Authority Quote by Rosemary Clement-Moore
““When your family is twice as weird as normal, you have to be twice as polite to authority, because authority hates weird.””
About This Quote
When family is unusually eccentric, you must be extra courteous to authority because those in power dislike oddity.
In simple terms: Politeness to authority is a shield against their bias against weirdness.
Key Takeaway
Practice respectful communication.
Themes
family
authority
social norms
Mood
cautious
observant
Type
advice
observational
When to use this quote
- school
- work
- government interactions
- family gatherings
Key Concepts
conformity
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does politeness protect you?
- What are the limits of being overly polite?
A Different Perspective
Authority may still act unfairly despite politeness.
![“[W]hen Ben was kissing me, the whole world retreated. I felt things I'd never felt before, in places I never knew were connected. But I was pretty sure that whatever was buzzing against my thigh was not normal. For one thing, it was ringing. Ben dragged his mouth away from mine and mumbled a curse…” quote by Rosemary Clement-Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/377/rosemary-clement-moore-13051_cell-phone_w-hen-ben-was-kissing-me-the-whole-world_309710.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)