--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A conference is a gathering of important…" description: "\"“A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done.”\" — Fred Allen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/fred-allen-4199_conference_a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important_1298596.png" --- # A conference is a gathering of important people who singly… ![“A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done.” quote by Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/fred-allen-4199_conference_a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important_1298596.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/fred-allen-4199_conference_a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important_1298596.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/fred-allen-4199_conference_a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important_1298596.png) > ““A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done.”” [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A group of influential individuals may feel powerless alone, yet collectively they can claim impossibility as a decision **In simple terms:** People with power can claim nothing is possible when together Key Takeaway Recognize collective influence can create false limits Themes power collective decision illusion of control Mood skeptical ironic Type satirical critical When to use this quote - political meetings - corporate boards - activist coalitions - community planning Key Concepts group dynamics social psychology authority Questions to Reflect On - What does “nothing can be done” actually prevent? - How can groups turn perceived powerlessness into action? A Different Perspective May overstate the ability to block action; sometimes collaboration yields change ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Important people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-people/) ## Related quotes > [A conference is a gathering of people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-people-who-singly-can-do-nothing-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is really nothing you gain from being a pauper rather you loose every thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/there-is-really-nothing-you-gain-from-being-a-pauper-rather-you-loose/) [Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [Conferences are really like parties, and an A-list party is one where A-list people are in attendance. You figure out who are the really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/conferences-are-really-like-parties-and-an-a-list-party-is-one-where/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [That accolade, to be the best at your position in your conference, you want that on your resume.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kelce/that-accolade-to-be-the-best-at-your-position-in-your-conference-you/) [Travis Kelce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kelce/) > [You never know when you might get scrambled to an impromptu press conference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hallie-jackson/you-never-know-when-you-might-get-scrambled-to-an-impromptu-press/) [Hallie Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hallie-jackson/) > [Now personally, I think the president should golf every day and never have a press conference. I want the leader of the free world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/now-personally-i-think-the-president-should-golf-every-day-and-never/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [On any given vote, on any given day, a smart senator who has taken a bold or controversial position can reach far more media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/on-any-given-vote-on-any-given-day-a-smart-senator-who-has-taken-a/) [Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/) > [The Atlantic conference in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland is a dramatic moment in World War II history because for the first time, Roosevelt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/the-atlantic-conference-in-the-north-atlantic-off-newfoundland-is-a/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Conference: One man's confusion multiplied by the number of people there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/conference-one-man-s-confusion-multiplied-by-the-number-of-people/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [In a free country, government is a dull and onerous responsibility. It is a parent-teacher conference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-a-free-country-government-is-a-dull-and-onerous-responsibility-it/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [People who work with me think I should cut my hair. They say casting directors are less likely to hire me with long hair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-culkin/people-who-work-with-me-think-i-should-cut-my-hair-they-say-casting/) [Rory Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-culkin/) > [Typing with your fingers or thumbs is sooooo 2012. I tweeted that earlier in the year. I type with my eyes. Not only that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-gleason/typing-with-your-fingers-or-thumbs-is-sooooo-2012-i-tweeted-that/) [Steve Gleason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-gleason/) > [Have you ever watched someone become American? Last week, at a national citizenship conference I organize, thirty immigrants from 17 countries swore an oath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/have-you-ever-watched-someone-become-american-last-week-at-a-national/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [I feel blessed that I had an opportunity to be in the Big Ten for four years as a player and be in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-alford/i-feel-blessed-that-i-had-an-opportunity-to-be-in-the-big-ten-for/) [Steve Alford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-alford/) > [If you go through the regular process of the House and Senate passing companion bills and then try and work out differences in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-scott/if-you-go-through-the-regular-process-of-the-house-and-senate-passing/) [Austin Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-scott/) ## More by Fred Allen > [“I can't understand why a person will take a year or two to write a novel when he can easily buy one for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/i-can-t-understand-why-a-person-will-take-a-year-or-two-to-write-a/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [“(Faces are all important. Without faces it would be impossible to identify our friends. If we had to recognize people by their bodies, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/faces-are-all-important-without-faces-it-would-be-impossible-to/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [If I could get my membership fee back, I'd resign from the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/if-i-could-get-my-membership-fee-back-i-d-resign-from-the-human-race/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [Ed Sullivan will be around as long as someone else has talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/ed-sullivan-will-be-around-as-long-as-someone-else-has-talent/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me. Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/i-like-long-walks-especially-when-they-are-taken-by-people-who-annoy/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [My uncle is a Southern planter. He's an undertaker in Alabama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/my-uncle-is-a-southern-planter-he-s-an-undertaker-in-alabama/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [Hollywood is a great place if you're an orange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/hollywood-is-a-great-place-if-you-re-an-orange/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [Everywhere outside New York City is Bridgeport, Connecticut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/everywhere-outside-new-york-city-is-bridgeport-connecticut/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [I'm a little hoarse tonight. 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All that the comedian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/when-a-radio-comedian-s-program-is-finally-finished-it-slinks-down/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [He's so small, he's a waste of skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/he-s-so-small-he-s-a-waste-of-skin/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [Life, in my estimation, is a biological misadventure that we terminate on the shoulders of six strange men whose only objective is to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/life-in-my-estimation-is-a-biological-misadventure-that-we-terminate/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [My agent gets 10 percent of everything I get, except the blinding headaches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/my-agent-gets-10-percent-of-everything-i-get-except-the-blinding/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) [Explore all 114 Fred Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) ## More Conference quotes > [If you go through the regular process of the House and Senate passing companion bills and then try and work out differences in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-scott/if-you-go-through-the-regular-process-of-the-house-and-senate-passing/) [Austin Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-scott/) > [I feel blessed that I had an opportunity to be in the Big Ten for four years as a player and be in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-alford/i-feel-blessed-that-i-had-an-opportunity-to-be-in-the-big-ten-for/) [Steve Alford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-alford/) > [Have you ever watched someone become American? Last week, at a national citizenship conference I organize, thirty immigrants from 17 countries swore an oath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/have-you-ever-watched-someone-become-american-last-week-at-a-national/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [Typing with your fingers or thumbs is sooooo 2012. I tweeted that earlier in the year. I type with my eyes. Not only that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-gleason/typing-with-your-fingers-or-thumbs-is-sooooo-2012-i-tweeted-that/) [Steve Gleason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-gleason/) > [People who work with me think I should cut my hair. They say casting directors are less likely to hire me with long hair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-culkin/people-who-work-with-me-think-i-should-cut-my-hair-they-say-casting/) [Rory Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-culkin/) > [In a free country, government is a dull and onerous responsibility. It is a parent-teacher conference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-a-free-country-government-is-a-dull-and-onerous-responsibility-it/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Conference: One man's confusion multiplied by the number of people there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/conference-one-man-s-confusion-multiplied-by-the-number-of-people/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [The Atlantic conference in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland is a dramatic moment in World War II history because for the first time, Roosevelt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/the-atlantic-conference-in-the-north-atlantic-off-newfoundland-is-a/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [On any given vote, on any given day, a smart senator who has taken a bold or controversial position can reach far more media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/on-any-given-vote-on-any-given-day-a-smart-senator-who-has-taken-a/) [Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/) > [Now personally, I think the president should golf every day and never have a press conference. I want the leader of the free world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/now-personally-i-think-the-president-should-golf-every-day-and-never/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [You never know when you might get scrambled to an impromptu press conference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hallie-jackson/you-never-know-when-you-might-get-scrambled-to-an-impromptu-press/) [Hallie Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hallie-jackson/) > [That accolade, to be the best at your position in your conference, you want that on your resume.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kelce/that-accolade-to-be-the-best-at-your-position-in-your-conference-you/) [Travis Kelce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kelce/) > [Who knows the minds of men and how they reason and what their methodology is? But I am not going to extrapolate from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-martin/who-knows-the-minds-of-men-and-how-they-reason-and-what-their/) [Walter Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-martin/) > [The single outstanding exception was the broad yet precise mandate communicated by the General Assembly in 1946 to prepare as soon as possible the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-cassin/the-single-outstanding-exception-was-the-broad-yet-precise-mandate/) [Rene Cassin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-cassin/) > [When you stand up there and do a press conference, it's a very preoccupied moment. You're standing in front of cameras; people are watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-quinn/when-you-stand-up-there-and-do-a-press-conference-it-s-a-very/) [Christine Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-quinn/) Browse all 89 Conference quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fred Allen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important-people-who-singly-can-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conference" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important-people-who-singly-can-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/fred-allen-4199_conference_a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important_1298596.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/fred-allen-4199_conference_a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important_1298596.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/fred-allen-4199_conference_a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important_1298596.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that…” — Fred Allen", "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": "Fred Allen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A conference is a gathering of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important-people-who-singly-can-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/a-conference-is-a-gathering-of-important-people-who-singly-can-do/#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 } } ] } ```