--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone in a position of authority is…" description: "\"Everyone in a position of authority is hysterical, and everyone else is pretending to be asleep.\" — Samuel R. Delany" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/samuel-r-delany-2591_authority_everyone-in-a-position-of-authority-is-h_194404.png" --- # Everyone in a position of authority is hysterical, and… ![“Everyone in a position of authority is hysterical, and everyone else is pretending to be asleep.” quote by Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/samuel-r-delany-2591_authority_everyone-in-a-position-of-authority-is-h_194404.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/samuel-r-delany-2591_authority_everyone-in-a-position-of-authority-is-h_194404.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/samuel-r-delany-2591_authority_everyone-in-a-position-of-authority-is-h_194404.png) > “Everyone in a position of authority is hysterical, and everyone else is pretending to be asleep.” [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authority figures act irrationally while the masses feign ignorance, creating a false dynamic. **In simple terms:** Leaders are hysterical; people pretend to sleep. Key Takeaway Question authority and stay aware. Themes power authority conformity Mood critical provocative Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - activism - critical thinking workshops - media literacy Key Concepts political theory social critique Questions to Reflect On - Why do people ignore uncomfortable truths? - How can we encourage genuine engagement? A Different Perspective Some may genuinely be unaware, not just pretending. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Authority Hysterical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-hysterical-2045391/) [Hysterical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hysterical/) [Hysterical Pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hysterical-pretending-2045392/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending/) [Pretending Asleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending-asleep-930443/) ## Related quotes > [Emma was no asleep, she was pretending to be asleep; and, while he was dozing off at her side, she lay awake, dreaming other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/emma-was-no-asleep-she-was-pretending-to-be-asleep-and-while-he-was/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [You cant wake a person,who is pretending to be asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikkie/you-cant-wake-a-person-who-is-pretending-to-be-asleep/) [Nikkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikkie/) > [Sometimes it's called passing out and sometimes it's just pretending to be asleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/sometimes-it-s-called-passing-out-and-sometimes-it-s-just-pretending/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [While it is always possible to wake a person who's sleeping, no amount of noise will wake a person who is pretending to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/while-it-is-always-possible-to-wake-a-person-who-s-sleeping-no-amount/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [You cannot not wake a man pretending to be asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cannot-not-wake-a-man-pretending-to-be-asleep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is nothing more difficult than waking someone who is only pretending to be asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/there-is-nothing-more-difficult-than-waking-someone-who-is-only/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [“It's always possible to wake someone from sleep, but no amount of noise will wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-s-always-possible-to-wake-someone-from-sleep-but-no-amount-of/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [You cannot wake a man pretending to be asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cannot-wake-a-man-pretending-to-be-asleep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-wake-a-person-who-is-pretending-to-be-asleep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pretending to be asleep so your parents won't make you do SOMETHING.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pretending-to-be-asleep-so-your-parents-won-t-make-you-do-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She had seen Daniel here earlier. 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They love to turn the campus into hysterical psychodramas of sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/beware-of-the-manipulativeness-of-rich-students-who-were-neglected-by/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [If there should chance to be any mathematicians who, ignorant in mathematics yet pretending to skill in that science, should dare, upon the authority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolaus-copernicus/if-there-should-chance-to-be-any-mathematicians-who-ignorant-in/) [Nicolaus Copernicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolaus-copernicus/) ## More by Samuel R. Delany > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. 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Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“Do you follow the wrestling? Most people think it's illegal, but you can watch it there. Ruby and Python are on display this evening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/do-you-follow-the-wrestling-most-people-think-it-s-illegal-but-you/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [Spending practically every minute of your day on pure survival is an absolutely boring life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/spending-practically-every-minute-of-your-day-on-pure-survival-is-an/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [When what is is congruent to what is supposed, the reaction is functional and the mental processes competent. When what is and what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/when-what-is-is-congruent-to-what-is-supposed-the-reaction-is/) [Samuel R. 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