“Many people feel they are powerless to do anything effective with their lives.”

— Rollo May

As quoted in Think and Grow Rich : A Black Choice (1991) by Dennis Kimbro and Napoleon Hill, p. 104
Context: Many people feel they are powerless to do anything effective with their lives. It takes courage to break out of the settled mold, but most find conformity more comfortable. This is why the opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it's conformity.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Many people feel they are powerless to do anything effective with their lives." by Rollo May?

Rollo May 135

US psychiatrist 1909–1994

Related quotes

“They hate because they fear, and they fear because they feel that the deepest feelings of their lives are being assaulted and outraged. And they do not know why; they are powerless pawns in a blind play of social forces.”

Richard Wright (1908–1960) African-American writer

Native Son (1940)

“When I go around in America and I see the bulk of the white people, they do not feel oppressed; they feel powerless… We see the physical genocide that they are attempting to inflict upon our lives, and we understand the psychological genocide that they have already inflicted upon their own people.”

John Trudell (1946–2015) Native American rights activist, musician, poet

The Indigenous Voice, Vol.2, Roger Moody, ed, UK.

“Depression is about feeling completely powerless and really angry at yourself because you're powerless.”

Teal Swan (1984) American spiritual teacher

“Simply put, anger feels better than powerlessness. That is why it benefits people to get angry. And independence feels better than powerless victimhood. That is why it benefits people to get independent. But if our progression stops there, we will never achieve true happiness and our civilization will never achieve true alignment.”

Teal Swan (1984) American spiritual teacher

“I probably feel a bit threatened, as so many people do.”

Tony Abbott (1957) Australian politician

When asked how he felt about homosexuality Quoted in Herald Sun http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/tony-abbott-gay-remarks-dangerous/story-e6frf7jo-1225838436495", March 9, 2010.
2010

“To do a job effectively, one must set priorities. Too many people let their "in" basket set the priorities.”

Hyman George Rickover (1900–1986) United States admiral

The Rickover Effect (1992)
Context: To do a job effectively, one must set priorities. Too many people let their "in" basket set the priorities. On any given day, unimportant but interesting trivia pass through an office; one must not permit these to monopolize his time. The human tendency is to while away time with unimportant matters that do not require mental effort or energy. Since they can be easily resolved, they give a false sense of accomplishment. The manager must exert self-discipline to ensure that his energy is focused where it is truly needed.