--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Obey; this may be right; but beware of…" description: "\"Obey; this may be right; but beware of reverence… Government is nothing but regulated force; force is its appropriate claim upon your attention. It is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/william-godwin-1978_appropriate_obey-this-may-be-right-but-beware-of-rev_788284.png" --- # Obey; this may be right; but beware of reverence…… ![“Obey; this may be right; but beware of reverence… Government is nothing but regulated force; force is its appropriate claim upon your attention. It is the business of individuals to persuade; the tendency of concentrated strength, is only to give consistency and permanence to an influence more…” quote by William Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/william-godwin-1978_appropriate_obey-this-may-be-right-but-beware-of-rev_788284.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/william-godwin-1978_appropriate_obey-this-may-be-right-but-beware-of-rev_788284.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/william-godwin-1978_appropriate_obey-this-may-be-right-but-beware-of-rev_788284.png) > “Obey; this may be right; but beware of reverence… Government is nothing but regulated force; force is its appropriate claim upon your attention. It is the business of individuals to persuade; the tendency of concentrated strength, is only to give consistency and permanence to an influence more compendious than persuasion.” [William Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-godwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authority claims legitimacy through force, but true influence should rely on persuasion, not coercion. **In simple terms:** Power uses force; real influence uses persuasion. Key Takeaway Prioritize persuasive dialogue over coercive power. Themes authority philosophy power Mood philosophical critical Type theoretical inspirational When to use this quote - political debates - legislative processes - activism Key Concepts social contract individual agency Questions to Reflect On - Can societies replace force with dialogue? - What limits persuasion in authoritarian regimes? A Different Perspective Persuasion may be less effective against entrenched power. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appropriate/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Claims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/claims/) [Compendious Persuasion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compendious-persuasion-6059813/) [Consistency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistency/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Regulated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-regulated-5480452/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Influence Compendious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence-compendious-6059811/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Permanence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanence/) [Persuasion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persuasion/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Regulated Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regulated-force-6059810/) [Reverence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverence/) [Reverence Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverence-government-6059812/) [Tendencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tendencies/) ## Related quotes > [Government is nothing but the regulated injustice that every rascal has in his heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariano-azuela/government-is-nothing-but-the-regulated-injustice-that-every-rascal/) [Mariano Azuela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariano-azuela/) > [When you are in a relationship, you are aware that it might end. 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