200 Best Office Politics Quotes To Help You Survive (2023)
1. “Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity and a wife in misfortune.”
2. Rudeness is the weak person's imitation of strength
3. “If you know how office politics works in an organization, you'll definitely understand the body language true definition of leadership in Nigeria and how the game played within”
4. “If you want to know what’s your boss is really like, go to his office with a resignation letter. You will then see your boss’s true colours. You will then see his emotions without any filters. No boss can ever fake himself in front of an employee who has just resigned.”
5. Office politics are bloody-minded but weak on content. – Mason Cooley
6. “I don’t care how old you are—fifty, sixty, or seventy. Your value doesn’t diminish with each birthday.”
7. “The strong must learn to be lonely. ”
8. “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.“
9. “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness. ”
10. “We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome. ”
11. “There’s been a quantum leap technologically in our age, but unless there’s another quantum leap in human relations, unless we learn to live in a new way towards one another, there will be a catastrophe.” Albert Einstein
12. To get promoted is not possible without playing office politics.
13. “When you're fearful of aging, you don't step into your full power and potential.”
14. “We spend more time worrying about making some internal stakeholder happy than supporting our actual customers.”
15. “There are some people who always seem angry and continuously look for conflict. Walk away from these people. The battle they’re are fighting isn’t with you, it’s with themselves.” Rashida Rowe
16. The manager is an animal who is hated by everyone, but still, everyone wants to be one!
17. Thank you for all of your hard work. We are going to reward you by giving you other people's work to finish.
18. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
19. “You now have more experience and wisdom than ever before. Age enhances your value.”
20. “A warrior is worthless unless he rises above others and stands strong in the midst of a storm. ”
21. “An office should be like a second home. We should love the members of the team; we should take care of them and work for them.”
22. “The bottom line is that gendered ageism is a factor in our careers. There’s no denying it.”
23. “No matter how talented you are not everyone is going to like you but that’s life, stay strong. ”
24. A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first, and honest people are screwed first.
25. “Ambition doesn’t end on a particular birthday. Own it and live it.”
26. “The person who says I’m not political is in great danger. Only the fittest will survive, and the fittest will be the ones who understand their office’s politics.” – Jean Hollands
27. “A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first.”
28. “And while you can’t always expect to achieve your goals in this job, you can always expect to get hurt when you fail. That’s just part of the deal. But if you’re willing to take risks and move forward, then maybe—just maybe—you’ll end up where you want to be after all!”
29. “No pressure, no diamonds.” Mary Case
30. “I like criticism. It makes you strong. ”
31. “In weak companies, politics win. In strong companies, the best ideas do.”
32. “If you think your boss is stupid remember; you wouldn’t have a job if he was smarter.” – Albert Grant
33. “The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone. ”
34. “A strong spirit transcends rules. ”
35. It's the office politics that wear the workers down.
36. “There are better starters than me but I’m a strong finisher. ”
37. “One of the things people did best at the office was to use flexibility to its last atom.”
38. “Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” Ronald Reagan
39. “Hardships make us strong. Problems give birth to wisdom. Sorrows cultivate compassion. Those who have suffered the most will become the happiest. ”
40. “I don’t want any yes-men around me. I want everyone to tell me the truth–even if it costs him his job.” – Samuel Goldwyn
41. “Patience is the strength of the weak, impatience is the weakness of the strong. ”
42. First impressions last. You start behind the 8-ball; you'll never get in front
43. Office Politics – you have to learn the rules of the game, and then you have to play them better than anyone else.
44. “When did wrinkles become shameful and when did we start buying into all this bullshit?”
45. “Everyone wants to be strong and self sufficient, but few are willing to put in the work necessary to achieve worthy goals. ”
46. Before you start some work, always ask yourself these three questions- Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful? Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead. – Chanakya.
47. Let your work do the talking, do not indulge in gossip.
48. When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion. – Dale Carnegie
49. “Rapport is the ability to enter someone else’s world, to make him feel that you understand him, that you have a strong common bond. ”
50. “His insomnia was so bad, he couldn’t sleep during office hours.” – Arthur Baer
51. I just wanted to let you know how my soul has died since I started working here.
52. “A learned man is honored by the people. A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honored everywhere.
