TBeholder

“All we’ve done is plant a couple of little, tiny seeds of doubt. Now we’re going to throw a little water on those seeds, and see if we can maybe get a leaf or two to poke its head out. Don’t expect a full-grown redwood to fly up and hit you in the face. Even when they work, which isn’t often, conversions don’t work that way. Doubt is a slow flower. You have to give it time.”
― Mencius Moldbug, An Open Letter to Open-Minded Progressives

“Amaranthae turned her head to look at the old mage, white to the lips. “Do you elders know everything?”
“Enough to keep ourselves entertained,” the Srinshee said dryly, and Uldreiyn Starym nodded.
“ ‘Tis a common mistake of the young and vigorous,” he calmly told the tabletop, “to believe their elders have forgotten to see, or think, or remember things— when what we’ve really forgotten to do is scare younglings into respecting us, thoroughly and often.”
― Ed Greenwood, Elminster in Myth Drannor

“Geriatric or other life extension for the powerful poses a similar threat to a sentient species as that found historically in the dominance of a self-perpetuating bureaucracy. Both assume prerogatives of immortality, collecting more and more power with each passing moment. This is power which draws a theological aura about itself: the unassailable Law, the God-given mandate of the leader, manifest destiny. Power held too long within a narrow framework moves farther and farther away from the adaptive demands of changed conditions. The leadership grows ever more paranoid, suspicious of inventive adaptations to change, fearfully protective of personal power and, in the terrified avoidance of what it sees as risk, blindly leads its people into destruction.
―BuSab Manual”
― Frank Herbert, The Dosadi Experiment

“Uzgob: Approachin’ target area, Gimzod. Why the zog ain’t ’em bomb bay doorz open yet?
Gimzod: Beg pardon, boss, but we’re ’avin’ some trouble down ’ere wiv the payload…
Uzgob: Then get the bommbadeer boyz to fix it!
Gimzod: Can’t do that, boss, seein’ as ’ow the payload already ate ’em…”
― Gordon Rennie, Deff Skwadron