--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can sway a thousand men by appealing…" description: "\"You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic.\" — Robert A. Heinlein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/robert-a-heinlein-209_convince_you-can-sway-a-thousand-men-by-appealing_229518.jpg" --- # You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their… ![“You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/robert-a-heinlein-209_convince_you-can-sway-a-thousand-men-by-appealing_229518.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/robert-a-heinlein-209_convince_you-can-sway-a-thousand-men-by-appealing_229518.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/robert-a-heinlein-209_convince_you-can-sway-a-thousand-men-by-appealing_229518.jpg) > “You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People are more easily swayed by emotional biases than by logical argument, making prejudice a powerful tool for influence. **In simple terms:** Emotions outweigh logic in persuasion. Key Takeaway Beware of emotional manipulation. Themes persuasion prejudice logic influence Mood cautionary analytical Type literary social commentary When to use this quote - political campaigns - marketing - public speaking Key Concepts psychology social dynamics propaganda Questions to Reflect On - How can we strengthen critical thinking against bias? - What strategies counteract prejudice‑driven persuasion? A Different Perspective Logical appeals can still be effective with the right audience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appealing Prejudices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appealing-prejudices-2326489/) [Convince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convince/) [Convince Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convince-man-1013785/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Appealing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-appealing-2326490/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Prejudices Quicker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudices-quicker-2326487/) [Quicker Convince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quicker-convince-2326488/) [Thousand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not emaciated; I'm wiry. Most women find lean men appealing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zedd/i-m-not-emaciated-i-m-wiry-most-women-find-lean-men-appealing/) [Zedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zedd/) > [If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-would-convince-a-man-that-he-does-wrong-do-right-but-do-not/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. 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Such things are the work of God's Spirit. Men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/we-cannot-convince-a-man-to-believe-any-more-than-we-can-raise-the/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man, that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of his friends,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/a-slender-acquaintance-with-the-world-must-convince-every-man-that/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“No one can convince a man of his erring ways as persuasively as experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/no-one-can-convince-a-man-of-his-erring-ways-as-persuasively-as/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“Hence the uselessness of logic: no one ever convinced anybody by logic; and even logicians use logic only as a source of income. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/hence-the-uselessness-of-logic-no-one-ever-convinced-anybody-by-logic/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [“Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we convince ourselves that it is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/sometimes-we-want-something-to-be-true-so-badly-that-we-convince/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. 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Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Convince quotes > [“Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we convince ourselves that it is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/sometimes-we-want-something-to-be-true-so-badly-that-we-convince/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [The privilege of prayer to me is one of the most cherished possessions, because faith and experience alike convince me that God himself sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-grenfell/the-privilege-of-prayer-to-me-is-one-of-the-most-cherished/) [Wilfred Grenfell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-grenfell/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [The first duty of a wise advocate is to convince his opponents that he understands their arguments, and sympathies with their just feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/the-first-duty-of-a-wise-advocate-is-to-convince-his-opponents-that/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The people on the QVC shopping channel convince me that life is worth living. They see the good in everything. People who go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-vegas/the-people-on-the-qvc-shopping-channel-convince-me-that-life-is-worth/) [Johnny Vegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-vegas/) > [“What can I say to convince you the Houses of Parliament dissolve night after night to become the fluid dream of the Thames? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisel-mueller/what-can-i-say-to-convince-you-the-houses-of-parliament-dissolve/) [Lisel Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisel-mueller/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“If you can convince yourself, you can convince the other fellow,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/if-you-can-convince-yourself-you-can-convince-the-other-fellow/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [Don't lie to yourself about what you can't or can achieve. Convince yourself on a realistic level that you can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-lie-to-yourself-about-what-you-can-t-or-can-achieve-convince/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don't ever let anyone convince you that your imagination is wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-bianco/don-t-ever-let-anyone-convince-you-that-your-imagination-is-wrong/) [Giuseppe Bianco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-bianco/) > [It's hard to convince your agents and managers to do theater, because it's not as financially rewarding and it takes up a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/it-s-hard-to-convince-your-agents-and-managers-to-do-theater-because/) [Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/) > [I guess that is the strange part of the human brain that people have studied for eons - is hatred and self-hatred. 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