“There are in the final analysis, two kinds of decisions. One, decisions you make for yourself and two decisions other people make for you, whether it's one tyrant or 51% of your fellow citizens.”

— Alan Charles Kors

2010s, Socialism's Legacy (2011), Q&A

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Alan Charles Kors 46

American academic 1943

Paul Arden (1940–2008) writer

“The most important decision we can make is whether this is a friendly or hostile universe. From that one decision all others spring.”

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity

Multiple variations of this quote can be found, but the earliest one on Google Books which uses the phrase "friendly or hostile" and attributes it to Einstein is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Spiritual Healing by Susan Gregg (2000), p. 5 http://books.google.com/books?id=XLQ8X67PozAC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q&f=false, and this book gives no source for the quote.
A variant is found in Irving Oyle's The New American Medicine Show (1979) on p. 163, where Oyle writes: 'There is a story about Albert Einstein's view of human existence. Asked to pose the most vital question facing humanity, he replied, "Is the universe friendly?"' This variant is repeated in a number of books from the 1980s and 90s, so it probably pre-dates the "friendly or hostile" version. And the idea that the most important question we can ask is "Is the universe friendly?" dates back much earlier than the attribution to Einstein, for example in Emil Carl Wilm's 1912 book The Problem of Religion he includes the following footnote on p. 114 http://books.google.com/books?id=nWYiAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA114#v=onepage&q&f=false: 'A friend proposed to the late F. W. H. Myers the following question: "What is the thing which above all others you would like to know? If you could ask the Sphinx one question, and only one, what would the question be?" After a moment's silence Myers replied: "I think it would be this: Is the universe friendly?"'
Misattributed

“People are going to dislike you if you make a decision, even if it turns out to be the right one.”

James M. McPherson (1936) American historian

1990s, An Exchange With a Civil War Historian (June 1995)

“Whether you are in a toxic relationship, or you wish to make that ‘final decision’ which will change your life, you must not, at any cost, allow the time to pass while sitting idle.”

Mwanandeke Kindembo (1996) Congolese author

“Making decisions when you can vs. when you have to makes for better decisions.”

David Allen (1945) American productivity consultant and author

8 August 2010 https://twitter.com/gtdguy/status/20590785465
Official Twitter profile (@gtdguy) https://twitter.com/gtdguy

“Every decision you make, makes you. Never let other people choose who you’re going to be.”

Cassandra Clare (1973) American author

Source: The Lost Herondale

“The two important things that I did learn were that you are as powerful and strong as you allow yourself to be, and that the most difficult part of any endeavour is taking the first step, making the first decision.”

Robyn Davidson (1950) Australian writer

Source: Tracks

“One, who vacillates between you and another person, cannot make a decision; therefore, this places the decision-making process in your hands. Never linger in the forbidden place of torment and sorrow. Someone, you do not know and have never seen is waiting for you.”

Gandolfo – (RJ Intindola)

1980

“The fine art of executive decision consists in not deciding questions that are not now pertinent, in not deciding prematurely, in not making decision that cannot be made effective, and in not making decisions that others should make. Not to decide questions that are not pertinent at the time is uncommon good sense, though to raise them may be uncommon perspicacity. Not to decide questions prematurely is to refuse commitment of attitude or the development of prejudice. Not to make decisions that cannot be made effective is to refrain from destroying authority. Not to make decisions that others should make is to preserve morale, to develop competence, to fix responsibility, and to preserve authority.
From this it may be seen that decisions fall into two major classes, positive decisions - to do something, to direct action, to cease action, to prevent action; and negative decisions, which are decisions not to decide. Both are inescapable; but the negative decisions are often largely unconscious, relatively nonlogical, "instinctive," "good sense."”

Chester Barnard book The Functions of the Executive

It is because of the rejections that the selection is good.
Source: The Functions of the Executive (1938), p.194, as cited in in Albert Lepawsky (1949), Administration, p. 626

“No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?”

George Orwell book Animal Farm

Source: Animal Farm

“There are in the final analysis, two kinds of decisions. One, decisions you make for yourself and two decisions other people make for you, whether it's one tyrant or 51% of your fellow citizens.”

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