---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A decision has been called for. The…"
description: "\"“A decision has been called for. The Nodders sit paralyzed. The Men crouch in their various holes. Tradition and Revolution, having spoken, perch high ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/dale-mcgowan-34280_fear_a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodde_2607088.jpg"
---

#  A decision has been called for. The Nodders sit paralyzed…

![“A decision has been called for. The Nodders sit paralyzed. The Men crouch in their various holes. Tradition and Revolution, having spoken, perch high and unflinching. Fear and Loathing quietly cha-cha down the table’s length. A distant referee’s whistle.” quote by Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/dale-mcgowan-34280_fear_a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodde_2607088.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/dale-mcgowan-34280_fear_a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodde_2607088.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/dale-mcgowan-34280_fear_a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodde_2607088.jpg)

> ““A decision has been called for. The Nodders sit paralyzed. The Men crouch in their various holes. Tradition and Revolution, having spoken, perch high and unflinching. Fear and Loathing quietly cha-cha down the table’s length. A distant referee’s whistle. ””

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Indecision stalls progress; fear and tradition freeze action while revolution and fear clash, leaving people stuck.

**In simple terms:** Fear and tradition block decisions.

Key Takeaway

Break inertia with decisive steps.

Themes

indecision tradition revolution fear paralysis

Mood

anxious determined reflective

Type

advice motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- Corporate strategy sessions
- personal life choices
- policy reforms
- crisis response
- creative projects

Key Concepts

Behavioral economics social inertia change management

Questions to Reflect On

- What holds you back from deciding?
- How can you balance caution with action?

A Different Perspective

Too rapid decisions can ignore valuable input, leading to mistakes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Called Nodders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-nodders-1995781/) [Decision Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-called-1995780/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear and loathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-and-loathing/) [Men Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-crouch-1995783/) [Paralyzed Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paralyzed-men-1995782/) [Sit Paralyzed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sit-paralyzed-1995784/)

## Related quotes

> [Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is perfect in the same way that The Great Gatsby is perfect. Take a pencil and read these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mckeen/fear-and-loathing-in-las-vegas-is-perfect-in-the-same-way-that-the/)

[William McKeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mckeen/)

> [“Before we had finished the third round of beers, little Johnny and I had been poisoned. Someone must have put something in his beer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-adam-nyapi/before-we-had-finished-the-third-round-of-beers-little-johnny-and-i/)

[Tomas Adam Nyapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-adam-nyapi/)

> [There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-more-helpless-and-irresponsible-and-2/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [I was never idle long enough to do much thinking, but I felt somehow that my instincts were right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/i-was-never-idle-long-enough-to-do-much-thinking-but-i-felt-somehow-2/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [“The press is a gang of cruel faggots. Journalism is not a profession or a trade. It is a cheap catch-all for fuckoffs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-press-is-a-gang-of-cruel-faggots-journalism-is-not-a-profession-2/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [“Writers do not write what they want, they write what they can. When I was 21 I wanted to write like Kafka. But, unfortunately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/writers-do-not-write-what-they-want-they-write-what-they-can-when-i/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [Too weird to live, and too rare to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/too-weird-to-live-and-too-rare-to-die/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [Creating fear and loathing of gay and lesbian Americans has proven, year after year, to be the most effective say for Dobson and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-white/creating-fear-and-loathing-of-gay-and-lesbian-americans-has-proven/)

[Mel White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-white/)

> [No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride...and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-sympathy-for-the-devil-keep-that-in-mind-buy-the-ticket-take-the/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [“I’ve spent enough time in jackrabbit country to know that most of them lead pretty dull lives . . . No wonder some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/i-ve-spent-enough-time-in-jackrabbit-country-to-know-that-most-of/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/few-people-understand-the-psychology-of-dealing-with-a-highway/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. It makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-more-helpless-and-irresponsible-and/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [“A road trip with Richard Nixon would seem like gum surgery on wheels. But Hunter S. Thompson actually went on a road trip with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/a-road-trip-with-richard-nixon-would-seem-like-gum-surgery-on-wheels/)

