--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No matter how powerful our political and…" description: "\"No matter how powerful our political and religious leaders think they are, they are as dust before the immense and implacable forces of history and pro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/alan-moore-583_before_no-matter-how-powerful-our-political-and_2543404.jpg" --- # No matter how powerful our political and religious leaders… ![“No matter how powerful our political and religious leaders think they are, they are as dust before the immense and implacable forces of history and progress. I just hope that they don't make too much of a mess or take too many more people down with them.” quote by Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/alan-moore-583_before_no-matter-how-powerful-our-political-and_2543404.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/alan-moore-583_before_no-matter-how-powerful-our-political-and_2543404.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/alan-moore-583_before_no-matter-how-powerful-our-political-and_2543404.jpg) > “No matter how powerful our political and religious leaders think they are, they are as dust before the immense and implacable forces of history and progress. I just hope that they don't make too much of a mess or take too many more people down with them.” [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders appear mighty but are insignificant against history’s forces. **In simple terms:** Powerful leaders are tiny before history. Key Takeaway Respect the power of larger forces. Themes power history humility Mood critical serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - political activism - leadership decisions - social movements Key Concepts political theory social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals influence historical tides? - What responsibilities do leaders have amid inevitable change? A Different Perspective Leaders can still shape outcomes despite larger forces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Before](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Dust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dust/) [Forces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forces/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Immense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immense/) [Implacable Forces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/implacable-forces-1453775/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders/) [Leaders Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders-think-923083/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/many/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Mess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mess/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [More people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more-people/) [Much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/much/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-religious-302185/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Powerful Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful-political-596225/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-leaders/) [Take](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) ## Related quotes > [Extremely strong, effective, tenacious, and powerful political networks can be built when you fight losing battles as well as when you win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-ireland/extremely-strong-effective-tenacious-and-powerful-political-networks/) [Patricia Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-ireland/) > [I believe that nationalism is the most powerful political ideology in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/i-believe-that-nationalism-is-the-most-powerful-political-ideology-in/) [John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/) > [The fact of picking up an instrument and writing a song and expressing yourself publicly has a powerful political dimension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robbins/the-fact-of-picking-up-an-instrument-and-writing-a-song-and/) [J. Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robbins/) > [The practical core of democracy, defined functionally, is the peaceful exchange of power between different groups of powerful political players arranged in parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-practical-core-of-democracy-defined-functionally-is-the-peaceful/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [The good news is when we are in full-on sisterhood, women are the most powerful, political force in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-richards/the-good-news-is-when-we-are-in-full-on-sisterhood-women-are-the-most/) [Cecile Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-richards/) > [The most powerful political voices are those with a different way of seeing and processing the world and the sounds that emanate from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-williams/the-most-powerful-political-voices-are-those-with-a-different-way-of/) [Saul Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-williams/) > [The question is, how do you stop the power elite from doing as much damage to you as possible? That comes through movements. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/the-question-is-how-do-you-stop-the-power-elite-from-doing-as-much/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [The most powerful political moments for me come when I feel like my actions are aligned with a certain truth. I can feel it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-most-powerful-political-moments-for-me-come-when-i-feel-like-my/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Being with the president’s daughter, no matter who the president is, you are connected to the most powerful political force on earth, and that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/being-with-the-president-s-daughter-no-matter-who-the-president-is/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I had to learn to navigate the political and religious currents in a state where Mormonism dominates despite not being Mormon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-stallworth/i-had-to-learn-to-navigate-the-political-and-religious-currents-in-a/) [Ron Stallworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-stallworth/) > [Most of the Palestinians don't understand what they're doing... Politically, people can say what they want. The problem is not political, but religious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/most-of-the-palestinians-don-t-understand-what-they-re-doing/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Especially now when views are becoming more polarized, we must work to understand each other across political, religious and national boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/especially-now-when-views-are-becoming-more-polarized-we-must-work-to/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [“But outside of the North of Ireland there is no religious question, and in the North it is fundamentally more political than religious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stephens/but-outside-of-the-north-of-ireland-there-is-no-religious-question/) [James Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stephens/) > [In my opinion, the battles over birth control and Planned Parenthood are primarily neither political nor religious. This is an issue of equality for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-decrow/in-my-opinion-the-battles-over-birth-control-and-planned-parenthood/) [Karen DeCrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-decrow/) > [The information of the people at large can alone make them the safe as they are the sole depositary of our political and religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-information-of-the-people-at-large-can-alone-make-them-the-safe/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by Alan Moore > [I think that storytelling and creation are very close to what the center of what magic is about. I think not just for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-think-that-storytelling-and-creation-are-very-close-to-what-the/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [To some degree Satanism is purely a kind of disease of Christianity. You've got to really be Christian to believe in Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/to-some-degree-satanism-is-purely-a-kind-of-disease-of-christianity/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [There has been a rather unpleasant sensibility apparent in Frank Miller's work for quite a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/there-has-been-a-rather-unpleasant-sensibility-apparent-in-frank/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [I felt, if I'm going to react I might as well over react.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-felt-if-i-m-going-to-react-i-might-as-well-over-react/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“Come, dry your eyes, for you are LIFE, rarer than a quark and unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heisenberg; the clay in which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/come-dry-your-eyes-for-you-are-life-rarer-than-a-quark-and/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Now everything is wonderful and hazardous and nothing's hypothetical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/now-everything-is-wonderful-and-hazardous-and-nothing-s-hypothetical/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [If you look at that incredible burst of fantastic characters that emerged in the late 19th century/early 20th century, you can see so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/if-you-look-at-that-incredible-burst-of-fantastic-characters-that/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [In many ways, my entire graphic novel career was a long diversion. Originally, all I wanted to do was to be an underground cartoonist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/in-many-ways-my-entire-graphic-novel-career-was-a-long-diversion/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [I was kind of a selfish child, who always wanted things his way, and I've kind of taken that over into my relationship with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-was-kind-of-a-selfish-child-who-always-wanted-things-his-way-and-i/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Magic is a state of mind. It is often portrayed as very black and gothic, and that is because certain practitioners played that up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/magic-is-a-state-of-mind-it-is-often-portrayed-as-very-black-and/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“Above, great constellations wheeled to which our bonfire sparks ascended in their tiny mimicry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/above-great-constellations-wheeled-to-which-our-bonfire-sparks/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“You're my only remaining link to the world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/you-re-my-only-remaining-link-to-the-world/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/nothing-ends-adrian-nothing-ever-ends/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [On the one occasion where I did try writing a screenplay, I found the rewriting just unendurable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/on-the-one-occasion-where-i-did-try-writing-a-screenplay-i-found-the/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“The clothes you're wearing, the room, the house, the city that you're in. Everything in it started out in the human imagination. Your lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/the-clothes-you-re-wearing-the-room-the-house-the-city-that-you-re-in/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) [Explore all 460 Alan Moore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) ## More Before quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [There aren't traditions of freedom in a place like Iraq. They're going to have to come to grips with a concept that they hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-wallop/there-aren-t-traditions-of-freedom-in-a-place-like-iraq-they-re-going/) [Malcolm Wallop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-wallop/) > [I don't like just traveling in for a short time. I've done that before, because sometimes you work for magazines and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sacco/i-don-t-like-just-traveling-in-for-a-short-time-i-ve-done-that-before/) [Joe Sacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sacco/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/my-first-company-pure-software-was-exciting-and-innovative-in-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [For the Russian masses, the proletarians, knew for certain, and already saw during the war, and in part before their very eyes, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-gorter/for-the-russian-masses-the-proletarians-knew-for-certain-and-already/) [Herman Gorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-gorter/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) [Joe Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pitts/) > [I've been told before, and I tend to believe it, I'm not like most actresses out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moira-kelly/i-ve-been-told-before-and-i-tend-to-believe-it-i-m-not-like-most/) [Moira Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moira-kelly/) > [Before I got addicted to comedy, I was seriously thinking about playing tennis full time. I joined the tennis team and played with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/before-i-got-addicted-to-comedy-i-was-seriously-thinking-about/) [Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/) > [But even before I was in the military, I was extremely jumpy when asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/but-even-before-i-was-in-the-military-i-was-extremely-jumpy-when/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [When I'm making stuff, the thing that excites me most is not the result, but the process and trying to do something I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/when-i-m-making-stuff-the-thing-that-excites-me-most-is-not-the/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I've pulled ticks off of me before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-ve-pulled-ticks-off-of-me-before/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [You know, before I would think, my cab driver hates me. Now I think my limo driver hates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/you-know-before-i-would-think-my-cab-driver-hates-me-now-i-think-my/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) [Browse all 4,123 Before quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No matter how powerful our political and religious leaders think they are, they are as dust before the immense and implacable forces of history and progress. 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