53. One should feel lucky to have survived a day at a workplace with office politics.
54. Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of poison with milk on top. – Chanakya
55. Don’t miss the annual Find Your Thing Sale
56. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too. – Paulo Coelho
57. “As gold is tested in four ways by rubbing, cutting, heating and beating – so a man should be tested by these four things: his renunciation, his conduct, his qualities and his actions.”
58. “While we are all forced to participate in the games of office politics; it is very defeatist position for a Black woman. Many would argue that White men in America write the rules, mange the courses, and call all the plays. They are trusted to lead organizations and are in key positions to make positive change. I believe that at this moment in time, the onus shouldn't be places on the underdogs to pull themselves up. The onus is on White men in power to create work environments that are both inclusive and sustainable for marginalized people.”
59. “A politician should be like a cow, with all its udders full of milk; and like a cow, do not get angry if someone kicks you in the stomach.”
60. Humans simply do what is needed to survive, but you never know what different humans perceive as their basic needs to survive
61. “Office politics are bloody-minded, but weak on content.”
62. “Any organization is like a septic tank. The really big chunks rise to the top.” – John Imhoff
63. “What a waste of time it is to be anxious and worried about aging instead of living.”
64. “Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of poison with milk on top.” – Chanakya
65. “Our age works against us, as does our gender, and we can’t take this shit lying down.”
66. “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.” – Groucho Marx
67. Here's to another day of outward smiles and inward screams.
68. “Anger is a blunt tool. It won’t hurt your enemies. However, It will definitely hurt you.”
69. There will be people who hate your guts. There will be people who hate your confidence. There will be people who want to be like you, they can’t, so they detest you for who you are.
70. “Stop seeing it as office politics and start seeing it as office partnerships.”
71. “Office politics are bloody-minded but weak on content.”
72. “Effective teamwork will not take the place of knowing how to do the job or how to manage the work. Poor teamwork, however, can prevent effective final performance. And it can also prevent team members from gaining satisfaction in being a member of a team and the organization.” Robert F. Bales
73. “People aren't too different from lab rats.
74. I don't care how old you are—fifty, sixty, or seventy. Your value doesn't diminish with each birthday.
75. “Life doesn’t reward the naturally clever or strong but those who can learn to fight and work hard and never quit. ”
76. “You must do the things you think you cannot do.”
77. “People cry, not because they’re weak. It’s because they’ve been strong for too long. ”
78. “Lamb said, ‘If you had issues with him, I could have spoken to HR. Arranged an intervention.’ He tapped Moody’s shoulder with his foot. ‘Breaking his neck without going through your line manager, that shit stays on your record.”
79. Do not let the behaviour of others destroy your inner peace. – Dalai Lama.
80. The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said. – Peter F. Drucker
81. “Let men in office substitute the midnight oil for the limelight. — Calvin Coolidge
82. “Office politics is worse than state politics. Try not to become a Wedge of it.” ― Mohith Agadi
83. “When brothers agree, no fortress is so strong as their common life. ”
84. “When one is commuting to work, happiness is neither the journey nor the destination.”
85. There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
86. “Controlling your mindset is one of the most powerful badass things you can do.”
87. “When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. ”
88. “A strong man cannot help a weaker unless the weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition. ”
89. “The scholar who has acquired knowledge by studying innumerable books without the blessings of a bonafide spiritual master does not shine in an assembly of truly learned men just as an illegitimate child is not honored in society.”
90. A learned man is honoured by the people. A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honoured everywhere. – Chanakya
91. “If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with. ”
92. You also want to fire people who create office politics, and who are persistently negative.
93. There’s no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated.
94. “When one is commuting to work, happiness is neither the journey nor the destination.” ― Rajesh
95. “Freedom can never be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself. ”
96. You may look around and see two groups here: white-collar, blue-collar. But I don't see it that way, and you know why not? Because I am collar-blind. – Michael Scott
97. “Don’t be stingy with your praise and support of other women. What goes around comes around. It’s great karma.”
98. “There is no such thing as public opinion. There is only published opinion.” — Winston Churchill
99. “If you have a strong belief in yourself, in what you are doing and what you want to do, no adversity is too difficult to overcome. ”
100. Be Brave – but Not Naive
101. In weak companies, politics win. In strong companies, the best ideas do. – Steve Jobs.
102. “Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. ”
103. “Make it your mission to finish your career on your terms with a bang, not a whimper.”
104. Make it your mission to finish your career on your terms with a bang, not a whimper.
105. Managers are humans as well, following point 1
106. “People don’t always do things for their own good. Sometimes they do them because they believe they will please others.”
107. “We should always speak what would please the man of whom we expect a favor, like a hunter who sings sweetly when he desires to shoot a dear.”
108. “As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking. ”
109. “Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts. ”
110. I actively avoid office politics by hating everybody equally.
111. “I am beneath or above no one. When I am independent of the good or bad opinion of others, I stand strong in my own divine power. ”
112. “If it is true that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, isn’t it also true a society is only as healthy as its sickest citizen and only as wealthy as its most deprived?”
113. “The manager is an animal who is hated by everyone but still everyone wants to be one!”
114. “It’s your time and you have to claim it.”
115. “Zettler and Hilbig (2010) examined counterproductive behaviors—such as stealing from work, showing up late, being rude to coworkers, and other acts—in a sample of employees. The researchers wanted to understand how personality characteristics would be related to counterproductive behavior. To find out, they asked the employees to give anonymous self-reports about their personality, about their workplace, and about their counterproductive behavior at work. The findings of Zettler and Hilbig showed, not surprisingly, that employees who were high in Honesty–Humility generally engaged in little counterproductive behavior. In contrast, employees who were low in Honesty–Humility did a lot more counterproductive behavior.
116. “When introverts are in conflict with each other…it may require a map in order to follow all the silences, nonverbal cues and passive-aggressive behaviors!” Adam S. McHugh
117. “Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of poison with milk on top.”
118. “I get an allergic reaction from the politics; I just want to do my job.”
119. “Do not put your trust in a bad companion not even trust an ordinary friend, for if he should get angry with you, he may bring all your secrets to light.”
120. Understand the Informal Network
121. Only insecure people indulge in office politics.
122. “Before you start some work, always ask yourself these three questions- Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.”
123. “Say it out loud: “I’m not done yet!” Own it. Live it.”
124. “For the protection of state and welfare of the people, a ruler shold collect all types of wealth. By suing devices of sama, dama, danda, bheda, he shold increase income of the state, strong administration helps in collecting different type of taxes fro exchequer. ”
125. “Each man has a breaking point, no matter how strong his spirit. Somewhere, deep inside him, there is a flaw that only the fickle cruelty of fate can find. ”
126. Make the Most of Your Network
127. Whom you should help at work
128. There are some people who always seem angry and continuously look for conflict. Walk away from these people. The battle they're fighting isn't with you. It's with themselves. – Rashida Rowe
129. “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”
130. “Love is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect person. To love somebody isn’t just a strong feeling. It is a decision, a judgment, and a promise. ”
131. “Only the strong survive. ”
132. Office politics are fleeting when destiny is your goal.
133. “If u want to work in Corporate, then u should know how to play Chess.”
134. “Whatever my situation, I’m a strong disciplinarian; I can do what I hate to do but do it like I love it. ”
135. “Be strong, but not rude; Be kind, but not weak; Be bold, but not bully; Be humble, but not timid; Be proud, but not arrogant. ”
136. “If you want to work in Corporate, then you should know how to play Chess.”
137. “There is no support so strong as the strength that enables one to stand alone. ”
138. “The world is divided into people who do things–and people who get the credit.” – Dwight Morrow
139. “The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog which neither covers its rear end nor protects it from the bites of the insects.”
140. “The politics here make me want to run screaming from the building.”
141. “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” – Pete Drucker
142. “He whose actions are disorganized has no happiness either in the midst of men or in a jungle – in the midst of men his heart burns by social contacts, and his helplessness burns him in the forest.”
143. Neutralize Negative Politics
144. The reward for good work is more work.
145. “Office politics are bloody-minded but weak on content.” – Mason Cooley
146. “It’s not always easy to do the right thing. But, doing the right thing makes you strong, it builds character. ”
147. “In weak companies, politics win. In strong companies, the best ideas do.” – Steve Jobs
148. In this office, we are helpful, we achieve goals, have fun, and are a team.
149. It helps if you really enjoy your job. If you don't, then just think about the money. – Lisa Nicole Carson
150. You must do the things you think you cannot do. – Eleanor Roosevelt
151. “Tell your boss what you really think about him and the truth shall set you free.” – Patrick Murray
152. “In the big leagues everyone has ability. It always comes down to mind games. Who ever is more mentally strong-wins. ”
153. “Few are made for independence, it is the privilege of the strong. ”
154. Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution. – Chanakya
155. “You must have an iron will, if you would cross the ocean. You must be strong enough to pierce mountains. ”
156. The world is divided into people who do things–and people who get the credit. – Dwight Morrow
157. “Ask for help. Not because you are weak. But because you want to remain strong. ”
158. If you want to work in Corporate, then you should know how to play Chess.
159. “The reward for good work is more work.” – Tom Sachs
160. “Do not think of knocking out another person’s brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago.” Horace Mann
161. “Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away. ”
162. The person who says I'm not political is in great danger. Only the fittest will survive, and the fittest will be the ones who understand their office's politics.
163. “If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong. ”
164. Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune. – Chanakya
165. “I think it was [the speaker] who said, ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.’ And I think that’s important to remember because when you start making plans and you have people who are working together, there are going to be some conflicts. But if you can create a culture where everybody understands that conflict is part of life and it’s OK to have your differences and work through them, then you can find a way to move forward and accomplish great things.”
166. “The strong must learn to be lonely. ”
167. “Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them. ”
168. Office politics are worse than state politics. Try not to become a Wedge of it. ― Mohith Agadi
169. “You can achieve anything if you believe in yourself. But the opposite is also true; without strong self-belief you will not go far. ”
170. “Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determines to carry it into execution.”
171. Develop Your "People Skills"
172. “You can’t build a great building on a weak foundation. You must have a solid foundation if you’re going to have a strong superstructure. ”
173. “Give your wealth only to the worthy and never to others. The water of the sea received by the clouds is always sweet.”
174. “Be proud of how you show up every day, feeling comfortable in your own skin, being your magnificent you.”
175. Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune. – Chanakya
176. Office Politics isn't just laughing at the boss's jokes. It's how you get both formal and informal power around the office and can be used extremely productively.
177. “We believe that we don’t have what it takes to compete, therefore we don’t compete.”
178. He whose actions are disorganized has no happiness either in the midst of men or in a jungle – in the midst of men, his heart burns by social contacts, and his helplessness burns him in the forest. – Chanakya
179. “Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things. ”
180. “Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent People Ignore. ”
181. When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.
182. “You can’t sit on your ass and wait for things to miraculously happen for you.”
183. “Being both soft and strong is a combination very few have mastered. ”
184. “We can all endure disaster and tragedy, and triumph over them-if we have to. We may not think we can, but we have surprisingly strong inner resources that will see us through if we will only make use of them. We are stronger than we think. ”
185. “A root cause of rising unemployment is not illiteracy but sycophancy, mainly at the top hierarchy.” – Anuj Soman
186. “You have to learn the rules of the game and then you have to play better than anyone else.” – Albert Einstein
187. Workplace or Office: Space where people show their political skill with topmost creativity.
188. “People who harbor strong convictions without evidence belong at the margins of our societies, not in our halls of power. ”
189. “Office life is bad for spirituality.”
190. When you’re backed against the wall, break the goddamned thing down. – Harvey Specter (Suits
191. “Loving yourself is badass, about as badass as you can get.”
192. A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill
193. “If hard work is the key to success, most people would rather pick the lock.” – Claude McDonald
194. “Stand up and be strong! No fear. No superstition. Face the truth as it is!”
195. A root cause of rising unemployment is not illiteracy but sycophancy, mainly at the top hierarchy.
196. “Old guards will tell you to innovate and be creative, but won’t mention that it’s ONLY ok as long as it’s something they’ve already thought of and agree with. Welcome to ‘The Office.”
197. “A frequent power problem in all male groups is that the pre-occupation with dominance often impedes collaboration. Each member may feel that others have no right to interfere in their territory, so everyone limits conflict by operating autonomously.
198. “What do you think, Kaarz?”
199. “If we are strong, our strength will speak for itself. If we are weak, words will be of no help. ”
200. Life Of An Uneducated Person