[P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/)

> [Institutionalized rejection of differences is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs outsiders as surplus people. As members of such an economy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/institutionalized-rejection-of-differences-is-an-absolute-necessity/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [People don't know where to place me. Terry Gilliam used me as a quirky cop in 'Twelve Monkeys', and then he hired me again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-meloni/people-don-t-know-where-to-place-me-terry-gilliam-used-me-as-a-quirky/)

[Christopher Meloni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-meloni/)

## More by Dale McGowan

> [“I feel too much respect for the idea of respect to grant it automatically to all ideas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/i-feel-too-much-respect-for-the-idea-of-respect-to-grant-it/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“Where there is no critical thinking, there is no progress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/where-there-is-no-critical-thinking-there-is-no-progress/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“That churchgoers do the lion's share of the charitable work in our communities is simply untrue. They get credit for it because they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/that-churchgoers-do-the-lion-s-share-of-the-charitable-work-in-our/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“What is of the utmost importance is exposing children to critical thinking as opposed to mindless indoctrination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/what-is-of-the-utmost-importance-is-exposing-children-to-critical/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“I eventually learned to correct behaviors by having my children recognize and name the problem themselves. Replace “Don’t pull the dog’s ears” with “Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/i-eventually-learned-to-correct-behaviors-by-having-my-children/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“It was like finding a long-lost brother who farts in the same key.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/it-was-like-finding-a-long-lost-brother-who-farts-in-the-same-key/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“I should’ve been a nun, he says, half aloud, as his feet leave the ledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/i-should-ve-been-a-nun-he-says-half-aloud-as-his-feet-leave-the-ledge/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“...it was like finding a brother who farts in key.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/it-was-like-finding-a-brother-who-farts-in-key/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“Spread your arms out to your sides, like a plane. Your wingspan is a timeline. Your left fingertip represents the time of the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/spread-your-arms-out-to-your-sides-like-a-plane-your-wingspan-is-a/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“Along with the usual secular values (such as appropriate tolerance/intolerance, morality, critical thinking, appreciation for reason and science), don’t forget to impart social graces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/along-with-the-usual-secular-values-such-as-appropriate-tolerance/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“evangelism of children nonetheless seeks to cut off the process of independent thought before it begins. It’s this aspect of religious indoctrination that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/evangelism-of-children-nonetheless-seeks-to-cut-off-the-process-of/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“Spirituality is about being awake. It’s the attempt to transcend the mundane, sleepwalking experience of life we all fall into, to tap into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/spirituality-is-about-being-awake-it-s-the-attempt-to-transcend-the/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

> [“What we truly want is the satisfaction of seeing our children become mature, self-reliant human beings, at any age, thinking for themselves, free and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/what-we-truly-want-is-the-satisfaction-of-seeing-our-children-become/)

[Dale McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

[Explore all 14 Dale McGowan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/)

## More Fear quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/)

[Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/)

> [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/)

[M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/)

> [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/)

[Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/)

> [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/)

[Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/)

> [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/)

[Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/)

> [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/)

[Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/)

> [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/)

[Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/)

> [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/)

[Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

[Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“A decision has been called for. The Nodders sit paralyzed. The Men crouch in their various holes. Tradition and Revolution, having spoken, perch high and unflinching. Fear and Loathing quietly cha-cha down the table’s length. A distant referee’s whistle. ”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dale McGowan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodders-sit-paralyzed-the-men/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fear"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodders-sit-paralyzed-the-men/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/dale-mcgowan-34280_fear_a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodde_2607088.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/dale-mcgowan-34280_fear_a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodde_2607088.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/dale-mcgowan-34280_fear_a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodde_2607088.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A decision has been called for. The Nodders sit paralyzed. The Men crouch in their various holes. Tradition…” — Dale McGowan",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "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": "Dale McGowan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-mcgowan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“A decision has been called for....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodders-sit-paralyzed-the-men/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-mcgowan/a-decision-has-been-called-for-the-nodders-sit-paralyzed-the-men/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
