I have nothing to do with opinions. I deal only with armed rebellion and its aiders and abettors.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of action over opinion, particularly in matters of conflict and governance.
Ulysses S. Grant's quote highlights a pragmatic approach to leadership and power dynamics, where personal views and opinions are deemed less important than tangible actions, especially in the context of rebellion and resistance. Grant’s focus on 'armed rebellion' suggests a need to prioritize concrete responses and firm decisions in times of conflict rather than getting lost in theoretical discussions or differing opinions.
In practice
This quote could be used in a leadership seminar to emphasize the importance of decisive action in difficult situations.
The great bulk of the legal voters of the South were men who owned no slaves; their homes were generally in the hills and poor country; their facilities for educating their children, even up to the point of reading and writing, were very limited; their interest in the contest was very meagre--what there was, if they had been capable of seeing it, was with the North; they too needed emancipation.
Hold fast to the Bible. To the influence of this Book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization and to this we must look as our guide in the future.
Let us labor for the security of free thought, free speech, pure morals, unfettered religious sentiments, and equal rights and privileges for all men, irrespective of nationality, color, or religion;.... leave the matter of religious teaching to the family altar, the church, and the private school, supported entirely by private contribution. Keep church and state forever separate.
When news of the surrender first reached our lines our men commenced firing a salute of a hundred guns in honor of the victory. I at once sent word, however, to have it stopped. The Confederates were now our prisoners, and we did not want to exult over their downfall.
I have made it a rule of my life to trust a man long after other people gave him up, but I don't see how I can ever trust any human being again.
A hero does for others. He would do anything for people he loves, because he knows it would make their lives better. I am not that kind of person, but I want you to be. You could give something to her, to me, to those children in the quarter. You could give something I never could ... The white people out there are saying you don't have it-that you're a hog, not a man. But I know they are wrong.
This is one of the innovator’s dilemmas: Blindly following the maxim that good managers should keep close to their customers can sometimes be a fatal mistake.
A good leader can't get too far ahead of his followers.
You see that even the enemy did not dare to declare war against us till they had seized our generals, for they were sensible that, while we had commanders and yielded obedience to them, we were able to conquer them; but, having seized our commanders, they concluded that we should, from a want of command and discipline, be destroyed.
No one is bigger than the team. You're going to be on time, you're going play hard, you're going to know your job and you're going to know when to pass and shoot. If you can't do those four things you're not getting time here and we don't care who you are.
Great leaders state out loud what they intend to do and in doing so, they get things done.
Great teams argue. Not in a mean-spirited or personal way, but they disagree when important decisions are made.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.