Command Quotes

“There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“There are matters in that book, said to be done by the express command of God, that are as shocking to humanity, and to every idea we have of moral justice, as any thing done by Robespierre, by Carrier, by Joseph le Bon, in France, by the English government in the East Indies, or by any other assassin in modern times. When we read in the books ascribed to Moses, Joshua, etc., that they (the Israelites) came by stealth upon whole nations of people, who, as the history itself shews, had given them no offence; that they put all those nations to the sword; that they spared neither age nor infancy; that they utterly destroyed men, women and children; that they left not a soul to breathe; expressions that are repeated over and over again in those books, and that too with exulting ferocity; are we sure these things are facts? are we sure that the Creator of man commissioned those things to be done? Are we sure that the books that tell us so were written by his authority?

...The Bible tells us, that those assassinations were done by the express command of God. And to read the Bible without horror, we must undo every thing that is tender, sympathising, and benevolent in the heart of man. Speaking for myself, if I had no other evidence that the Bible is fabulous, than the sacrifice I must make to believe it to be true, that alone would be sufficient to determine my choice.”
― Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

“By all means be submissive in the bedroom (if you are that way inclined), but don't be submissive to life. Being life's bitch is no fun at all. Life may play up in many ways, but it's up to you to take control, take charge and show life who's really calling the shots.”
― Miya Yamanouchi, Embrace Your Sexual Self: A Practical Guide for Women

“Don't let people supervise your life, If you know who you are, you shouldn't be living in that prison of dominance, live by your orders, you are your own soldier.”
― Michael Bassey Johnson

“Possession is not only when the devil plays hide and seek in your brain or poison your medula oblongata with negativity, but it is also when you are under the influence of the same specie as you!”
― Michael Bassey Johnson

“There are matters in that book, said to be done by the express command of God, that are as shocking to humanity, and to every idea we have of moral justice, as any thing done by Robespierre, by Carrier, by Joseph le Bon, in France, by the English government in the East Indies, or by any other assassin in modern times. When we read in the books ascribed to Moses, Joshua, etc., that they (the Israelites) came by stealth upon whole nations of people, who, as the history itself shews, had given them no offence; that they put all those nations to the sword; that they spared neither age nor infancy; that they utterly destroyed men, women and children; that they left not a soul to breathe; expressions that are repeated over and over again in those books, and that too with exulting ferocity; are we sure these things are facts? are we sure that the Creator of man commissioned those things to be done? Are we sure that the books that tell us so were written by his authority?”
― Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

“It is usually unbearably painful to read a book by an author who knows way less than you do, unless the book is a novel.”
― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

“The man had one of those dark, deep voices, the kind that made men listen and women shed their clothing.”
― Alexandra Martin, Siren's Call

“What you cannot enforce, do not command!”
― Sophocles

“Never wake up waiting to hear a command from someone before you make a move; be responsible! Never repeat what made you to waste an hour of yesterday; be accountable!”
― Israelmore Ayivor, The Great Hand Book of Quotes

“It's true what they say,
Love is a wicked game,
A game so wickedly played,
I am at your command in your wicked games.”
― Tannaz Sayadi, Write like no one is reading 2

“Never choose a situation which is a burden to your command only to satisfy fellows' standards; rather choose a situation that may be difficult but is compliment to your will.”
― Joe Mari Fadrigalan

“It’s all in my mind.
I’m in my right mind now, and my right mind is crazy.
"You need to wake up, Ella."
The words are a command I cannot obey.”
― Beth Revis, The Body Electric

“Leaders don’t give excessive vocal orders. They humbly involve people and together cooperate with them to make a change happen.”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Leaders' Ladder

“We have come to look at our planet as a resource for our species, which is funny when you think that the planet has been around for about five billion years, and Homo sapiens for perhaps one hundred thousand. We have acquired an arrogance about ourselves that I find frightening. We have come to feel that we are so far apart from the rest of nature that we have but to command.”
― Marston Bates

“The smartest cavaliers at the command 'To horse!'
contrive to be in time for both a horse and whores.”
― Volodymyr Knyr

“Not listening is a good way to get yourself killed here, which is exactly what would have happened if I hadn't come downstairs to see what trouble out resident dipshits had dragged in. You have yet to be ripped to pieces or to be removed of your ability to speak. If you want to keep it that way, I suggest that you learn to obey simple commands. Shut up.”
― Skye Callahan, Irrevocable

