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Portrait of Saul Alinsky

Saul Alinsky

(1909–1972) Activist United States

141 quotes in 743 categories

Saul Alinsky talks about how power gathers around money and crowds, and how change always sparks controversy. He says the first step in organizing is to upset the existing order, and he describes a method of picking a target, freezing it, and polarizing it. His quotes also stress personal independence even when leading groups.

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Saul Alinsky was an activist from the United States, best known for John L. Lewis: an unauthorized biography..

Quick Facts About Saul Alinsky

Born: January 30, 1909
Died: June 12, 1972
Nationality: United States
Profession: Activist
Notable works: John L. Lewis: an unauthorized biography.
Known for: Rules for Radicals

About Saul Alinsky

His work with the Chicago‑based Industrial Areas Foundation let poor communities press demands on landlords, politicians, bankers and business leaders, earning him national recognition and notoriety. In the 1960s he addressed the impatience of New Left activists, arguing that both confrontation and compromise are essential tools for community organizing and social justice.

Awards & Honors

Pacem in Terris Award

Quotes by Saul Alinsky

History is a relay of revolutions.

History

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You cannot meet today's crisis tomorrow.

Crisis

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Never let a crisis go to waste

Crisis

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Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.

Book

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“This is the world as it is. This is where you start.”

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Change means movement. Movement means friction.

Abstract

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A good tactic is one that your people enjoy.

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The only nonpartisan people are those who are dead.

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The only people who become disillusioned are people who have illusions.

Disillusioned

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No politician can sit on a hot issue if you make it hot enough.

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A free and open society is an ongoing conflict, interrupted periodically by compromises.

Communism

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Power just goes to two poles — to those who've got money, and those who've got people.

Labor

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The enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength.

Enemy

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All change means disorganization of the old and organization of the new.

Change

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The thirteenth rule of radical tactics: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.

Community organizing

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Human beings do not like to look squarely into the face of tragedy. Gloom is unpopular.

Faces

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It is a world not of angels but of angles, where men speak of moral principles but act on power principles; a…

Angel

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First rule of change is controversy. You can't get away from it for the simple reason all issues are controversial. Change means…

Change

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Humor is essential to a successful tactician, for the most potent weapons known to mankind are satire and ridicule.

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Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to…

Advantage

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In a fight almost anything goes. It almost reaches the point where you stop to apologize if a chance blow lands above…

Anything goes

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It does not matter what you know about anything if you cannot communicate to your people. In that event, you are not…

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Always remember the first rule of power tactics; power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.

Enemy

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To the organizer, compromise is a key and beautiful word. It is always present in the pragmatics of operation... If you start…

Beautiful

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Organized religion has too often followed the road of other people's institutions. It has made adjustments, compromises, and surrenders to a materialistic…

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The seventh rule of the ethics of means and ends is that generally success or failure is a mighty determinant of ethics.…

Differences

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Lest we forget at least an over the shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology and history…

Devil

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The classic statement on polarization comes from Christ: 'He that is not with me is against me.' (Luke 11:23) He allowed no…

Angel

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Many of the lower middle class are members of labor unions, churches, bowling clubs, fraternal, service, and nationality organizations. They are organizations…

Bowling

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Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people. They must…

Attitude

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An organizer working in and for an open society is in an ideological dilemma to begin with, he does not have a…

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A Marxist begins with his prime truth that all evils are caused by the exploitation of the proletariat by the capitalists. From…

Capitalism

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“A bit of a blurred vision of a better world. Much of an organizer’s daily work is detail, repetitive and deadly in…

Art

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In this world laws are written for the lofty aim of "the common good" and then acted out in life on the…

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Let the liberal turn to the course of action, the course of all radicals, and the amused look vanishes from the face…

Action

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The Prince was written by Machiavelli for the Haves on how to hold power. Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots…

Book

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Organization for action will now and in the decade ahead center upon America's white middle class. That is where the power is.…

Action

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The people of America are red, white, black, yellow, and all the shades in between. Their eyes are blue, black, and brown,…

America

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The end is what you want, the means is how you get it. Whenever we think about social change, the question of…

Action

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Radicals, on the other hand, want to advance from the jungle of laissez-faire capitalism to a world worthy of the name of…

Capitalism

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Saul Alinsky by topic

Rules for radicals (51) People (28) World (16) Inspirational (16) Love (14) Radical (13) Change (13) Organization (12) Men (10) Enemy (10) Community (10) Action (10)