--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Somebody has to have the last word…" description: "\"“Somebody has to have the last word. Otherwise, every reason can be answered with another one and there would never be an end to it. Power, on the othe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/albert-camus-47_communication_somebody-has-to-have-the-last-word-other_2131179.jpg" --- # Somebody has to have the last word. Otherwise, every… ![“Somebody has to have the last word. Otherwise, every reason can be answered with another one and there would never be an end to it. Power, on the other hand, settles everything…We no longer say as in simple times: “This is the way I think. What are your objections?” We have become lucid. For the…” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/albert-camus-47_communication_somebody-has-to-have-the-last-word-other_2131179.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/albert-camus-47_communication_somebody-has-to-have-the-last-word-other_2131179.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/albert-camus-47_communication_somebody-has-to-have-the-last-word-other_2131179.jpg) > ““Somebody has to have the last word. Otherwise, every reason can be answered with another one and there would never be an end to it. Power, on the other hand, settles everything…We no longer say as in simple times: “This is the way I think. What are your objections?” We have become lucid. For the dialogue we have substituted the communique: “This is the truth,” we say. “You can discuss it as much as you want; we aren't interested.”” [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## 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 critiques modern discourse where absolute claims replace open dialogue, suggesting power prefers finality over debate. **In simple terms:** Power silences debate with absolute truth claims. Key Takeaway Question authority; value open dialogue. Themes power dialogue truth authority communication Mood critical skeptical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political debates - academic discussions - media commentary - legal arguments Key Concepts philosophy political theory social critique Questions to Reflect On - How does absolute truth affect conflict resolution? - When is it appropriate to accept a final word? A Different Perspective It may overlook the benefits of constructive disagreement and nuanced understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Last Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-word/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Our old Europe at last philosophizes in the right way. We no longer say as in simple times: 'This is the way I think.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/our-old-europe-at-last-philosophizes-in-the-right-way-we-no-longer/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I don't spend a huge amount of time fixated on climate denial because I don't think that their objections, though sometimes couched in science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/i-don-t-spend-a-huge-amount-of-time-fixated-on-climate-denial-because/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Somebody has to have the last word. 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