--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reactionary movements often mistake what…" description: "\"“Reactionary movements often mistake what they're trying to take down.”\" — A. Cretan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/a-cretan-70397_quote_reactionary-movements-often-mistake-what_1006377.jpg" --- # Reactionary movements often mistake what they're trying to… ![“Reactionary movements often mistake what they're trying to take down.” quote by A. Cretan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/a-cretan-70397_quote_reactionary-movements-often-mistake-what_1006377.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/a-cretan-70397_quote_reactionary-movements-often-mistake-what_1006377.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/a-cretan-70397_quote_reactionary-movements-often-mistake-what_1006377.jpg) > ““Reactionary movements often mistake what they're trying to take down.”” [A. Cretan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-cretan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Movements aiming to dismantle something may unintentionally adopt the same traits they oppose, leading to hypocrisy. **In simple terms:** Opponents can become what they fight. Key Takeaway Watch for internal contradictions. Themes politics social change hypocrisy movement dynamics Mood critical cautious Type political ethical When to use this quote - activism - policy making - community organizing - media analysis Key Concepts identity power structures Questions to Reflect On - How can movements stay true to their aims? - What safeguards prevent adopting opposing traits? A Different Perspective Revolutionary goals can be undermined by their own methods. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mistake Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake-trying-567261/) [Movements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movements/) [Movements Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movements-mistake-2157042/) [Reactionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reactionary/) [Reactionary Movements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reactionary-movements-2157041/) ## Related quotes > [Reactionary movements can't sustain themselves unless they find something new to catch and burn on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/reactionary-movements-can-t-sustain-themselves-unless-they-find/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [Racism serves as the cutting edge of the most reactionary movements. An ideology that starts by declaring one human being inferior to another is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/racism-serves-as-the-cutting-edge-of-the-most-reactionary-movements/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [The greatest mistake is trying to be more agreeable than you can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-greatest-mistake-is-trying-to-be-more-agreeable-than-you-can-be/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [You want to encourage yourself to take risks. If you make a mistake trying to do something, you can fix it later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mollenkopf/you-want-to-encourage-yourself-to-take-risks-if-you-make-a-mistake/) [Steve Mollenkopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mollenkopf/) > [The biggest mistake is trying to pinch down on the ball and ripping out a big divot, often hitting the ground before the ball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-els/the-biggest-mistake-is-trying-to-pinch-down-on-the-ball-and-ripping/) [Ernie Els](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-els/) > [In a relationship the worst mistake is trying to control the other person , just doesn't work that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-a-relationship-the-worst-mistake-is-trying-to-control-the-other/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I made that great mistake of trying to be funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/i-made-that-great-mistake-of-trying-to-be-funny/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [“We were trying, as I irrelevantly analyzed it, to avoid what might be termed a historic mistake. We were trying to understand, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-neill/we-were-trying-as-i-irrelevantly-analyzed-it-to-avoid-what-might-be/) [Joseph O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-neill/) > [“The biggest mistake is trying not to make a mistake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-simeo/the-biggest-mistake-is-trying-not-to-make-a-mistake/) [Tom Simeo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-simeo/) > [“Lajwanti made the cardinal mistake of trying to cross the dividing line that separates the existence of the rich from that of the poor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/lajwanti-made-the-cardinal-mistake-of-trying-to-cross-the-dividing/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [The biggest failure you can have in life is making the mistake of never trying at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-biggest-failure-you-can-have-in-life-is-making-the-mistake-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The first mistake is trying to explain morality to a terrorist. Like trying to teach a rock to drive. It is impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/the-first-mistake-is-trying-to-explain-morality-to-a-terrorist-like/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [An artist must be a reactionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/an-artist-must-be-a-reactionary/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [“Revolution is progressivist and seeks the strengthening of the state; rebellion is reactionary and seeks its disappearance. The revolutionary is a potential government official;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/revolution-is-progressivist-and-seeks-the-strengthening-of-the-state/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [Everyone is a reactionary about subjects he understands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/everyone-is-a-reactionary-about-subjects-he-understands/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) ## More by A. Cretan > [“You can tell a lot about a person by their saying 'identity' and their saying 'difference' ; by when they say it's all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-cretan/you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-person-by-their-saying-identity-and-their/) [A. Cretan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-cretan/) > [“Just because X doesn't necessarily mean Y.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-cretan/just-because-x-doesn-t-necessarily-mean-y/) [A. Cretan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-cretan/) > [“Careful with those hairy palms, Eugene.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-cretan/careful-with-those-hairy-palms-eugene/) [A. Cretan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-cretan/) [Explore all 4 A. Cretan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-cretan/) ## More Movements quotes > [All movements go too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-movements-go-too-far/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [For now, I'm supposing that all movements are equal, which they're not, except in this respect: that none of them gives a damn about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfrid-sheed/for-now-i-m-supposing-that-all-movements-are-equal-which-they-re-not/) [Wilfrid Sheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfrid-sheed/) > [Most of the more celebrated names among African-American authors, poets, and artists are known to the world because of their association with specific cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/most-of-the-more-celebrated-names-among-african-american-authors/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [Indeed, all things move, all things run, all things are rapidly changing. A profile is never motionless before our eyes, but it constantly appears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-balla/indeed-all-things-move-all-things-run-all-things-are-rapidly-changing/) [Giacomo Balla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-balla/) > [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I can dance. I like hip hop and stuff and jazz movements, but I'm horrible in ballet. I tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keke-palmer/i-can-dance-i-like-hip-hop-and-stuff-and-jazz-movements-but-i-m/) [Keke Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keke-palmer/) > [Remember the movements that don't look like moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/remember-the-movements-that-don-t-look-like-moving/) [China Mieville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [Obviously, Fred Astaire was a legend. I've tried to copy some of his movements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-moir/obviously-fred-astaire-was-a-legend-i-ve-tried-to-copy-some-of-his/) [Scott Moir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-moir/) > [Most new movements start this way: hundreds or thousands of individuals and groups, working in different fields and different locations, start thinking about change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/most-new-movements-start-this-way-hundreds-or-thousands-of/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [If you watch any good player, they're using different parts of their body and working with instruments that respond to those movements. They're moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/if-you-watch-any-good-player-they-re-using-different-parts-of-their/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Labour grew out of popular movements of mutualism and self-help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/labour-grew-out-of-popular-movements-of-mutualism-and-self-help/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [“For a nation to be truly transformed, there must be movements, civil societies, NGOs that are spread all across the land to educate people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/for-a-nation-to-be-truly-transformed-there-must-be-movements-civil/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“Burdened no more is soul for whom life flows through dance like breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shah-asad-rizvi/burdened-no-more-is-soul-for-whom-life-flows-through-dance-like-breath/) [Shah Asad Rizvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shah-asad-rizvi/) > [“Dance as the narration of a magical story; that recites on lips, illuminates imaginations and embraces the most sacred depths of souls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shah-asad-rizvi/dance-as-the-narration-of-a-magical-story-that-recites-on-lips/) [Shah Asad Rizvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shah-asad-rizvi/) > [You cannot have politics without building mass-movements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-prashad/you-cannot-have-politics-without-building-mass-movements/) [Vijay Prashad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-prashad/) [Browse all 223 Movements quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movements/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Reactionary movements often mistake what they're trying to take down.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A. 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