--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As I see it today, Hitler and Goebbels…" description: "\"“As I see it today, Hitler and Goebbels were in fact molded by the mob itself, guided by its yearnings and its daydreams. Of course, Goebbels and Hitle..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e21/albert-speer-23432_goebbels_as-i-see-it-today-hitler-and-goebbels-we_1019926.jpg" --- # As I see it today, Hitler and Goebbels were in fact molded… ![“As I see it today, Hitler and Goebbels were in fact molded by the mob itself, guided by its yearnings and its daydreams. Of course, Goebbels and Hitler knew how to penetrate through to the instincts of their audiences; but in the deeper sense they derived their whole existence from these…” quote by Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e21/albert-speer-23432_goebbels_as-i-see-it-today-hitler-and-goebbels-we_1019926.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e21/albert-speer-23432_goebbels_as-i-see-it-today-hitler-and-goebbels-we_1019926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e21/albert-speer-23432_goebbels_as-i-see-it-today-hitler-and-goebbels-we_1019926.jpg) > ““As I see it today, Hitler and Goebbels were in fact molded by the mob itself, guided by its yearnings and its daydreams. Of course, Goebbels and Hitler knew how to penetrate through to the instincts of their audiences; but in the deeper sense they derived their whole existence from these audiences. Certainly the masses roared to the beat set by Hitler's and Goebbels' baton; yet they were not the true conductors. The mob determined the theme. To compensate for misery, insecurity, unemployment, and hopelessness, this anonymous assemblage wallowed for hours at a time in obsessions, savagery and license. The personal unhappiness caused by the breakdown of the economy was replaced by a frenzy that demanded victims. By lashing out at their opponents and vilifying the Jews, they gave expression and direction to fierce primal passions.”” [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mass movements can be driven by collective anxieties, allowing charismatic leaders to channel primal fears into violent action. **In simple terms:** Crowds feed dangerous leaders. Key Takeaway Beware of collective fear. Themes politics psychology history Mood cautionary analytical Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - economic crises - political rallies - propaganda campaigns - social unrest Key Concepts mass manipulation authoritarianism social psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do societies resist manipulative narratives? - What safeguards prevent fear‑driven politics? A Different Perspective Leaders also shape the mob; not merely reflect it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goebbels/) [History-politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-politics/) ## Related quotes > [“In my own mind these reports of Hitler and Goebbels are supplemented by a professional distinction drawn by a friend of ours who at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-klemperer/in-my-own-mind-these-reports-of-hitler-and-goebbels-are-supplemented/) [Victor Klemperer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-klemperer/) > [“Hitler knew nothing about his enemies and even refused to use the information that was available to him. Instead, he trusted his inspirations, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/hitler-knew-nothing-about-his-enemies-and-even-refused-to-use-the/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [“The communications apparatus at headquarters was remarkable...It was possible to communicate directly with all important theaters of the war...They could be directed from Hitler's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/the-communications-apparatus-at-headquarters-was-remarkable-it-was/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [“By no means would I describe Adolph Hitler as sexually normal in his relationships with women. In the case of Eva Braun in particular,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/by-no-means-would-i-describe-adolph-hitler-as-sexually-normal-in-his/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [Advocating through art is known as propaganda. You should look up the name Goebbels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/advocating-through-art-is-known-as-propaganda-you-should-look-up-the/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Himmler, Bormann, and Goebbels, they were probably bad fellows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-sauckel/himmler-bormann-and-goebbels-they-were-probably-bad-fellows/) [Fritz Sauckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-sauckel/) > [Hitler and Joseph Goebbels understood that if you say something loud and long enough many people will believe it. A good journalist's first priority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/hitler-and-joseph-goebbels-understood-that-if-you-say-something-loud/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Though anti-Semitism had been only one of several sources of Nazi voting strength, after 1933 Hitler placed anti-Semitic ideologues, the most important of whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-herf/though-anti-semitism-had-been-only-one-of-several-sources-of-nazi/) Jeffrey Herf > [“And people would believe it, thought Hartmann, because people believed what they wanted to believe – that was Goebbels’s great insight. They no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/and-people-would-believe-it-thought-hartmann-because-people-believed/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [ Perhaps one cannot, what is more one must not, understand what happened, because to understand \[the Holocaust\] is almost to justify...no normal human being… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/perhaps-one-cannot-what-is-more-one-must-not-understand-what-happened/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“Let me explain how such a thing might occasionally happen,' Goebbels said. 'All during the twelve years of the Weimar Republic our people were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/let-me-explain-how-such-a-thing-might-occasionally-happen-goebbels/) [Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/) > [ Hitler's historical hero had always been Frederick the Great. \[Later\], under Goebbels' prompting ... Napoleon emerged ... as his model. … Frederick the Great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-hanfstaengl/hitler-s-historical-hero-had-always-been-frederick-the-great-later/) [Ernst Hanfstaengl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-hanfstaengl/) > [Hitler used to come to my house once in a while for a cup of coffee, and because I led a normal life, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/hitler-used-to-come-to-my-house-once-in-a-while-for-a-cup-of-coffee/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [But the truth of the matter is, that was fairly, fairly early on in Goebbels' 800 movies that he made in Germany. The majority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/but-the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-was-fairly-fairly-early-on-in/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by Albert Speer > [He was highly annoyed by the series of triumphs by the marvelous colored American runner, Jesse Owens. People whose antecedents came from the jungle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/he-was-highly-annoyed-by-the-series-of-triumphs-by-the-marvelous/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [I would rather not tell you here things which every German has at heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/i-would-rather-not-tell-you-here-things-which-every-german-has-at/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [“Hitler knew nothing about his enemies and even refused to use the information that was available to him. Instead, he trusted his inspirations, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/hitler-knew-nothing-about-his-enemies-and-even-refused-to-use-the/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [One seldom recognizes the devil when he is putting his hand on