QuoteProject
Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character.
Robert E. Lee
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Respecting lawful authority builds strong character in individuals.

This quote by Robert E. Lee emphasizes the importance of respecting and following lawful authority as a fundamental aspect of developing a strong and virtuous character. It suggests that adherence to rules and guidelines cultivated by legitimate leadership is crucial for personal growth and for maintaining order within society.

Themes

ObedienceAuthorityCharacterLeadershipVirtue

In practice

Example use cases

In a graduation speech reflecting on values and ethics.

More from Robert E. Lee

Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret.
Robert E. LeeRead
Life Insurance trusts I consider sacred. To hazard the property of the dead & to lose the scanty earnings of fathers & husbands, who have toiled & saved that they may leave something to their families deprived of their care & the support of their labour, is to my mind the worst of crimes.
Robert E. LeeRead
It is easier to make our wishes conform to our means than to make our means conform to our wishes.
Robert E. LeeRead
So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced that Slavery is abolished. I believe it will be greatly for the interest of the South. So fully am I satisfied of this that I would have cheerfully lost all that I have lost by the war, and have suffered all that I have suffered to have this object attained.
Robert E. LeeRead
Our country demands all our strength, all our energies. To resist the powerful combination now forming against us will require every man at his place. If victorious, we will have everything to hope for in the future. If defeated, nothing will be left for us to live for.
Robert E. LeeRead
With all my devotion to the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relative, my children, my home. I have, therefore, resigned my commission in the Army.
Robert E. LeeRead

Similar quotes

Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, they should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet. It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but by attraction.
Pope FrancisRead
All too often, legacy management practices reflexively perpetuate the past - by over-weighting the views of long-tenured executives, by valuing conformance more highly than creativity and by turning tired industry nostrums into sacred truths.
Gary HamelRead
Captaincy is 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent skill. But don't try it without that 10 per cent.
Richie BenaudRead
Rule a kingdom as though you were cooking a small fish - don't overdo it.
LaoziRead
When we tell people to do their jobs, we get workers. When we trust people to get the job done, we get leaders.
Simon SinekRead
At the end of the day, people will follow you or people will be energised by you if they buy into your vision or purpose. So the most important thing is to be true to yourself. That's why I would say to be a great leader - you, first and foremost, have to be a great human being. And sharing that purpose and sharing the values.
Paul PolmanRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.

Quote by Robert E. Lee | QuoteProject