--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is distressing to have to act under…" description: "\"“It is distressing to have to act under the impulsive orders of someone who, in a situation which concerns you deeply, does not know what he is talking..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/j-g-farrell-35466_distressing_it-is-distressing-to-have-to-act-under-t_2142489.png" --- # It is distressing to have to act under the impulsive… ![“It is distressing to have to act under the impulsive orders of someone who, in a situation which concerns you deeply, does not know what he is talking about.” quote by J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/j-g-farrell-35466_distressing_it-is-distressing-to-have-to-act-under-t_2142489.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/j-g-farrell-35466_distressing_it-is-distressing-to-have-to-act-under-t_2142489.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/j-g-farrell-35466_distressing_it-is-distressing-to-have-to-act-under-t_2142489.png) > ““It is distressing to have to act under the impulsive orders of someone who, in a situation which concerns you deeply, does not know what he is talking about.”” [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes the frustration of following orders from an uninformed leader during a crisis **In simple terms:** Following blind orders from clueless leaders is distressing Key Takeaway Question authority when expertise is lacking Themes leadership authority trust communication Mood anxious reflective critical Type literary philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - military command - corporate meetings - emergency response - political negotiations Key Concepts decision making expertise crisis management Questions to Reflect On - When have you obeyed a directive you doubted? - How can you safely challenge uninformed authority? A Different Perspective Blind obedience can cause harmful outcomes; critical thinking is essential ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Act Impulsive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/act-impulsive-4467569/) [Concerns Deeply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerns-deeply-3984930/) [Distressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distressing/) [Impulsive Orders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulsive-orders-4467570/) [Situation Concerns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation-concerns-3296338/) ## Related quotes > [We have taken a situation in the U.K. because of concerns, for example, over immigration and other things, so Britain now is on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/we-have-taken-a-situation-in-the-u-k-because-of-concerns-for-example/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [As I look around, I get this sinking feeling that we're off track, that there's something sick in the soul of our country. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-cameron/as-i-look-around-i-get-this-sinking-feeling-that-we-re-off-track-that/) [Kirk Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-cameron/) > [“You're distressing Dani. No one distresses Dani but me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/you-re-distressing-dani-no-one-distresses-dani-but-me/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Twin primes: pairs of prime numbers that are close to each other, almost neighbors, but between them there is always an even number that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-giordano/twin-primes-pairs-of-prime-numbers-that-are-close-to-each-other/) [Paolo Giordano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-giordano/) > [The idea of Herman Melville in a writing class is always distressing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/the-idea-of-herman-melville-in-a-writing-class-is-always-distressing/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [Nothing is more sweet than harmony in marriage, and nothing more distressing than dissension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/nothing-is-more-sweet-than-harmony-in-marriage-and-nothing-more/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The attention deficit disorder of the culture is very distressing in America now and I think it puts a lot of things at risk,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/the-attention-deficit-disorder-of-the-culture-is-very-distressing-in/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [Java and C++ make you think that the new ideas are like the old ones. 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In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/what-really-worries-me-is-that-those-who-are-in-positions-of-power/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [The old knowledge had been difficult but not distressing. It had been all paradox and myth, and it had made sense. The new knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-old-knowledge-had-been-difficult-but-not-distressing-it-had-been/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [At this very moment,... the most frightful horrors are taking place in every corner of the world. People are being crushed, slashed, disembowelled, mangled;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/at-this-very-moment-the-most-frightful-horrors-are-taking-place-in/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [There is nothing more distressing ... than the hard, scoffing spirit which treats the allegation of dishonesty in a public man as a cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-is-nothing-more-distressing-than-the-hard-scoffing-spirit-which/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [If you film a scene in a wide shot, especially a disturbing, distressing moment, I do feel like that helps you feel as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-karpovsky/if-you-film-a-scene-in-a-wide-shot-especially-a-disturbing/) [Alex Karpovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-karpovsky/) ## More by J.G. 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Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“Surely there’s no need to abandon one’s reason simply because one is in Ireland.