The Case for a Philosophical Life

“Elegance gives way to pettiness when each person claims reason for themselves in situations where everyone is wrong.”
― Paulo Ricardo Zargolin

“Power's a strange thing. Some have it and some don't. Those who do have a certain way of speaking that renders options nonexistent.”
― Gabino Iglesias, The Devil Takes You Home