--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think there are two ways in which…" description: "\"I think there are two ways in which people are controlled. First of all frighten people and secondly, demoralise them.\" — Tony Benn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/tony-benn-2543_control_i-think-there-are-two-ways-in-which-peop_2733250.png" --- # I think there are two ways in which people are controlled… ![“I think there are two ways in which people are controlled. First of all frighten people and secondly, demoralise them.” quote by Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/tony-benn-2543_control_i-think-there-are-two-ways-in-which-peop_2733250.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/tony-benn-2543_control_i-think-there-are-two-ways-in-which-peop_2733250.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/tony-benn-2543_control_i-think-there-are-two-ways-in-which-peop_2733250.png) > “I think there are two ways in which people are controlled. First of all frighten people and secondly, demoralise them.” [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Control operates by instilling fear and eroding confidence, limiting autonomy. **In simple terms:** Fear and demoralization restrict freedom. Key Takeaway Recognize and resist fear‑based control. Themes power psychology freedom Mood cautious reflective Type political psychological When to use this quote - political activism - workplace management - personal relationships - media consumption Key Concepts author control demoralization fear Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond when fear is used to influence you? - What strategies can rebuild morale after demoralization? A Different Perspective Fear can be a useful motivator, not just a control tool. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I think there are two ways in which people are controlled - first of all frighten people and secondly demoralize them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/i-think-there-are-two-ways-in-which-people-are-controlled-first-of/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [“I always felt like I could do anything. That’s the main thing people are controlled by! Thoughts- their perception of themselves! They're slowed down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-always-felt-like-i-could-do-anything-that-s-the-main-thing-people/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [One of the most powerful ways to keep people controlled is to use faith or guns or both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaj-arcel/one-of-the-most-powerful-ways-to-keep-people-controlled-is-to-use/) [Nikolaj Arcel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaj-arcel/) > [“But after living in Communist China for the past seventeen years, I knew that such a society was only a dream because those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/but-after-living-in-communist-china-for-the-past-seventeen-years-i/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [People are controlled to varying degrees but it will still make people think - for example Chris actually says to Marian: 'I've seen you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-beckinsale/people-are-controlled-to-varying-degrees-but-it-will-still-make/) [Kate Beckinsale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-beckinsale/) > [“Ignorant people are controlled people, which is why five companies now have spent billions of dollars to control our mass media. Nothing will change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-balkwill/ignorant-people-are-controlled-people-which-is-why-five-companies-now/) John Balkwill > [“People cannot be controlled. Only our reactions can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mihalic/people-cannot-be-controlled-only-our-reactions-can/) [Mary Mihalic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mihalic/) > [The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-human-race-divides-politically-into-those-who-want-people-to-be/) [Robert A. 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If you're taught…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-always-feel-like-i-can-do-anything-that-s-the-main-thing-people-are/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [“Research has shown that 150–200 people are the number of people that can be controlled without an organizational hierarchy.23 It is the number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-gazzaniga/research-has-shown-that-150-200-people-are-the-number-of-people-that/) [Michael S. Gazzaniga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-gazzaniga/) > [“It is a cruel task, to frighten people in God’s name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-arden/it-is-a-cruel-task-to-frighten-people-in-god-s-name/) [Katherine Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-arden/) > [If Dr. Mahathir thinks that by ordering the police to act like gangsters he will frighten the people from supporting this reformation movement, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wan-azizah-wan-ismail/if-dr-mahathir-thinks-that-by-ordering-the-police-to-act-like/) Wan Azizah Wan Ismail > [I never went into acting to be able to scare everybody. If I'd wanted to frighten people, I could have joined the C.I.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/i-never-went-into-acting-to-be-able-to-scare-everybody-if-i-d-wanted/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [We must present a national persona of being irrational and vindictive, because that's going to terrify people. And then, they'll back off. And this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/we-must-present-a-national-persona-of-being-irrational-and-vindictive/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More by Tony Benn > [Experience is the only real teacher and if you keep a diary you get three bites at educating yourself - when it happens, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/experience-is-the-only-real-teacher-and-if-you-keep-a-diary-you-get/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Someone comes every morning at nine o'clock to see if I am still alive. I do get lonely, yes, but I have the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/someone-comes-every-morning-at-nine-o-clock-to-see-if-i-am-still/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Middle class Labour leaders are recaptured by the establishment when they die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/middle-class-labour-leaders-are-recaptured-by-the-establishment-when/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Change from below, the formulation of demands from the populace to end unacceptable injustice, supported by direct action, has played a far larger part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/change-from-below-the-formulation-of-demands-from-the-populace-to-end/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [People would do well to ask themselves how many of their ambitions and aspirations derive from the type of economic system they inhabit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/people-would-do-well-to-ask-themselves-how-many-of-their-ambitions/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Most things in life are moments of pleasure and a lifetime of embarrassment; photography is a moment of embarrassment and a lifetime of pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/most-things-in-life-are-moments-of-pleasure-and-a-lifetime-of/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [You have to try to build support around causes. It is uniting to campaign on a single issue, and it is never just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/you-have-to-try-to-build-support-around-causes-it-is-uniting-to/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Normally, people give up parliament because they want to do more business or spend more time with family. My wife said 'why don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/normally-people-give-up-parliament-because-they-want-to-do-more/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Food movement organic food stores supplies health food products and facilitate with instrumental support in organic agriculture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/food-movement-organic-food-stores-supplies-health-food-products-and/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [We are not just here to manage capitalism but to change society and to define its finer values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/we-are-not-just-here-to-manage-capitalism-but-to-change-society-and/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [I think there are two ways in which people are controlled - first of all frighten people and secondly demoralize them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/i-think-there-are-two-ways-in-which-people-are-controlled-first-of/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [People in debt become hopeless and hopeless people don’t vote. They always say that that everyone should vote but I think that if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/people-in-debt-become-hopeless-and-hopeless-people-don-t-vote-they/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Workers are not going to be fobbed off with a few shares...or by a carbon copy of the German system of co-determination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/workers-are-not-going-to-be-fobbed-off-with-a-few-shares-or-by-a/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [No medieval monarch in the whole of British history ever had such power as every modern British Prime Minister has in his or her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/no-medieval-monarch-in-the-whole-of-british-history-ever-had-such/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Having served in eleven Parliaments, it would be difficult to describe this as a maiden speech. It would be like Elizabeth Taylor appearing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/having-served-in-eleven-parliaments-it-would-be-difficult-to-describe/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Explore all 162 Tony Benn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) ## More Control quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) Thomas Miller > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Some nights I'm funny with the between-song commentary, some nights I'm not. I have no control over this. I pace the stage a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/some-nights-i-m-funny-with-the-between-song-commentary-some-nights-i/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 6,032 Control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think there are two ways in which people are controlled. 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