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/surely-there-s-no-need-to-abandon-one-s-reason-simply-because-one-is/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“Walter, overhearing this, frowned at Dupigny, not because he disbelieved this story, but to indicate that he should speak guardedly in front of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/walter-overhearing-this-frowned-at-dupigny-not-because-he-disbelieved/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“It seems that’s there a ghastly Darwinian principle of economics known as the Law of Substitution which declares, more or less, that “the cheapest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/it-seems-that-s-there-a-ghastly-darwinian-principle-of-economics/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“Why do people insist on defending their ideas and opinions with such ferocity, as if defending honour itself? What could be easier to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/why-do-people-insist-on-defending-their-ideas-and-opinions-with-such/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“I read somewhere that the boatman who rowed King William back across the river after the Battle of the Boyne is supposed to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/i-read-somewhere-that-the-boatman-who-rowed-king-william-back-across/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“explained that the Committee for International Understanding, with Europe crumbling about it, had closed down in 1940, naturally dismayed by the amount of misunderstanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/explained-that-the-committee-for-international-understanding-with/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) [Explore all 13 J.G. Farrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) ## More Distressing quotes > [If you film a scene in a wide shot, especially a disturbing, distressing moment, I do feel like that helps you feel as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-karpovsky/if-you-film-a-scene-in-a-wide-shot-especially-a-disturbing/) [Alex Karpovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-karpovsky/) > [There is nothing more distressing ... than the hard, scoffing spirit which treats the allegation of dishonesty in a public man as a cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-is-nothing-more-distressing-than-the-hard-scoffing-spirit-which/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [At this very moment,... the most frightful horrors are taking place in every corner of the world. People are being crushed, slashed, disembowelled, mangled;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/at-this-very-moment-the-most-frightful-horrors-are-taking-place-in/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [The old knowledge had been difficult but not distressing. It had been all paradox and myth, and it had made sense. The new knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-old-knowledge-had-been-difficult-but-not-distressing-it-had-been/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [What really worries me is that those who are in positions of power are not really affected by what we are writing. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/what-really-worries-me-is-that-those-who-are-in-positions-of-power/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [What I saw in Baltimore was distressing and it tells me we need stronger policies in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/what-i-saw-in-baltimore-was-distressing-and-it-tells-me-we-need/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [It seems that some consideration should be given to the cause of our mounting physical disabilities, but instead of going to the root of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-roloff/it-seems-that-some-consideration-should-be-given-to-the-cause-of-our/) [Lester Roloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-roloff/) > [Java and C++ make you think that the new ideas are like the old ones. Java is the most distressing thing to hit computing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/java-and-c-make-you-think-that-the-new-ideas-are-like-the-old-ones/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [The attention deficit disorder of the culture is very distressing in America now and I think it puts a lot of things at risk,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/the-attention-deficit-disorder-of-the-culture-is-very-distressing-in/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [Nothing is more sweet than harmony in marriage, and nothing more distressing than dissension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/nothing-is-more-sweet-than-harmony-in-marriage-and-nothing-more/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The idea of Herman Melville in a writing class is always distressing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/the-idea-of-herman-melville-in-a-writing-class-is-always-distressing/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [Twin primes: pairs of prime numbers that are close to each other, almost neighbors, but between them there is always an even number that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-giordano/twin-primes-pairs-of-prime-numbers-that-are-close-to-each-other/) [Paolo Giordano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-giordano/) > [“You're distressing Dani. No one distresses Dani but me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/you-re-distressing-dani-no-one-distresses-dani-but-me/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [The evils which of necessity encompass the life of man are sufficiently numerous. Why should we add to them by voluntarily distressing and destroying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-evils-which-of-necessity-encompass-the-life-of-man-are/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [It's estimated that across Africa 100 elephants are killed for their tusks every day. It takes nothing more than simple math to get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/it-s-estimated-that-across-africa-100-elephants-are-killed-for-their/) [Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/) [Browse all 117 Distressing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distressing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is distressing to have to act under the impulsive orders of someone who, in a situation which concerns you deeply, does not know what he is talking about.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.G. 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