“A bureaucrat is one who has the power to say “no” but none to say “yes”. Bureaucrats can find an infinite number of reasons for rejecting any proposed change, but can find none for accepting it.”

— Russell L. Ackoff

Ackoff (2006) A little book of f-laws: 13 common sins of management. p. 12.
2000s

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 "A bureaucrat is one who has the power to say “no” but none to say “yes”. Bureaucrats can find an infinite number of rea…" by Russell L. Ackoff?

Russell L. Ackoff photo

Russell L. Ackoff 70

Scientist 1919–2009

Related quotes

“There wasn’t even any reasoning. Secrecy was just a bureaucrats’ reflex.”

China Miéville Embassytown

Source: Embassytown (2011), Chapter 22 (p. 276)

“The desire for wealth is nearly universal, and none can say it is not laudable, provided the possessor of it accepts its responsibilities, and uses it as a friend to humanity.”

P.T. Barnum (1810–1891) American showman and businessman

Ch. 20: "Preserve your integrity" http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/www/barnum/moneygetting/moneygetting_chap21.html
Art of Money Getting (1880)

“None are so interested in maintaining the institutions of the country as the working classes. The rich and the powerful will not find much difficulty under any circumstances in maintaining their rights, but the privileges of the people can only be defended and secured by popular institutions.”

Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881) British Conservative politician, writer, aristocrat and Prime Minister

Source: Letter to a working men's club (1867), quoted in William Flavelle Monypenny and George Earle Buckle, The Life of Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield. Volume II. 1860–1881 (London: John Murray, 1929), p. 297.

“In Stalin each [Soviet bureaucrat] easily finds himself. But Stalin also finds in each one a small part of his own spirit. Stalin is the personification of the bureaucracy. That is the substance of his political personality.”

Leon Trotsky book The Revolution Betrayed

Ch. 11 https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1936/revbet/ch11.htm
The Revolution Betrayed (1936)

“If I can find out God, then I shall find Him,
If none can find Him, then I shall sleep soundly,
Knowing how well on earth your love sufficed me,
A lamp in darkness.”

Sara Teasdale (1884–1933) American writer and poet

"The Lamp"
Love Songs (1917)

“None, none descends into himself, to find
The secret imperfections of his mind.”
Ut nemo in sese tentat descendere! nemo! Sed praecedenti spectatur mantica tergo.

Persius (34–62) ancient latin poet

Satire IV, line 23 (translated by John Dryden).
The Satires

“We have accepted a warped sense of priorities which says America can always find enough money for war, but that there is never enough for infrastructure or education or nutrition programs. We are going to reject that idea and invest in our people.”

Bernie Sanders (1941) American politician, senator for Vermont

Twitter, https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/ (3 July 2019)
2010s, 2019, July 2019

“Events,” I say to the Captain, “events control our lives, although we have no understanding of them nor do they have any motivation. Everything is blind chance, happenstance, occurrence; in an infinite universe anything can happen. After the fact we find reasons.”

Barry N. Malzberg book Beyond Apollo

Source: Beyond Apollo (1972), Chapter 60

“I'm putting it to you and to all of my critics, if you can find any Asian leader in any Asian country of whatever political persuasion who doesn't subscribe to the immigration views of New Zealand First, then name that person now. None of you can, all the way to Turkey.”

Winston Peters (1945) New Zealand politician

Interview with the 7:30 Report, ABC TV, Australia.

“A clear prediction in an area undergoing vigorous study permits doctrines to be subject to disproof. The last posture a bureaucratic religion wishes to find itself in is vulnerability to disproof, where an experiment can be performed on which the religion stands or falls.”

Carl Sagan book Broca's Brain

Source: Broca's Brain (1979), Chapter 23, “A Sunday Sermon” (p. 332)

Related topics