Words matter. These are the best Refusal Quotes from famous people such as Albert Camus, bell hooks, Dorothy Thompson, Tullian Tchividjian, Andrei Tarkovsky, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.
What is a rebel? A man who says no: but whose refusal does not imply a renunciation.
Why is it that many contemporary male thinkers, especially men of color, repudiate the imperialist legacy of Columbus but affirm dimensions of that legacy by their refusal to repudiate patriarchy?
There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings.
My failure to lay aside the sin that so easily entangles is the direct result of my refusal to die to my natural proclivity toward attaining my own freedom, meaning, value, worth, and righteousness – not believing that, by virtue of my Spirit – wrought union with Christ, everything I need, I already possess.
The only condition of fighting for the right to create is faith in your own vocation, readiness to serve, and refusal to compromise.
The idea that the Internet favors the oppressed rather than the oppressor is marred by what I call cyber-utopianism: a naive belief in the emancipatory nature of online communication that rests on a stubborn refusal to admit its downside.
When an individual is protesting society’s refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him.
The refusal to accept that the black presence in Britain has a long and deep history is not just a symptom of racism, it is a form of racism. It is part of a rearguard and increasingly unsustainable defence of a fantasy monochrome version of British history.
A refusal of praise is a desire to be praised twice.
An individual’s refusal to carry out the criminal acts of his government sets the stage, in the most effective way possible, for the attempt to demonstrate the criminal nature of these acts.
The Supreme Court’s non-transparent attitude on the disclosure of assets is in line with the judiciary’s steadfast refusal to allow any transparency in the matter of appointment of judges, or for that matter, in the judiciary as a whole.
Perhaps the surest test of an individual’s integrity is his refusal to do or say anything that would damage his self-respect.
The political Right is particularly vehement when it comes to compromise. Conservatives are now strongly swayed by the Tea Party movement, whose clarion call is a refusal to compromise regardless of the practical consequences.
Some of the reasons John McCain lost in 2008 were his lackluster campaign, his refusal to showcase Obama’s extreme liberalism and, thus, his failure to demonstrate why he would make a better president than Obama.
Atheism is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply a refusal to deny the obvious. Unfortunately, we live in a world in which the obvious is overlooked as a matter of principle.
The failure of the system to deal quickly was attributable to Nixon’s lying, stonewalling and refusal to come clean. So it took 26 months for the final truth to be known.
Science is the refusal to believe on the basis of hope.
It is impossible, in my mind, to distinguish between the refusal to receive a petition, or its summary rejection by some general order, and the denial of the right of petition.
Contrary to popular belief, Henry VIII did not divorce any of his wives. He had sought an annulment from Catherine of Aragon – which he finally awarded to himself after the pope’s continued refusal. When it came to Anne’s turn, Henry took the easy route by having her found guilty of treason.
I ran for the presidency, despite hopeless odds, to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to accept the status quo. The next time a woman runs, or a black, a Jew, or anyone from a group that the country is ‘not ready’ to elect to its highest office, I believe that he or she will be taken seriously from the start.
The experimental poetry thing is not my thing. It’s a programme of the avant-garde: basically a refusal of the kind of poetry I write.
Stand firm in your refusal to remain conscious during algebra. In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.
A soft refusal is not always taken, but a rude one is immediately believed.
The refusal to rest content, the willingness to risk excess on behalf of one’s obsessions, is what distinguishes artists from entertainers, and what makes some artists adventurers on behalf of us all.
Boredom is the root of all evil – the despairing refusal to be oneself.
My own feeling is that one should refuse to participate in any activity that implements American aggression – thus tax refusal, draft refusal, avoidance of work that can be used by the agencies of militarism and repression, all seem to me essential.
There are historic situations in which refusal to defend the inheritance of a civilization, however imperfect, against tyranny and aggression may result in consequences even worse than war.
In view of the meaning given to this honor in the community to which I belong, I should abstain from the undeserved prize that has been awarded to me. Do not meet my voluntary refusal with ill will.
Elegance is innate. It has nothing to do with being well dressed. Elegance is refusal.
Refusal to engage with the Russian government is not a viable long-term foreign policy option for the U.K.
Jim Crow segregation was bipartisan. The refusal of women suffrage was bipartisan. The denial of the basic dignity of members of the LGBTQ community has long been bipartisan. The Three-Fifths Compromise was the creation of a punitive national unity at the expense of black people’s basic humanity.
I see ‘Grace’ as an affectionate refusal of things that just aren’t true. With all our power and money and influence, we still can’t raise up high over people’s consciousness.
Liberals have to get more comfortable with dealing with the poor as they actually are. I admire their refusal to look down on the least among us, but at some level, that can become an excuse to never really look at the problem at all.
