To us, the high-resounding “isms” to which our…
““To us, the high-resounding “isms” to which our contemporaries ask; us to give our allegiance, now, in 1948, are all equally futile: bound to be betrayed, defeated, and finally rejected by men at large, if containing anything really noble; bound to enjoy, for the time being, some sort of noisy success; if sufficiently vulgar, pretentious and soul-killing to appeal to the growing number of mechanically conditioned slaves that crawl about our planet, posing as free men; all destined to prove, ultimately, of no avail.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote argues that grand ideologies are ultimately meaningless, doomed to betrayal and rejection, serving only superficial success for the masses.
In simple terms: Grand ideas are futile and eventually fail.
Key Takeaway
Beware of empty ideologies.
Themes
politics
ideology
disillusionment
power
society
Mood
cynical
critical
skeptical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political movements
- public speeches
- media propaganda
- social conformity
Key Concepts
nihilism
skepticism
mass culture
Questions to Reflect On
- What ideologies do you see as truly transformative?
- How can individuals resist superficial success?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook genuine movements that bring lasting change.