--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that the influence towards…" description: "\"I think that the influence towards suppression of minority views - towards orthodoxy in thinking about public issues - has been more subconscious than ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/william-o-douglas-2931_conform_i-think-that-the-influence-towards-suppr_846367.jpg" --- # I think that the influence towards suppression of minority… ![“I think that the influence towards suppression of minority views - towards orthodoxy in thinking about public issues - has been more subconscious than unconscious, stemming to a very great extent from the tendency of Americans to conform...not to deviate or depart from an orthodox point of view.” quote by William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/william-o-douglas-2931_conform_i-think-that-the-influence-towards-suppr_846367.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/william-o-douglas-2931_conform_i-think-that-the-influence-towards-suppr_846367.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/william-o-douglas-2931_conform_i-think-that-the-influence-towards-suppr_846367.jpg) > “I think that the influence towards suppression of minority views - towards orthodoxy in thinking about public issues - has been more subconscious than unconscious, stemming to a very great extent from the tendency of Americans to conform...not to deviate or depart from an orthodox point of view.” [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American conformity suppresses minority perspectives, often unconsciously, limiting diverse public discourse. **In simple terms:** Conformity silences minority views. Key Takeaway Encourage open dialogue. Themes society media politics conformity Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - newsrooms - social media - policy debates - education - community meetings Key Concepts public discourse psychology social pressure Questions to Reflect On - What steps can reduce unconscious conformity? - How can institutions protect dissenting voices? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑seated habits is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Minorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minorities/) [Orthodox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodox/) [Orthodoxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodoxy/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Subconscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subconscious/) [Suppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppression/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Minority views expressed in films simply don't sell tickets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/minority-views-expressed-in-films-simply-don-t-sell-tickets/) [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) > [I believe that Orthodoxy has been thinking lately, and despite other impressions, that we can't have full sacramental communion if we don't first have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lehmann/i-believe-that-orthodoxy-has-been-thinking-lately-and-despite-other/) [Karl Lehmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lehmann/) > [Fantasy is the tendency of Americans, going back to colonial times, to look at the Middle East as a type of fractured mirror of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oren/fantasy-is-the-tendency-of-americans-going-back-to-colonial-times-to/) [Michael Oren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oren/) > [In the months leading up to World War II, there was a tendency among many Americans to talk absently about the trouble in Europe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-tierney/in-the-months-leading-up-to-world-war-ii-there-was-a-tendency-among/) [Gene Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-tierney/) > [There's a tendency on the part of Americans, all of us, to say, 'Hey, the Cold War is over, the Soviet Union is gone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russ-feingold/there-s-a-tendency-on-the-part-of-americans-all-of-us-to-say-hey-the/) [Russ Feingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russ-feingold/) > [“She had noticed that there was a tendency on the part of some Americans to believe that everybody, deep inside, wanted to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-noticed-that-there-was-a-tendency-on-the-part-of-some/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [There's a tendency for Americans, particularly the simpler you are, the more you believe in the president as the kind of person to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/there-s-a-tendency-for-americans-particularly-the-simpler-you-are-the/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [There is a certain tendency on the part of some Americans to treat the UN as a multilateralism à la carte where you pick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/there-is-a-certain-tendency-on-the-part-of-some-americans-to-treat/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [It's important to have a plan, a big picture. 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