Quotations about Power
Using Quotations in a Speech or Text about Power
As well as keeping your audience engaged, adding quotations to a speech or a text can significantly enhance its impact and effectiveness. Quotations are useful for explaining complex ideas concisely, much in the same way that analogies are used. Additionally, quotations from experts or celebrities can add credibility to your message.Here are some funny and poignant quotations about power. If your speech is serious, do not automatically avoid funny quotations as they can often be the most impactful, forcing your audience into the thinking about the hidden analogous message in your selected quotation.
- "Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious." (British actor Peter Ustinov)
- "When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth." (Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw)
"There is no greater power in the world than the zest of a postulant." Hafez (Persian lyric poet, 1325-late 14th century)
Power is the ultimate *aphrodisiac.*rush!*desire.* Henry Kissinger (American politician, 1923-)
"Power is not something that can be assumed or bestowed; it is something that must be taken." Alice Paul (American women's rights activist, 1885-1977)
Money and power follow *attention.*me everywhere I go.*study.* Chris Brogan (American author, 1970-)
"Power is not brute force and money; power is in your spirit. Power is in your soul. It is what your ancestors, your old people gave you." Winona LaDuke (American economist and environmentalist, 1959-)
Power is not a possession. It is a *process.*gift.*joke.* Michel Foucault (French philosopher, 1926-1984)
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Lord Acton (English historian and politician, 1834-1902)
The measure of a man is what he does *with power.*to his friends.*with his money.* Plato (Greek philosopher, 429-347 BC)
"Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship." George Orwell (English novelist, 1903-50)
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." Abraham Lincoln (American statesman, 1809-65)
"Knowledge is power." Francis Bacon (English courtier, 1561-1626)
The greatest power is often *simple patience.*love.*hard work.* Eli Joseph Cossman (American inventor, 1918-2002)
"Power is like being a lady... if you have to tell people you are, you aren't." Margaret Thatcher (British Conservative stateswoman, 1925-2013)
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." Alice Walker (novelist, 1944-)
"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." Frederick Douglass (American social reformer, 1818-1895)
"So long as men worship the Caesars and Napoleons, Caesars and Napoleons will duly arise and make them miserable." Aldous Huxley (English novelist, 1894-1963)
Knowledge is power, if you know *it about the right person.*your enemies.*nuclear fission.* Ethel Watts Mumford (American writer and humorist, 1878-1940)
"Castro couldn't even go to the bathroom unless the Soviet Union put the nickel in the toilet." Richard Milhous Nixon (American Republican statesman, 1913-94)
Powerful men often succeed through the help of their wives. Powerful women only succeed *in spite of their husbands.*by their looks.*by their nagging.* Lynda Lee-Potter (British journalist, 1935-2004)
"Seven months ago I could give a single command and 541,000 people would immediately obey it. Today I can't get a plumber to come to my house." H. Norman Schwarzkopf III (American general, 1934-2012)
"The Pope! How many divisions has he got?" Joseph Stalin (Soviet dictator, 1879-1953) on being asked to encourage Catholicism in Russia by conciliating the Pope
Thinking Template for a Speech or Text on Power
Below are 3 funny themes and 3 serious themes related to power. These have been included to help you identify areas to explore.Funny Themes:
- Power Struggles: Hilarious Office Politics
- Share amusing stories or anecdotes about funny power dynamics in the workplace, from office rivalries to quirky management styles, highlighting the humor in corporate power struggles.
- Superpowers Gone Wrong: The Funniest Superhero Mishaps
- Explore humorous anecdotes or stories about superheroes and their misadventures, discussing the comical side of superpowers and their unexpected consequences.
- Powerful Pets: Hilarious Animal Dominance
- Discuss comical stories or mishaps involving pets asserting dominance or displaying unexpected power dynamics, showcasing the whimsical side of pet behavior.
Serious Themes:
- Political Power: Influence, Governance, and Accountability
- Discuss the nature of political power, exploring its influence on governance, policy-making, and the responsibilities of leaders in ensuring accountability and transparency.
- Economic Power: Wealth, Inequality, and Social Impact
- Address economic power dynamics, discussing wealth distribution, income inequality, and the social impact of economic disparities on individuals and communities.
- Personal Empowerment: Agency, Leadership, and Social Change
- Explore the concept of personal empowerment, discussing leadership skills, advocacy for social justice, and strategies for individuals to effect positive change in their communities.
Help Us Improve Funny Quotation (#FuQ)
- Do you know a great quotation that belongs on this page?
- Do you disagree with our top three?
- Do you disagree with something else on this page?
- Have we credited the wrong person with the quotation?
Find Us Quicker!
- When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find us quicker if you add #FuQ to your search term.
