Terry Pratchett Quotes

So I still seized the power, but I felt that if I officially made myself the boss, in black and white, it would be too intimidating for the other producers and the other men who worked on the show. In other words, I had the power, but I gave them the title.

The most powerful person is he who is able to do least himself and burden others most with the things for which he lends his name and pockets the credit.

You won't do any more housework? Then you go to the bin.

When it comes to housework the one thing no book of household management can ever tell you is how to begin. Or maybe I mean why.

Influencing people is dangerous. Their acts and thoughts become your illegitimate children. You can't get away from them and Heaven knows what they mayn't grow up into.

I remember Ozzy Osbourne making a fuss on The Osbournes - people were making a big deal about him taking the garbage out, and he said, "Well, who else is going to do it?" The garbage is full, and you're standing right there. You're still a human being who is going to make yourself a sandwich.

The power to do things for people is also the power to do things to people.

When people ask me what on earth I want to keep two cats for I tell them I keep them to do my resting for me.

Lazy people always intend to start doing something.

It's often said that leadership is the art of getting people to do what you want, and making them think it's what they want. This captures a lot of what Abraham Lincoln did.

Distinguish between power and control, delegate, be decisive - and always remember people's first names.

Some people represent authority without ever possessing any of their own.

When it comes to controlling human beings there is no better instrument than lies. Because, you see, humans live by beliefs. And beliefs can be manipulated. The power to manipulate beliefs is the only thing that counts ... Who knows what use they’ll make of you? Maybe you’ll help them to persuade people to buy things they don’t need, or hate things they know nothing about, or hold beliefs that make them easy to handle, or doubt the truths that might save them.

To attract people, to win over people to that which I have realized as being true, that is called propaganda.

Always remember that as long as other people are gullible, there's no limit to what you can achieve.

Manipulating people, that's what I'm good at

Did ya ever think that we would pay the price for being lazy?

It's a fact that people are afraid of what they don't understand. And most are too lazy or ignorant to find out more.

The term "intellectual" is used conventionally to refer to people who happen to have unusual opportunities in this regard, and as always, opportunity confers moral responsibility.

In the beginning [Hitler] was genial and pleasant. He would have extraordinary willpower and unheard-of influence on people.

Many people are too lazy to go out, can't afford to, or are too swamped. If you can manage your workload and get out for lunch, more power to you. You're at the wrong employer if you find yourself penalized for something so human.

The happiest of people is the one under whose care people are happy because of him, and the most miserable of people is the one under whose care people are miserable because of him.

I'm buying things for people I don't even know. I'm like Willy Wonka, but more manipulative. Imagine if Willy Wonka had a devious goal.

I'm basically a very lazy person who likes to get credit for things other people actually do.

Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver; and adulation is not of more service to the people than to kings.