---
title: "1 Authoritarians Quotes By Robert Sapolsky"
description: "1 Authoritarians quotes by Robert Sapolsky. Plus more from Robert Sapolsky and more Authoritarians sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a46/robert-sapolsky-5012_authoritarians_authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but_538682.jpg"
---

> [Authoritarians have always been here. But the features of a given moment make that way of thinking more or less appealing. Germany in the 1920s, when people are starving, suddenly makes 'populist' answers and scapegoating different groups as the source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but-the-features-of-a-given/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a46/robert-sapolsky-5012_authoritarians_authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but_538682.jpg)

## More by Robert Sapolsky

> [I was not especially a writer back in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-was-not-especially-a-writer-back-in-college/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [You don't want to end up telling somebody who's homeless or a refugee that stress is all perceptual, because it sure isn't in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/you-don-t-want-to-end-up-telling-somebody-who-s-homeless-or-a-refugee/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-the-relationship-between-social-dominance-orientation-in/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [Depression is like the worst disease you can get. It's devastating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/depression-is-like-the-worst-disease-you-can-get-it-s-devastating/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [Juvenile justice is probably the area that's most ripe for reform, in the nice liberal sense of the word, simply because there's no getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/juvenile-justice-is-probably-the-area-that-s-most-ripe-for-reform-in/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [When it comes to how neuroscience could help the wider public, the worst thing is when we make advances in, say, mindfulness, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/when-it-comes-to-how-neuroscience-could-help-the-wider-public-the/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [To do good science, you've got to work really, really hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/to-do-good-science-you-ve-got-to-work-really-really-hard/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [Literal cleanliness and orderliness can release us from abstract cognitive and affective distress - just consider how, during moments where life seems to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/literal-cleanliness-and-orderliness-can-release-us-from-abstract/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [“Words unconsciously shift thoughts and feelings. One person's 'terrorist' is another's 'freedom fighter'; politicians jockey to commandeer 'family values,' and somehow you can't favor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/words-unconsciously-shift-thoughts-and-feelings-one-person-s/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [I think you get to a time in life where by definition stuff's turning to quicksand and wherever you can get some solid footing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-you-get-to-a-time-in-life-where-by-definition-stuff-s-turning/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [Being president does seem a lot more stressful than being vice president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/being-president-does-seem-a-lot-more-stressful-than-being-vice/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [If a male primate is mean to a female primate, her whole family will come after him. We don't have that sort of accountability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/if-a-male-primate-is-mean-to-a-female-primate-her-whole-family-will/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [When humans invented material inequality, they came up with a way of subjugating the low-ranking like nothing ever seen before in the primate world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/when-humans-invented-material-inequality-they-came-up-with-a-way-of/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [Authoritarians have always been here. But the features of a given moment make that way of thinking more or less appealing. Germany in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but-the-features-of-a-given/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

> [The key thing about us is that we all belong to multiple tribes. Even if we are predisposed into dividing the world into 'us'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/the-key-thing-about-us-is-that-we-all-belong-to-multiple-tribes-even/)

[Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarians/robert-sapolsky/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Authoritarians Quotes By Robert Sapolsky",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Authoritarians have always been here. But the features of a given moment make that way of thinking more or less appealing. Germany in the 1920s, when people are starving, suddenly makes 'populist' answers and scapegoating different groups as the source of the problem much more appealing.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Robert Sapolsky"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but-the-features-of-a-given/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a46/robert-sapolsky-5012_authoritarians_authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but_538682.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a46/robert-sapolsky-5012_authoritarians_authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but_538682.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a46/robert-sapolsky-5012_authoritarians_authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but_538682.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Authoritarians have always been here. But the features of a given moment make that way of thinking more or…” — Robert Sapolsky",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarians/robert-sapolsky/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarians/robert-sapolsky/",
            "name": "Authoritarians Quotes by Robert Sapolsky",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarians/robert-sapolsky/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a46/robert-sapolsky-5012_authoritarians_authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but_538682.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Authoritarians quotes by Robert Sapolsky. Plus more from Robert Sapolsky and more Authoritarians sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarians/robert-sapolsky/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarians/robert-sapolsky/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Authoritarians",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarians/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Robert Sapolsky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarians/robert-sapolsky/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
