One of the little-celebrated powers of Presidents (and other high government officials) is to listen to their critics with just enough sympathy to ensure their silence.
John Kenneth GalbraithRead
All successful revolutions are the kicking in of a rotten door. The violence of revolutions is the violence of men who charge into a vacuum.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Successful revolutions often occur when a corrupt system is overthrown, but they can lead to chaos if not properly directed.
John Kenneth Galbraith's quote reflects on the nature of revolutions, suggesting that they often act as a forceful response to a decaying system, represented metaphorically by a 'rotten door.' However, he also warns that revolutions can devolve into violence and chaos if the people involved do not have a clear purpose or direction, likened to charging into a vacuum. This highlights the complexity of social change and the importance of intent and leadership in achieving constructive outcomes.
Themes
RevolutionChangeViolenceSystemSociety
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about social movements during a political rally.
More from John Kenneth Galbraith
All quotes →If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
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The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.
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All successful revolutions are the kicking in of a rotten door.
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Money differs from an automobile or mistress in being equally important to those who have it and those who do not.
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People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage.
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