Bluster Quotes

• A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity.

  Jimmy Carter

  Strong, Thoughtful, Compassion

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• Too often we honor swagger and bluster and the wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others.

  Robert Kennedy

  Dream, Honor, Swagger

  Robert F. Kennedy's Speech On the Mindless Menace of Violence at the City Club of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, www.jfklibrary.org. April 5, 1968.

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• Molecular evolution is not based on scientific authority. . . . There are assertions that such evolution occurred, but absolutely none are supported by pertinent experiments or calculations. Since no one knows molecular evolution by direct experience, and since there is no authority on which to base claims of knowledge, it can truly be said that . . . the assertion of Darwinian molecular evolution is merely bluster.

  Michael Behe

  Evolution, Authority, Claims

  "Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution". Book by Michael Behe, 1996.

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• If a man continually blusters, if he lacks civility, a big stick will not save him from trouble, and neither will speaking softly avail, if back of the softness there does not lie strength, power.

  Theodore Roosevelt

  Lying, Men, Doe

  Theodore Roosevelt (2012). “The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses”, p.133, Courier Corporation

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• Brave men do not boast nor bluster. Deeds, not words, speak for such.

  Antoine Rivarol

  Men, Bravery, Deeds

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• When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.

  Sun Tzu

  War, Enemy, Wish

  Sun Tzu (2012). “Sun Tzu Art of War”, p.68, Vij Books India Pvt Ltd

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• It thunders, howls, roars, hisses, whistles, blusters, hums, growls, rumbles, squeaks, groans, sings, crackles, cracks, rattles, flickers, clicks, snarls, tumbles, whimpers, whines, rustles, murmurs, crashes, clucks, to gurgle, tinkles, blows, snores, claps, to lisp, to cough, it boils, to scream, to weep, to sob, to croak, to stutter, to lisp, to coo, to breathe, to clash, to bleat, to neigh, to grumble, to scrape, to bubble. These words, and others like them, which express sounds are more than mere symbols: they are a kind of hieroglyphics for the ear.

  Georg C. Lichtenberg

  Blow, Sound, Cracks

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• True will is quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility; the other kind of will is weakness disguised by bluster and ambition.

  Ryan Holiday

  Ambition, Humility, Resilience

  Ryan Holiday (2014). “The Obstacle is the Way: The Ancient Art of Turning Adversity to Advantage”, p.123, Profile Books

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• Real confidence has no bluster or bombast. It's not rooted in a desire to seem better than everyone else and it's not driven by a fear of appearing weak. Real confidence settles in when you have a clear vision of exactly what you need to do. Real confidence blooms as you wield the skills and power you have built through your hard work and discipline.

  Rob Brezsny

  Real, Hard Work, Skills

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• Never brag, never bluster, never blush.

  Robert Browning

  Bragging, Brag

  Robert Browning (1996). “The Complete Works of Robert Browning: With Variant Readings & Annotations”

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• A Lincolnesque leader is confident enough to be humble - to not feel the need to bluster or dominate, but to be sufficiently sure of one's own judgment and self-worth to really listen and not be threatened by contrary advice.

  Evan Thomas

  Leadership, Humble, Self Worth

  Evan Thomas, Staff of Newsweek (2009). “A Long Time Coming: The Inspiring, Combative 2008 Campaign and the Historic Election of Barack Obama”, p.186, PublicAffairs

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• [Donald] Trump has a great capacity to use bluster and bigotry to inflame people.He is becoming ISIS's best recruiter.

  Hillary Clinton

  Isis, People, Use

  Source: www.foxnews.com

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• Nanda broke down every barrier and won his way to freedom not by brag, not by bluster, but by the purest form of self-suffering.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Self, Suffering, Way

  Mahatma Gandhi (1935). “Young India, 1927-1928”

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• After everyone has had a chance to bluster, posture, and pontificate, we are left with one basic question: under any foreseeable circumstance, would it be in our national interest to default on our debt? The answer is unequivocally no.

  John Sununu

  Debt, Answers, Chance

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• America leads - not with bluster, but with persistent, steady resolve.

  Barack Obama

  America, Resolve, Persistent

  Sixth Presidential State of the Union Address, delivered 20 January 2015

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• First listen, my friend, and then you may shriek and bluster.

  Aristophanes

  May, Firsts, My Friends

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• We struggle with, agonize over and bluster heroically about the great questions of life when the answers to most of these lie hidden in our attitude toward the thousand minor details of each day.

  Robert Grudin

  Attitude, Lying, Struggle

  Robert Grudin (1982). “Time and the art of living”, Harpercollins

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• If you would understand this secret, you must first understand the distinction between training an animal and educating one. Trained animals are relatively easy to turn out. All that is required is a book of instructions, a certain amount of bluff and bluster, something to use for threatening and punishing purposes, and of course the animal. Educating an animal, on the other hand, demands keen intelligence, integrity, imagination, and the gentle touch, mentally, vocally, and physically.

  J. Boone

  Dog, Integrity, Book

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• We made this inexplicable turn into Iraq, where we've lost lives, money, honour and the coalition on [George] Bush's watch. Surely he's not suggesting that if the Democrats win, things can get worse. I mean, all we can do now is to look at our field policy and change the course. We need more diplomatic outreach toward Iran, Syria and Middle Eastern allies, and less bluster and less threats, and fewer troops.

  Jesse Jackson

  Mean, Winning, Iraq

  "Reverend Jesse Jackson". "Dateline" with George Negus, www.sbs.com.au.

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• ... organized religion, in a dominating business society, can do only one of two things. It can either assure the communicant with uneasy bluster that God Himself likes money -- a theory which convinces nobody -- or it can give him an apologetic, halfhearted invitation to go out and get himself crucified.

  Margaret Halsey

  Two, Giving, Likes

  Margaret Halsey (1952). “The Folks at Home”

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• Living as we do in an age of noise and bluster, success is now measured accordingly. We must all be seen, and heard, and on the air.

  Daphne du Maurier

  Air, Age, Noise

  Daphne Du Maurier (1980). “The Rebecca notebook and other memories”, Book Sales

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• We care not how many see us in choler, when we rave and bluster, and make as much noise and bustle as we can; but if the kindest and most generous affection comes across us, we suppress every sign of it, and hide ourselves in nooks and covert.

  Walter Savage Landor

  Care, Noise, Affection

  Walter Savage Landor (1853). “The works of Walter Savage Landor [ed. by J. Forster].”, p.574

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• A REASSURING ANNOUNCEMENT Please, be calm, despite that previous threat. I am all bluster - I am not violent. I am not malicious. I am a result.

  Markus Zusak

  Calm, Reassuring, Violent

  Markus Zusak (2013). “The Book Thief: Enhanced Movie Tie-in Edition”, p.6, RH Childrens Books

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• We do not want an expanding struggle with consequences, that no one can perceive, nor will we bluster or bully or flaunt our power, but we will not surrender and we will not retreat, for
  behind our American pledge lies the determination and resources, I believe, of all of the American nation.

  Lyndon B. Johnson

  Determination, Lying, Believe

  News Conference, www.presidency.ucsb.edu. July 28, 1965.

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• But here in the struggle for fame and pelf
  I want to be able to like myself.
  I don't want to look at myself and know
  That I'm bluster and buff and empty show.

  Edgar Guest

  Struggle, Able, Looks

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