Without a global revolution in the sphere of human consciousness a more humane society will not emerge.
Vaclav HavelRead
There's always something suspect about an intellectual on the winning side.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that those who are intellectually dominant in a successful position may be viewed with skepticism.
Vaclav Havel's quote implies that intellectuals or thinkers who support a prevailing ideology or position may lack critical integrity or authenticity. It raises questions about the relationship between power, intellect, and moral responsibility, suggesting that success can breed a form of complacency that undermines genuine critical thought.
Themes
IntellectualPowerSkepticismTruthSuccess
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote during a debate about ethics in leadership.
More from Vaclav Havel
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In my opinion, theater shouldn't give advice to citizens.
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Sometimes I wonder if suicides aren't in fact sad guardians of the meaning of life.
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The exercise of power is determined by thousands of interactions between the world of the powerful and that of the powerless, all the more so because these worlds are never divided by a sharp line: everyone has a small part of himself in both.
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Human rights, human freedoms... and human dignity have their deepest roots somewhere outside the perceptible world... while the state is a human creation, human beings are the creation of God.
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