--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every age fraught with discord and danger…" description: "\"Every age fraught with discord and danger seems to spawn a leader meant only for that age, a political giant whose absence, in retrospect, seems inconc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/dan-simmons-968_absence_every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-dange_2304217.jpg" --- # Every age fraught with discord and danger seems to spawn a… ![“Every age fraught with discord and danger seems to spawn a leader meant only for that age, a political giant whose absence, in retrospect, seems inconceivable when the history of that age is written.” quote by Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/dan-simmons-968_absence_every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-dange_2304217.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/dan-simmons-968_absence_every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-dange_2304217.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/dan-simmons-968_absence_every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-dange_2304217.jpg) > “Every age fraught with discord and danger seems to spawn a leader meant only for that age, a political giant whose absence, in retrospect, seems inconceivable when the history of that age is written.” [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historical crises often produce charismatic leaders whose absence feels unimaginable later. **In simple terms:** Crises create iconic leaders. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of context in leadership. Themes history leadership crisis Mood analytical critical Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - political movements - war times - economic downturns - cultural shifts Key Concepts political theory social dynamics heroic archetype Questions to Reflect On - What qualities make a leader seem essential? - Can societies thrive without a single dominant figure? A Different Perspective Leaders may be over‑glorified, obscuring systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Age Fraught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-fraught-5454263/) [Age Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-political-5454264/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Discord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discord/) [Giants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giants/) [Inconceivable History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inconceivable-history-5454265/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leader Meant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader-meant-728924/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Giant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-giant-521149/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Retrospect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retrospect/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Spawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spawn/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) [Zeitgeist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zeitgeist/) ## Related quotes > [This age is fraught with limitless perils, as well as untold possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/this-age-is-fraught-with-limitless-perils-as-well-as-untold/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [The American political system is a giant bureaucracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-american-political-system-is-a-giant-bureaucracy/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“A true leader is not meant to be greeted with unanimous praise by his people. A leader is meant to be questioned, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-meekins/a-true-leader-is-not-meant-to-be-greeted-with-unanimous-praise-by-his/) [Evan Meekins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-meekins/) > [If you don't find a leader, perhaps it is because you were meant to lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/if-you-don-t-find-a-leader-perhaps-it-is-because-you-were-meant-to/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Being consistent meant not departing from convictions already formulated; being a leader meant making other persons accept these convictions. It was a narrow track,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessamyn-west/being-consistent-meant-not-departing-from-convictions-already/) [Jessamyn West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessamyn-west/) > [I love fashion because it's plugged into the zeitgeist, so it's always changing. Thirty years ago, I could never have predicted I'd be where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/i-love-fashion-because-it-s-plugged-into-the-zeitgeist-so-it-s-always/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [Trigger warnings are an instantiation of the West's zeitgeist of perpetual offense and victimhood that defines much of public discourse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-saad/trigger-warnings-are-an-instantiation-of-the-west-s-zeitgeist-of/) [Gad Saad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-saad/) > [Since I became part of the zeitgeist, I've been called a sellout many times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-wurzelbacher/since-i-became-part-of-the-zeitgeist-i-ve-been-called-a-sellout-many/) [Joe Wurzelbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-wurzelbacher/) > [Sometimes we make assumptions about influence when similarities between two writers' work are so strong, but they're still just assumptions. Some things are sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/sometimes-we-make-assumptions-about-influence-when-similarities/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [We are at a point in the video game industry that the industry is hollowed out. It is out of touch with the zeitgeist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-lasky/we-are-at-a-point-in-the-video-game-industry-that-the-industry-is/) [Mitch Lasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-lasky/) > [We are part of the zeitgeist, and we are communicating in a human, real way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-tambor/we-are-part-of-the-zeitgeist-and-we-are-communicating-in-a-human-real/) [Jeffrey Tambor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-tambor/) > [The zeitgeist is ever-changing. If you try second guess what people want, you'll miss it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-frost/the-zeitgeist-is-ever-changing-if-you-try-second-guess-what-people/) [Nick Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-frost/) > [There's no geist like the Zeitgeist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hughes/there-s-no-geist-like-the-zeitgeist/) [Robert Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hughes/) > [I'm not exactly the zeitgeist queen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jincy-willett/i-m-not-exactly-the-zeitgeist-queen/) [Jincy Willett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jincy-willett/) > [I have a little antennae, and even when I'm trying not to be, I'm connected with the bloody zeitgeist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/i-have-a-little-antennae-and-even-when-i-m-trying-not-to-be-i-m/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) ## More by Dan Simmons > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“The Song of Kali is with us. It has been with us for a very long time. Its chorus grows and grows and grows.