your shoulder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/one-seldom-recognizes-the-devil-when-he-is-putting-his-hand-on-your/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [Hitler's dictatorship was the first of an industrial estate in this age of modern technology, a dictatorship which employed to perfection the instruments of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/hitler-s-dictatorship-was-the-first-of-an-industrial-estate-in-this/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [“The communications apparatus at headquarters was remarkable...It was possible to communicate directly with all important theaters of the war...They could be directed from Hitler's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/the-communications-apparatus-at-headquarters-was-remarkable-it-was/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [“By no means would I describe Adolph Hitler as sexually normal in his relationships with women. In the case of Eva Braun in particular,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/by-no-means-would-i-describe-adolph-hitler-as-sexually-normal-in-his/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [Cases of sickness made up a very small percentage which in my opinion was normal. However, propaganda pamphlets dropped from aircraft were telling the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/cases-of-sickness-made-up-a-very-small-percentage-which-in-my-opinion/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [All I know is that these two gases both had a quite extraordinary effect, and that there was no respirator, and no protection against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/all-i-know-is-that-these-two-gases-both-had-a-quite-extraordinary/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [Hitler's dictatorship differed in one fundamental point from all its predecessors in history. It was the first dictatorship in the present period of modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/hitler-s-dictatorship-differed-in-one-fundamental-point-from-all-its/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [The Americans had not played a very prominent part in the war of 1914-1918, he (Adolf Hitler) thought, and moreover, had not made any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/the-americans-had-not-played-a-very-prominent-part-in-the-war-of-1914/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [One seldom recognizes the devil when he has his hand on your shoulder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/one-seldom-recognizes-the-devil-when-he-has-his-hand-on-your-shoulder/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [It is certain that concentration camps had a bad reputation with us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/it-is-certain-that-concentration-camps-had-a-bad-reputation-with-us/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [In all my activities as Armament Minister I never once visited a labor camp, and cannot, therefore, give any information about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/in-all-my-activities-as-armament-minister-i-never-once-visited-a/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [“I am writing this as a profession of faith: I believe in a divine providence; I also believe in God's wisdom and goodness; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/i-am-writing-this-as-a-profession-of-faith-i-believe-in-a-divine/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) [Explore all 26 Albert Speer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) ## More Goebbels quotes > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [But the truth of the matter is, that was fairly, fairly early on in Goebbels' 800 movies that he made in Germany. The majority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/but-the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-was-fairly-fairly-early-on-in/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [Hitler used to come to my house once in a while for a cup of coffee, and because I led a normal life, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/hitler-used-to-come-to-my-house-once-in-a-while-for-a-cup-of-coffee/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [ Hitler's historical hero had always been Frederick the Great. \[Later\], under Goebbels' prompting ... Napoleon emerged ... as his model. … Frederick the Great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-hanfstaengl/hitler-s-historical-hero-had-always-been-frederick-the-great-later/) [Ernst Hanfstaengl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-hanfstaengl/) > [“Let me explain how such a thing might occasionally happen,' Goebbels said. 'All during the twelve years of the Weimar Republic our people were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/let-me-explain-how-such-a-thing-might-occasionally-happen-goebbels/) [Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/) > [ Perhaps one cannot, what is more one must not, understand what happened, because to understand \[the Holocaust\] is almost to justify...no normal human being… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/perhaps-one-cannot-what-is-more-one-must-not-understand-what-happened/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“And people would believe it, thought Hartmann, because people believed what they wanted to believe – that was Goebbels’s great insight. They no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/and-people-would-believe-it-thought-hartmann-because-people-believed/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [Though anti-Semitism had been only one of several sources of Nazi voting strength, after 1933 Hitler placed anti-Semitic ideologues, the most important of whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-herf/though-anti-semitism-had-been-only-one-of-several-sources-of-nazi/) Jeffrey Herf > [Hitler and Joseph Goebbels understood that if you say something loud and long enough many people will believe it. A good journalist's first priority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/hitler-and-joseph-goebbels-understood-that-if-you-say-something-loud/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Himmler, Bormann, and Goebbels, they were probably bad fellows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-sauckel/himmler-bormann-and-goebbels-they-were-probably-bad-fellows/) [Fritz Sauckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-sauckel/) > [Advocating through art is known as propaganda. You should look up the name Goebbels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/advocating-through-art-is-known-as-propaganda-you-should-look-up-the/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [“Goebbels famously remarked that “men organize life: women are their support and implement their decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-lower/goebbels-famously-remarked-that-men-organize-life-women-are-their/) [Wendy Lower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-lower/) > [“Everyone seemed to just accept what was happening. The eradication of the individual, the reduction of the people to a faceless gray mass shouting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesper-bugge-kold/everyone-seemed-to-just-accept-what-was-happening-the-eradication-of/) Jesper Bugge Kold > [Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re really in favor of free speech, then you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/goebbels-was-in-favor-of-free-speech-for-views-he-liked-so-was-stalin/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Leni Riefenstahl was the one person Goebbels had no control over in the filmmaking community of Nazi Germany, and they despised each other. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/leni-riefenstahl-was-the-one-person-goebbels-had-no-control-over-in/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) [Browse all 24 Goebbels quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goebbels/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As I see it today, Hitler and Goebbels were in fact molded by the mob itself, guided by its yearnings and its daydreams. 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