Vehemence Quotes

• The greater your real strength and power, the quieter it will be exercised.

  James Russell Lowell

  Real, Greater, Real Strength

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• Thou knowst the oer-eager vehemence of youth,How quick in temper, and in judgement weak.

  Homer

  Judgement, Youth, Weak

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• Whatever they did, the Elysians were careful never to be vehement.

  Benjamin Disraeli

  Vehement, Careful

  Benjamin Disraeli (1871). “Collected Edition of the Novels and Tales”, p.359

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• The vehemence with which a person denies the existence of the serial bully is directly proportional to the congruence of the person's behaviour with that of the serial bully

  Tim Field

  Bullying, Behaviour, Deny

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• Desire , to know why, and how, CURIOSITY; such as is in no living creature but Man ; so that Man is distinguished, not only by his Reason; but also by this singular Passion from other Animals ; in whom the appetite of food, and other pleasures of Sense, by predominance, take away the care of knowing causes; which is a Lust of the mind, that by a perseverance of delight in the continual and indefatigable generation of Knowledge, exceedeth the short vehemence of any carnal Pleasure.

  Thomas Hobbes

  Perseverance, Passion, Animal

  Thomas Hobbes (2008). “Leviathan”, p.51, Simon and Schuster

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• The vehemence of emotion, stirred by grief and love within me, was claiming mastery, and struggling for full sway; and asserting a right to predominate: to overcome, to live, rise, and reign at last; yes,--and to speak.

  Charlotte Bronte

  Grief, Struggle, And Love

  Charlotte Brontë “Jane Eyre”, W. W. Norton & Company

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• Man is distinguished not only by his reason, but also by this singular passion, from all other animals.

  Thomas Hobbes

  Passion, Men, Animal

  Thomas Hobbes (1750). “The Moral and Political Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury: Never Before Collected Together : To which is Prefixed, the Author's Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself, ...”, p.119

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• The vehemence with which certain critics have chosen not simply to criticize what I've written, but to challenge my writing this story at all, speaks of what the book is about: fear of disapproval.

  Joyce Maynard

  Book, Writing, Challenges

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• There's a certain level of vehemence, it seems to me, that's directed at me [and] directed at the president. You know, people talking about taking their country back. There's a certain racial component to this for some people. I don't think this is the thing that is a main driver, but for some there's a racial animus.

  Eric Holder

  Country, Thinking, Talking

  "Eric Holder: U.S. Still 'Afraid' of Race". ABC News interview, abcnews.go.com. July 13, 2014.

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• In government offices which are sensitive to the vehemence and passion of mass sentiment public men have no sure tenure. They are in effect perpetual office seekers, always on trial for their political lives, always required to court their restless constituents.

  Walter Lippmann

  Passion, Men, Office

  Walter Lippmann, Clinton Rossiter, James Lare (1982). “The Essential Lippmann: A Political Philosophy for Liberal Democracy”, p.464, Harvard University Press

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• One percent of the nation owns a third of the wealth. The rest of the wealth is distributed in such a way as to turn those in the 99 percent against one another: small property owners against the propertyless, black against white, native-born against foreign-born, intellectuals and professionals against the uneducated and the unskilled. These groups have resented one another and warred against one another with such vehemence and violence as to obscure their common position as sharers of leftovers in a very wealthy country.

  Howard Zinn

  Country, White, Black

  Howard Zinn (2015). “A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present”, p.632, Routledge

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• Among well bred people a mutual deference is affected, contempt for others is disguised; authority concealed; attention given to each in his turn; and an easy stream of conversation maintained without vehemence, without interruption, without eagerness for victory, and without any airs of superiority.

  David Hume

  Air, People, Victory

  David Hume (1870). “Essays, Literary, Moral, and Political”, p.463

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• There is such a delusion as evinces itself in cool vehemence; and it is the most dangerous of all expressions of fanaticism.

