If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Secrecy has many advantages, for when you tell someone the purpose of any object right away, they often think there is nothing to it.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Would you persuade, speak of Interest, not of Reason.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
For your own good is a persuasive argument that will eventually make a man agree to his own destruction.
—Janet Frame (1924–2004) New Zealand Novelist, Short-Story Writer
For every man there exists a bait which he cannot resist swallowing.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
Oral delivery aims at persuasion and making the listener believe they are converted. Few persons are capable of being convinced; the majority allow themselves to be persuaded.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The real persuaders are our appetites, our fears and above all our vanity. The skillful propagandist stirs and coaches these internal persuaders.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
That which we do not believe, we cannot adequately say; even though we may repeat the words ever so often.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Not brute force but only persuasion and faith are the kings of this world.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
Roughly speaking, any man with energy and enthusiasm ought to be able to bring at least a dozen others round to his opinion in the course of a year no matter how absurd that opinion might be. We see every day in politics, in business, in social life, large masses of people brought to embrace the most revolutionary ideas, sometimes within a few days. It is all a question of getting hold of them in the right way and working on their weak points.
—Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) English Occultist, Mystic, Magician
Persuasion is better than force.
—Common Proverb
The truth isn’t the truth until people believe you, and they can’t believe you if they don’t know what your saying, and they can’t know what you’ve saying if they don’t listen to you, and they won’t listen to you if you’re not interesting, and you won’t be interesting until you say things imaginatively, originally, freshly.
—William Bernbach (1911–82) American Advertising Executive
You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward.
—James Thurber
When a heart is on fire, sparks always fly out of the mouth.
—Common Proverb
If I have said something to hurt a man once, I shall not get the better of this by saying many things to please him.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
The art of pleasing consists in being pleased. To be amiable is to be satisfied with one’s self and others.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
There is a holy, mistaken zeal in politics, as well as in religion. By persuading others, we convince ourselves.
—Junius Unidentified English Writer
Nothing is so unbelievable that oratory cannot make it acceptable.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Whenever he met a great man he groveled before him, and my-lorded him as only a free-born Briton can do.
—William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–63) English Novelist
People have a peculiar pleasure in making converts, that is, in causing others to enjoy what they enjoy, thus finding their own likeness represented and reflected back to them.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Those that will not hear must be made to feel.
—German Proverb
He that winna be ruled by the rudder maun be ruled by the rock.
—Scottish Proverb
To make converts is the natural ambition of everyone.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
When once a man is determined to believe, the very absurdity of the doctrine does but confirm him in his faith.
—Junius Unidentified English Writer
If you would convince others, seem open to conviction yourself.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
The object of oratory alone in not truth, but persuasion.
—Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay (1800–59) English Historian, Essayist, Philanthropist
Leadership is a word and a concept that has been more argued than almost any other I know. I am not one of the desk-pounding types that likes to stick out his jaw and look like he is bossing the show. I would far rather get behind and, recognizing the frailties and the requirements of human nature, would rather try to persuade a man to go along, because once I have persuaded him, he will stick. If I scare him, he will stay just as long as he is scared, and then he is gone.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) American Head of State, Military Leader
More flies are caught with honey than with vinegar.
—French Proverb
Why harass with eternal purposes a mind to weak to grasp them?
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet