On rare occasions one does hear of a miraculous case of a married couple falling in love after marriage, but on close examination it will be found that it is a mere adjustment to the inevitable.
Emma GoldmanRead
A politician, he knows that the majority cares little for ideals or integrity. What it craves is display.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Politicians often prioritize appearance and spectacle over genuine ideals and integrity.
In this quote, Emma Goldman critiques the nature of political leaders who understand that the masses are more interested in the showmanship of politics rather than its moral and ethical foundations. This observation reflects a broader commentary on how superficiality in politics can overshadow meaningful ideals, suggesting that true integrity is often sacrificed for the sake of public appeal and perception.
Themes
PoliticsIntegrityPublic OpinionDisplayIdeals
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate, one might reference this quote to highlight the importance of integrity over showmanship.
More from Emma Goldman
All quotes βNo one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure.
Emma GoldmanRead
To the indefinite, uncertain mind of the American radical the most contradictory ideas and methods are possible. The result is a sad chaos in the radical movement, a sort of intellectual hash, which has neither taste nor character.
Emma GoldmanRead
John Burroughs has stated that experimental study of animals in captivity is absolutely useless. Their character, their habits, their appetites undergo a complete transformation when torn from their soil in field and forest. With human nature caged in a narrow space, whipped daily into submission, how can we speak of its potentialities?
Emma GoldmanRead
Anarchism is the only philosophy which brings to man the consciousness of himself; which maintains that God, the State, and society are non-existent, that their promises are null and void, since they can be fulfilled only through man's subordination.
Emma GoldmanRead
If love does not know how to give and take without restrictions, it is not love, but a transaction that never fails to lay stress on a plus and a minus.
Emma GoldmanRead
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Though the people support the government; the government should not support the people.
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