  William Benton Clulow

  Expression, Dangerous, Delusion

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• Moreover, Christians are born for combat, whereof the greater the vehemence, the more assured, God willing, the triumph: 'Have confidence; I have overcome the world'

  Pope Leo XIII

  Christian, Overcoming, Triumph

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• There's a completely new culture out there. I'm not a participant of texting and driving - or texting at all - but I see there's something going on in civilization which is coming with great vehemence at us.

  Werner Herzog

  Civilization, Culture, Texting

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• So you shun me? - you shut yourself up and grieve alone! I would rather you had come and upbraided me with vehemence. You are passionate: I expected a scene of some kind. I was prepared for the hot rain of tears; only I wanted them to be shed on my breast: now a senseless floor has received them, or your drenched handkerchief. But I err: you have not wept at all! I see a white cheek and faded eye, but no trace of tears. I suppose, then, that your heart has been weeping blood?

  Charlotte Bronte

  Rain, Eye, Heart

  Charlotte Bronte (2009). “Jane Eyre: Easyread Edition”, p.118, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• What makes fantastic declarations believable is, in part, the vehemence with which they're proffered. Again, in the world of spirituality as well as of pop psychology, intensity of personal belief is evidence of truth. It is considered very bad form - even abuse - to challenge the veracity of any personal testimony that might be offered in a twelve-step group or on a talk show, unless the testimony itself is equivocal... Whatever sells, whatever many people believe strongly, must be true.

  Wendy Kaminer

  Believe, People, Psychology

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• Whoever wants his judgment to be believed, should express it coolly and dispassionately; for all vehemence springs from the will. And so the judgment might be attributed to the will and not to knowledge, which by its nature is cold.

  Arthur Schopenhauer

  Inspirational, Spring, Want

  Arthur Schopenhauer, E. F. J. Payne (1974). “Parerga and Paralipomena: Short Philosophical Essays”, p.464, Oxford University Press

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• Today the family is being attacked and defended with equal vehemence.

  Mark Poster

  Today, Equal

  Mark Poster (1978). “Critical Theory of the Family”, New York : Seabury Press

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• On his bold visage middle age Had slightly press'd its signet sage, Yet had not quench'd the open truth And fiery vehemence of youth: Forward and frolic glee was there, The will to do, the soul to dare.

  Walter Scott

  Soul, Age, Glee

  Sir Walter Scott (1866). “Poetical Works ... With a biographical and critical memoir by Francis Turner Palgrave. (The Globe edition.).”, p.138

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• Listening is like running down a mountain on a switchback trail, the sound of surprise generating its own momentum. There’s a punk glee inside the bluegrass craft–and a punk vehemence inside the bluegrass smile.

  Greil Marcus

  Running, Listening, Mountain

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• It is now 14 years since I first suggested that organic farming might have some benefits and ought to be taken seriously. I shall never forget the vehemence of the reaction.. much of it coming from the sort of people who regard agriculture as an industrial process, with production as the sole yardstick of success.

  Prince Charles

  Taken, Years, Agriculture

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• No one would be happier than Luther to be commended by the testimony of the time  that he had been neither slack nor deceitful in maintaining the course of truth, but had shown quite enough and even too much vehemence.

  Martin Luther

  Would Be, Too Much, Maintaining

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• If we consider the manner in which those who assume the office of directing the conduct of others execute their undertaking, it will not be very wonderful that their labours, however zealous or affectionate, are frequently useless. For what is the advice that is commonly given? A few general maxims, enforced with vehemence, and inculcated with importunity, but failing for want of particular reference and immediate application.

  Samuel Johnson

  Office, Advice, Zealous

  Samuel Johnson, Arthur Murphy (1834). “Murphy's essay. The rambler. The adventurer. The idler. Rasselas. Tales of the imagination. Letters. Irene. Miscellaneous poems”, p.139

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• When my heart is cold and I cannot pray as I should I scourge myself with the thought of the impiety and ingratitude of my enemies, the Pope and his accomplices and vermin, and Zwingli, so that my heart swells with the righteous indignation and hatred and I can say with warmth and vehemence: 'Holy be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done!' And the hotter I grow the more ardent do my prayers become.

  Martin Luther

  Prayer, Heart, Names

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