“Maombi ya sifa huunganisha watu wa Mungu na hutayarisha njia kwa ajili ya uwezo wa Mungu katika maisha yetu. Thamani ya maombi ya sifa wakati wa matatizo ni kuimarisha imani yetu, na kuwa karibu na Mungu wetu. Mungu anataka tumpe sifa na kumshukuru kwa kila jambo, kama Mtume Paulo anavyosema katika waraka wa kwanza wa Wathesalonike 5:16-18. Kumshukuru Mungu wakati wa matatizo ni amri, si ombi.”
― Enock Maregesi

“… we don't need more command and control; we need better means to engage everyone's intelligence …”
― Margaret Wheatley

“Leadership crisis erupt when people who have not learnt how to obey instructions are given the privilege to give commands. Leaders are experienced servants.”
― Israelmore Ayivor

“The nation of my father is too strong for a man who cannot command even his own body.”
― Conn Iggulden, Khan: Empire of Silver

“The presence you create is the presence you command.”
― Paul Bamikole

“During the nineteenth century, corps commander was the highest level of command to still require skills of an operator for success. A corps commander was still able to see a problem develop and to dispatch soldiers or artillery to solve it on the spot. But at the army level of command the dynamics were for the first time different. The army commander was much more distant from the battle and consequently had no ability to act immediately or to control soldiers he could not see. The distance of the army commander from the action slowed responses to orders and created friction such that the commander was obliged to make decisions before the enemy’s actions were observed.

Civil War army commanders were now suddenly required to exhibit a different set of skills. For the first time, they had to think in time and to command the formation by inculcating their intent in the minds of subordinates with whom they could not communicate directly. Very few of the generals were able to make the transition from direct to indirect leadership, particularly in the heat of combat. Most were very talented men who simply were never given the opportunity to learn to lead indirectly. Some, like Generals Meade and Burnside, found themselves forced to make the transition in the midst of battle. General Lee succeeded in part because, as military advisor to Jefferson Davis, he had been able to watch the war firsthand and to form his leadership style before he took command. General Grant was particularly fortunate to have the luck of learning his craft in the Western theater, where the press and the politicians were more distant, and their absence allowed him more time to learn from his mistakes. From the battle of Shiloh to that of Vicksburg, Grant as largely left alone to learn the art of indirect leadership through trial and error and periodic failure without getting fired for his mistakes.

The implications of this phase of military history for the future development of close-combat leaders are at once simple, and self-evident. As the battlefield of the future expands and the battle becomes more chaotic and complex, the line that divides the indirect leader from the direct leader will continue to shift lower down the levels of command. The circumstances of future wars will demand that much younger and less experienced officers be able to practice indirect command. The space that held two Civil War armies of 200,000 men in 1863 would have been controlled by fewer than 1,000 in Desert Storm, and it may well be only a company or platoon position occupied by fewer than 100 soldiers in a decade or two. This means younger commanders will have to command soldiers they cannot see and make decisions without the senior leader’s hand directly on their shoulders. Distance between all the elements that provide support, such as fires and logistics, will demand that young commanders develop the skill to anticipate and think in time. Tomorrow’s tacticians will have to think at the operational level of war. They will have to make the transition from “doers” to thinkers, from commanders who react to what they see to leaders who anticipate what they will see.

To do all this to the exacting standard imposed by future wars, the new leaders must learn the art of commanding by intent very early in their stewardship. The concept of “intent” forms the very essence of decentralized command.”
― Robert Scales

“If you are going to devote your time to do something you claim you love, take this thought; "is this what I was sent to do? What do I have to have it do well?" This is potential.”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Dream big!: See your bigger picture!

“I’ve had a lot of lieutenants over the years, and all the good ones were sick, sick individuals. You might be the best one yet.”
― Sergeant Berland in Orphan Brigade

“I’ve had a lot of lieutenants over the years, and all the good ones were sick, sick individuals. You might be the best one yet.”
― Henry V. O'Neil, Orphan Brigade

“Good units walk a thin line between indiscipline and ineffectiveness. Ignore the rules too often and you’ve got a mob, but enforce the rules too strictly and you’ve got a herd.”
― Henry V. O'Neil, Orphan Brigade

“You don’t command your plate to provide you with food and it does. And you don’t have to get bored if it doesn't. Whatever has to drop into the plate must pass through your head!”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Daily Drive 365

“Think carefully before you issue me a command, Zenobia. For I will do what you tell me, even if I'm the worst possible man for the job.”
― Libbie Hawker, Daughter of Sand and Stone

“Dikteta ni kiongozi anayetawala nchi kwa amri yake peke yake bila ya kushauriwa na mtu, hasa yule aliyeingia madarakani kwa mtutu wa bunduki. Dikteta uchwara si dikteta, ni dikteta nusu.”
― Enock Maregesi