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/the-song-of-kali-is-with-us-it-has-been-with-us-for-a-very-long-time/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In the end, thought Sol, past logic and hope, it is dreams and the love of those dearest to us that form Abraham’s answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/in-the-end-thought-sol-past-logic-and-hope-it-is-dreams-and-the-love/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“After seven centuries of existence and at least four centuries where few citizens existed without it, the datasphere – including the All Thing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/after-seven-centuries-of-existence-and-at-least-four-centuries-where/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Context is to data what water is to a dolphin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/context-is-to-data-what-water-is-to-a-dolphin/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Pain is an interesting and off-putting thing. Few if any things in life concentrate our attention so completely and terribly, and few things are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/pain-is-an-interesting-and-off-putting-thing-few-if-any-things-in/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Luckily, even as a young man not yet become himself, John Bridgens had two things besides indecision that kept him from self-destruction - books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/luckily-even-as-a-young-man-not-yet-become-himself-john-bridgens-had/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“To be a poet, I realized, a true poet, was to become the Avatar of humanity incarnate; to accept the mantle of poet is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/to-be-a-poet-i-realized-a-true-poet-was-to-become-the-avatar-of/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Those who ignore history's lessons in the ultimate folly of war are forced to do more than relive them ... they may be forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/those-who-ignore-history-s-lessons-in-the-ultimate-folly-of-war-are/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“The day before the Queen's Ball, Father had a visitor--a very young girl with literary aspirations, someone Lord Lytton had recommended visit Father and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/the-day-before-the-queen-s-ball-father-had-a-visitor-a-very-young/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [You've probably heard about the theory of steam-engine time - that even after the steam engine had been invented, it had to wait until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/you-ve-probably-heard-about-the-theory-of-steam-engine-time-that-even/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER MISUSE OF THIS CHANNEL. YOU ARE DISTURBING OTHERS WHO ARE USING IT TO SERIOUS PURPOSE. ACCESS WILL BE RESTORED…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/there-will-be-no-further-misuse-of-this-channel-you-are-disturbing/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“I know the fucking Bible, and there ain't no fucking Book of Leviathan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/i-know-the-fucking-bible-and-there-ain-t-no-fucking-book-of-leviathan/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [I loved you backward and forward in time. I loved you beyond boundaries of time and space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/i-loved-you-backward-and-forward-in-time-i-loved-you-beyond/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [ “Men who read a lot have a more sensitive disposition, added Fowler. \[...\] I did not know what to say to this. Maybe reading… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/men-who-read-a-lot-have-a-more-sensitive-disposition-added-fowler-i/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) [Explore all 307 Dan Simmons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) ## More Absence quotes > [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-dusenberry/the-work-the-work-the-work-this-is-what-the-business-is-all-about/) [Phil Dusenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-dusenberry/) > [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. A totally depraved man is not as bad as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/total-depravity-means-the-entire-absence-of-holiness-not-the-highest/) [William Greenough Thayer Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/) > [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“I was thinking how most people don't make you feel much of anything at all. Don't make you feel like time spent with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lotter/i-was-thinking-how-most-people-don-t-make-you-feel-much-of-anything/) [Jane Lotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lotter/) > [Cooperation isn't the absence of conflict but a means of managing conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/cooperation-isn-t-the-absence-of-conflict-but-a-means-of-managing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandalism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn't enough. The absence of noise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/many-are-observing-ferguson-and-witnessing-the-anger-demonstrations/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [We must begin by acknowledging that there is a complete absence of two things in Indian Society. One of these is equality. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/we-must-begin-by-acknowledging-that-there-is-a-complete-absence-of/) [B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every age fraught with discord and danger seems to spawn a leader meant only for that age, a political giant whose absence, in retrospect, seems inconceivable when the history of that age is written.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan Simmons" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-danger-seems-to-spawn-a-leader/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-danger-seems-to-spawn-a-leader/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/dan-simmons-968_absence_every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-dange_2304217.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/dan-simmons-968_absence_every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-dange_2304217.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/dan-simmons-968_absence_every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-dange_2304217.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every age fraught with discord and danger seems to spawn a leader meant only for that age, a political giant…” — Dan Simmons", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dan Simmons", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every age fraught with discord and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-danger-seems-to-spawn-a-leader/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/every-age-fraught-with-discord-and-danger-seems-to-spawn-a-leader/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```