--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Either you think, or else others have to…" description: "\"Either you think, or else others have to think for you and take power from you, pervert and discipline your natural tastes, civilize and sterilize you...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8f/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_discipline_either-you-think-or-else-others-have-to_2754307.jpg" --- # Either you think, or else others have to think for you and… ![“Either you think, or else others have to think for you and take power from you, pervert and discipline your natural tastes, civilize and sterilize you.” quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8f/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_discipline_either-you-think-or-else-others-have-to_2754307.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8f/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_discipline_either-you-think-or-else-others-have-to_2754307.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8f/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_discipline_either-you-think-or-else-others-have-to_2754307.jpg) > “Either you think, or else others have to think for you and take power from you, pervert and discipline your natural tastes, civilize and sterilize you.” [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societal pressure forces conformity, suppressing individuality and natural desires. **In simple terms:** Society tries to control personal freedom. Key Takeaway Resist undue influence, preserve authenticity. Themes conformity power individuality civilization Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - workplace - media consumption - family dynamics Key Concepts sociology psychology political theory Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel pressured to conform? - What values define your true self? A Different Perspective Resistance may cause conflict or isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilize Sterilize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilize-sterilize-3122330/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Pervert Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pervert-discipline-2386565/) [Power Pervert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-pervert-3122331/) [Tastes Civilize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tastes-civilize-3122332/) [Think Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-power/) ## Related quotes > [“She had somehow given over the thinking to him, and in his absences her every action seemed automatically governed by what he would like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-had-somehow-given-over-the-thinking-to-him-and-in-his-absences/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“she knew that for her the greatest sin now and in the future was to delude herself. It had been a long lesson but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-knew-that-for-her-the-greatest-sin-now-and-in-the-future-was-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Because of your belief in external things you think power into them by transferring the power that you are to the external thing. Realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neville-goddard/because-of-your-belief-in-external-things-you-think-power-into-them/) [Neville Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neville-goddard/) > [I personally think 'Power' is much more similar to 'The Sopranos' in that it deals with a character who is leading a double life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lela-loren/i-personally-think-power-is-much-more-similar-to-the-sopranos-in-that/) [Lela Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lela-loren/) > [Think Give. Not Get. Nothing has the power to positively change your world more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-anderson/think-give-not-get-nothing-has-the-power-to-positively-change-your/) [Shawn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-anderson/) > [I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward, as though you have the confidence to move forward, eventually gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-downey-jr/i-think-that-the-power-is-the-principle-the-principle-of-moving/) [Robert Downey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-downey-jr/) > [“People think power makes them big, but it brings out their inner bratty child and makes them small." - Grady Adams - "Breathless by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/people-think-power-makes-them-big-but-it-brings-out-their-inner/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I don't know if power seduces less or more. I think power is a constant evolving mechanism that, since the dawn of time, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-don-t-know-if-power-seduces-less-or-more-i-think-power-is-a/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [“Do you think that much power comes without sacrifice? Did you think you could become you without leaving something, without leaving me, behind?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/do-you-think-that-much-power-comes-without-sacrifice-did-you-think/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [Kids really have a lot more power than they think they have. They have the power to change the world. And they should know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-marano/kids-really-have-a-lot-more-power-than-they-think-they-have-they-have/) [Laura Marano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-marano/) > [“Traditionally we associate power with the display of strength, winning, and having lots of money and prestige. I think we have power mixed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-davar/traditionally-we-associate-power-with-the-display-of-strength-winning/) [Yasmin Davar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-davar/) > [I used to think I had no will to power. Now I perceive that I vented it on thoughts, rather than people. Conquering an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/i-used-to-think-i-had-no-will-to-power-now-i-perceive-that-i-vented/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When you can answer questions about what you think and when you can explain why you think what you think, that's power, it's comforting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/when-you-can-answer-questions-about-what-you-think-and-when-you-can/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [To think! All that power and he wasn't even rich!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/to-think-all-that-power-and-he-wasn-t-even-rich/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [Sometimes we like to think if we had power, that we would be different, and we would be omnipotent, but the truth is absolute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ackie/sometimes-we-like-to-think-if-we-had-power-that-we-would-be-different/) [Naomi Ackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ackie/) ## More by F. Scott Fitzgerald > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-a-ripe-mystery-about-it-a-hint-of-bedrooms-upstairs-more/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I found something! Courage--just that; courage as a rule of life and something to cling to always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-found-something-courage-just-that-courage-as-a-rule-of-life-and/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Life is a series of successful gestures...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/life-is-a-series-of-successful-gestures/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“She plucked a twig and broke it, but she found no spring in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-plucked-a-twig-and-broke-it-but-she-found-no-spring-in-it/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“I'm one of those people who go through the world giving other people thrills but getting few myself except those I read into men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-go-through-the-world-giving-other-people/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-montana-sunset-lay-between-the-mountains-like-a-giant-bruise-from/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“You loved me too?" he repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/you-loved-me-too-he-repeated/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He was good looking, "sort of distinguished when he wants to be", had a line, and was properly inconstant. In fact, he summed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-good-looking-sort-of-distinguished-when-he-wants-to-be-had-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [What are you going to do? "Can't say - run for president, write -" "Greenwich Village?" "Good heavens, no - I said write -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-are-you-going-to-do-can-t-say-run-for-president-write-greenwich/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“The latter was considered a good fellow and a fine leader, until a year later, when he disappeared with a mess fund of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-latter-was-considered-a-good-fellow-and-a-fine-leader-until-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-eluded-us-then-but-that-s-no-matter-tomorrow-we-will-run-faster/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Explore all 1,568 F. Scott Fitzgerald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More Discipline quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“Peace requires a discipline more iron than war. - Easter, 1939 ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-j-turner/peace-requires-a-discipline-more-iron-than-war-easter-1939/) [W.J. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-j-turner/) > [You can't have the fruits without the roots. It's the principle of sequencing: Private Victories proceed Public Victories. Self-mastery and self-discipline are the foundation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/you-can-t-have-the-fruits-without-the-roots-it-s-the-principle-of/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Exercise teaches you the pleasure of discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/exercise-teaches-you-the-pleasure-of-discipline/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [I'm always writing. I'm an obsessive. It's not because I'm a disciplined person. It's because I'm crazy about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-m-always-writing-i-m-an-obsessive-it-s-not-because-i-m-a/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [The undisciplined child enters into discipline by working in the company of others; not being told he is naughty.” “Discipline is, therefore, primarily a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-undisciplined-child-enters-into-discipline-by-working-in-the/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [“Proverbs from the East: The wind howls, but the mountain remains still. Even though I make no special attempt to observe the discipline of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/proverbs-from-the-east-the-wind-howls-but-the-mountain-remains-still/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) [Burne Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burne-hogarth/) > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [The individual, by means of the discipline imposed on him by sport, not only plays and finds relaxation from the various compulsions to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-individual-by-means-of-the-discipline-imposed-on-him-by-sport-not/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [Cheerfulness in most cheerful people is the rich and satisfying result of strenuous discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/cheerfulness-in-most-cheerful-people-is-the-rich-and-satisfying/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Stay in your seat come times of trouble. Its only people who jump off the roller coaster who get hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-harvey/stay-in-your-seat-come-times-of-trouble-its-only-people-who-jump-off/) [Paul Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-harvey/) [Browse all 5,597 Discipline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Either you think, or else others have to think for you and take power from you, pervert and discipline your natural tastes, civilize and sterilize you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "F. 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