--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...For that matter, men are perhaps…" description: "\"“...For that matter, men are perhaps indifferent to power… What fascinates them in this idea, you see, is not real power, it's the illusion of being ab..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/andre-malraux-5211_every-man_for-that-matter-men-are-perhaps-indiffer_3035766.jpg" --- # ...For that matter, men are perhaps indifferent to power…… ![“...For that matter, men are perhaps indifferent to power… What fascinates them in this idea, you see, is not real power, it's the illusion of being able to do exactly as they please. The king's power is the power to govern, isn't it? But man has no urge to govern--he has an urge to compel, as you…” quote by André Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/andre-malraux-5211_every-man_for-that-matter-men-are-perhaps-indiffer_3035766.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/andre-malraux-5211_every-man_for-that-matter-men-are-perhaps-indiffer_3035766.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/andre-malraux-5211_every-man_for-that-matter-men-are-perhaps-indiffer_3035766.jpg) > ““...For that matter, men are perhaps indifferent to power… What fascinates them in this idea, you see, is not real power, it's the illusion of being able to do exactly as they please. The king's power is the power to govern, isn't it? But man has no urge to govern--he has an urge to compel, as you said. To be more than a man, in a world of men. To escape man's fate, I was saying. Not powerful--all-powerful. The visionary disease, of which the will to power is only the intellectual justification, is the will to god-head--every man dreams of being god.”” [André Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage critiques the illusion of power, suggesting true power is governance, while many crave god‑like control. **In simple terms:** Power is often an illusion; true power is governance. Key Takeaway Seek genuine responsibility over illusionary control. Themes philosophy politics human nature Mood analytical critical Type essay philosophical When to use this quote - political discourse - academic essays - leadership training Key Concepts authority illusion governance Questions to Reflect On - What does true power mean to you? - How does the desire for god‑like control affect society? A Different Perspective May be overly abstract for lay readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Every man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-man/) [Govern Urge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/govern-urge-4980004/) [Indifferent Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifferent-power-1509628/) [Power Fascinates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-fascinates-4980003/) [Power Govern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-govern-4980002/) [Power Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-illusion-1652996/) [Real power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-power/) ## Related quotes > [Donald Trump's America can be friend and ally, or at least an indifferent power that concentrates on itself and minds its own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-dugin/donald-trump-s-america-can-be-friend-and-ally-or-at-least-an/) [Aleksandr Dugin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-dugin/) > [Monopoly power is an illusion in any system in which free competition is allowed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pugsley/monopoly-power-is-an-illusion-in-any-system-in-which-free-competition/) [John Pugsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pugsley/) > [“Power could be an illusion of perception. Even within yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/power-could-be-an-illusion-of-perception-even-within-yourself/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [If power was an illusion, wasn't weakness necessarily one also?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/if-power-was-an-illusion-wasn-t-weakness-necessarily-one-also/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“Law not served by power is an illusion; but power not ruled by law is a menace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-allan-collins/law-not-served-by-power-is-an-illusion-but-power-not-ruled-by-law-is/) [Max Allan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-allan-collins/) > [“Power is an illusion of perception.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/power-is-an-illusion-of-perception/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Men have the illusion of power; women have the power of illusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tayo-emmanuel/men-have-the-illusion-of-power-women-have-the-power-of-illusion/) [Tayo Emmanuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tayo-emmanuel/) > [“Power was an illusion of perception, as Jasnah had said. The first step to being in control was to see yourself as capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/power-was-an-illusion-of-perception-as-jasnah-had-said-the-first-step/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Don’t mistake me,” Jasnah continued. “Some kinds of power are real—power to command armies, power to Soulcast. These come into play far less often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/don-t-mistake-me-jasnah-continued-some-kinds-of-power-are-real-power/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“When you have no real power, go public—really public. The public is where the real power is. Those”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/when-you-have-no-real-power-go-public-really-public-the-public-is/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I think fundamentally, the real power behind the anti-choice movement in regard to abortion and the opposition to the rights of LGBT Americans is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-w-lynn/i-think-fundamentally-the-real-power-behind-the-anti-choice-movement/) [Barry W. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-w-lynn/) > [I don't feel that the conductor has real power. The orchestra has the power, and every member of it knows instantaneously if you're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itzhak-perlman/i-don-t-feel-that-the-conductor-has-real-power-the-orchestra-has-the/) [Itzhak Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/itzhak-perlman/) > [Don't you understand anything? Isn't it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/don-t-you-understand-anything-isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Even a moderniser like Alexander II - who emancipated the serfs in 1861 - had no intention of devolving real power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-david/even-a-moderniser-like-alexander-ii-who-emancipated-the-serfs-in-1861/) [Saul David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-david/) > [Progressive Conservative candidates from Quebec want to exert real power in Ottawa, not simply be content with playing a secondary role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-campbell/progressive-conservative-candidates-from-quebec-want-to-exert-real/) [Kim Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-campbell/) ## More by André Malraux > [The mind supplies the idea of a nation, but what gives this idea its sentimental force is a community of dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-mind-supplies-the-idea-of-a-nation-but-what-gives-this-idea-its/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [If we cannot shape our destiny there as no such thing as witchcraft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/if-we-cannot-shape-our-destiny-there-as-no-such-thing-as-witchcraft/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [You can only make art that talks to the masses when you have nothing to say to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/you-can-only-make-art-that-talks-to-the-masses-when-you-have-nothing/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [The great mystery is not that we should have been thrown down here at random between the profusion of matter and that of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-great-mystery-is-not-that-we-should-have-been-thrown-down-here-at/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [“The day may come when, contemplating a world given back to the primeval forst, a human survivor will have no means of even guessing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-day-may-come-when-contemplating-a-world-given-back-to-the/) [André Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [Some pictures are in the gallery because they belong to humanity and others because they belong to the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/some-pictures-are-in-the-gallery-because-they-belong-to-humanity-and/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [The basic problem is that our civilization, which is a civilization of machines, can teach man everything except how to be a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-basic-problem-is-that-our-civilization-which-is-a-civilization-of/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [The artist is not the transcriber of the world, he is its rival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-artist-is-not-the-transcriber-of-the-world-he-is-its-rival/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [Every great masterpiece is a purification of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/every-great-masterpiece-is-a-purification-of-the-world/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [Even the West has known the architecture of empty space, whose object, for thousands of years, has been less to construct divine houses, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/even-the-west-has-known-the-architecture-of-empty-space-whose-object/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [The crucial discovery was made that, in order to become painting, the universe seen by the artist had to become a private one created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-crucial-discovery-was-made-that-in-order-to-become-painting-the/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [Art is a revolt against fate. 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