Authority Quote by Gene Wilder
“Zero Mostel wasn't afraid of authority in any form, and that's the part that influenced me the most.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Zero Mostel Documentary, 2005
Zero Mostel’s fearless defiance of authority inspired Wilder, highlighting the impact of bold resistance.
In simple terms: Defying authority inspired him.
Key Takeaway
Embrace bold resistance to authority.
Themes
personal growth
authority
inspiration
courage
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
biographical
motivational
When to use this quote
- artistic work
- personal decisions
- leadership
Key Concepts
individualism
social conformity
creative expression
Questions to Reflect On
- When is defiance appropriate?
- What are the risks of challenging authority?
A Different Perspective
Authority can be necessary for order; resistance may have costs.
![“[ Zero Mostel] would tell anyone anything, not to be impolite, but he'd show that he wasn't at all afraid of however much money that person [had] or whatever title they had in a company. It didn't scare him. Mel [Brooks] was very much the same way.” quote by Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4d0/gene-wilder-3914_brooks_zero-mostel-would-tell-anyone-anything-n_2656684.jpg)
![“With Mel [Brooks], only one time and that was later on during "Young Frankenstein" - never with Zero [Mostel] and never with Mel except I was writing every day, and then Mel would come to the house and read what I'd written. And then he'd say, yeah, yeah, yeah, OK, yeah, OK. But we need a villain…” quote by Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4f4/gene-wilder-3914_brooks_with-mel-brooks-only-one-time-and-that-w_602487.jpg)
![“[Gilda Radner] died in '89, and I got non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2000. I've just passed the five-year mark and I'm now what you call - well, it's called complete remission, but I'm cured. I'm fine.” quote by Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a19/gene-wilder-3914_died_gilda-radner-died-in-89-and-i-got-non-ho_55482.jpg)
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)
