To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous HuxleyRead
It is possible to argue that the really influential book is not that which converts ten millions of casual readers, but rather that which converts the very few who, at any given moment, succeed in seizing power. Marx and Sorel have been influential in the modern world, not so much because they were best-sellers (Sorel in particular was not at all a widely read author), but because among their few readers were two men, called respectively Lenin and Mussolini.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Influential works may reach only a few but can significantly impact those in power.
Aldous Huxley highlights that the true influence of a book is not measured by its popularity among the masses but rather by its ability to shape the minds of powerful individuals. He uses the examples of Marx and Sorel, whose ideas, despite limited readership, profoundly affected leaders like Lenin and Mussolini, illustrating how a small number of engaged readers can ignite substantial political and social change.
Themes
InfluencePowerBooksLeadershipChange
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on political theory, one might quote Huxley to emphasize the impact of literature on political leaders.
More from Aldous Huxley
All quotes →Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
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In the course of history many more people have died for their drink and their dope than have died for their religion or their country.
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On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.
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No man ever dared to manifest his boredom so insolently as does a Siamese tomcat when he yawns in the face of his amorously importunate wife.
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The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
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