Obedience Quote by George Orwell
““Surely, comrades, you do not want Jones back?" Once again this argument was unanswerable. Certainly the animals did not want Jones back; if the holding of debates on Sunday mornings was liable to bring him back, then the debates must stop. Boxer, who had now had time to think things over, voiced the general feeling by saying: "If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right." And from then on he adopted the maxim, "Napoleon is always right," in addition to his private motto of "I will work harder.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Animal Farm by George Orwell, 1945
The animals accept authoritarian rule by equating loyalty with truth, suppressing dissent through slogans and personal ambition.
In simple terms: Blind loyalty replaces critical thinking.
Key Takeaway
Question authority, think independently.
Themes
authority
loyalty
propaganda
power
conformity
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
political
literary.
When to use this quote
- political discussions
- workplace meetings
- social media debates
- education settings
Key Concepts
totalitarianism
psychology
groupthink
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you accept ideas because of who says them?
- How does fear of conflict shape agreement?
A Different Perspective
Reliance on slogans can ignore harmful consequences.
![“In 1914... [German] history, poetry, dream and the individual moment were all combined in one exhilarating sensation...The nation was a creation of one's imagination, a poetic truth, an ethical, not a social, construct... blind obedience was the true value... the stronger a person is... the more…” quote by The Rites of Spring Modris Eksteins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9a2/the-rites-of-spring-modris-eks_blind-obedience_in-1914-german-history-poetry-dream-and_16799.jpg)
