--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Demagogues and psychopaths dominated the…" description: "\"“Demagogues and psychopaths dominated the political scene, and prejudice and intolerance were poisoning everything,”\" — David Lagercrantz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/david-lagercrantz-23607_demagogues_demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the_164814.jpg" --- # Demagogues and psychopaths dominated the political scene… ![“Demagogues and psychopaths dominated the political scene, and prejudice and intolerance were poisoning everything,” quote by David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/david-lagercrantz-23607_demagogues_demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the_164814.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/david-lagercrantz-23607_demagogues_demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the_164814.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/david-lagercrantz-23607_demagogues_demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the_164814.jpg) > ““Demagogues and psychopaths dominated the political scene, and prejudice and intolerance were poisoning everything,”” [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Demagogues and psychopaths dominate politics, spreading prejudice and intolerance that corrupt society. **In simple terms:** Bad leaders spread hate and damage society. Key Takeaway Guard against manipulative leaders. Themes politics ethics prejudice Mood concerned critical Type warning analytical When to use this quote - elections - media coverage - community meetings - policy debates Key Concepts authoritarianism psychopathy social decay Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens identify manipulative rhetoric? - What safeguards protect democratic discourse? A Different Perspective Not all political movements are purely ideological; some are driven by personal pathology. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Demagogues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demagogues/) [Demagogues Psychopaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demagogues-psychopaths-1798768/) [Intolerance Poisoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerance-poisoning-1798770/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Psychopaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychopaths/) [Psychopaths Dominated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychopaths-dominated-1798769/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [The idea that democracies could be vulnerable to demagogues is not a new notion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kristol/the-idea-that-democracies-could-be-vulnerable-to-demagogues-is-not-a/) [Bill Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kristol/) > [Demagogues and agitators are very unpleasant, they are incidental to a free and constitutional country, and you must put up with these inconveniences or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/demagogues-and-agitators-are-very-unpleasant-they-are-incidental-to-a/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Demagogues are so easy to identify. They gesture a lot and speak with pulpit rhythms, using words that ring of religious fervour and god-fearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/demagogues-are-so-easy-to-identify-they-gesture-a-lot-and-speak-with/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Syllogisms а la mode - If you are against labor racketeers, then you are against the working man. If you are against demagogues, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/syllogisms-la-mode-if-you-are-against-labor-racketeers-then-you-are/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Down with politics and the art of the possible; up with pronouncements and the allure of the prophetic: It's the way of demagogues everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/down-with-politics-and-the-art-of-the-possible-up-with-pronouncements/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [It's political Daddyism and it's as old as demagogues and despotism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/it-s-political-daddyism-and-it-s-as-old-as-demagogues-and-despotism/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [What faith has not been used by demagogues as a club over somebody's head?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/what-faith-has-not-been-used-by-demagogues-as-a-club-over-somebody-s/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Demagogues always do well in economic downturns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/demagogues-always-do-well-in-economic-downturns/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [We have demagogues on all sides of the political spectrum. It's not helpful. It's destructive. It's harmful. So, I don't like demagoguery whether it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/we-have-demagogues-on-all-sides-of-the-political-spectrum-it-s-not/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [“Demagogues thrive in dim light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/demagogues-thrive-in-dim-light/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [We cannot be wise while in the grip of a deep fear. ... This is why demagogues, when seeking our support, will first cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gulley/we-cannot-be-wise-while-in-the-grip-of-a-deep-fear-this-is-why/) [Philip Gulley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gulley/) > [Paralysis in decision-making breeds frustration and contempt from the electorate, and provides the perfect seedbed for demagogues who fill the vacuum with populist simplicities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/paralysis-in-decision-making-breeds-frustration-and-contempt-from-the/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [“Like so many demagogues before him, Trump encouraged a zero-sum view of life where if someone else is gaining, you must be losing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/like-so-many-demagogues-before-him-trump-encouraged-a-zero-sum-view/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [ “You \[demagogues\] are like the fishers for eels; in still waters they catch nothing, but if they thoroughly stir up the slime, their fishing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/you-demagogues-are-like-the-fishers-for-eels-in-still-waters-they/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [In every age the vilest specimens of human nature are to be found among demagogues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/in-every-age-the-vilest-specimens-of-human-nature-are-to-be-found/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) ## More by David Lagercrantz > [“When the noise died down, she could lose herself in mathematics—in attempts to combine quantum mechanics with the theory of relativity—and forget the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/when-the-noise-died-down-she-could-lose-herself-in-mathematics-in/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“Hilda observed that science always loses its way when guided by ideology or wishful thinking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/hilda-observed-that-science-always-loses-its-way-when-guided-by/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“first you find out the truth. then you take revenge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/first-you-find-out-the-truth-then-you-take-revenge/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“Who knows, perhaps the will to please leads people to crime as often as evil or greed does. People want to fit in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/who-knows-perhaps-the-will-to-please-leads-people-to-crime-as-often/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“One could inflict abuses on ethnic and other minorities in the name of science and for the good of society and get away with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/one-could-inflict-abuses-on-ethnic-and-other-minorities-in-the-name/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“He was little more than a hammer with which to beat people over the head, an instrument for”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/he-was-little-more-than-a-hammer-with-which-to-beat-people-over-the/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“He was always saying: “Don’t get ideas above your station. Don’t think you’re anything special.” When the boys in their high spirits declared that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/he-was-always-saying-don-t-get-ideas-above-your-station-don-t-think/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“Given his age, Jan Bublanski was afraid of many things. But perhaps he feared the absence of doubt most of all. He was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/given-his-age-jan-bublanski-was-afraid-of-many-things-but-perhaps-he/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“Life often looks its best from a distance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/life-often-looks-its-best-from-a-distance/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“latest contribution to Dagens Industri’s webcast, on the rise of market prices during the month of May, he said: “The stock exchange is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/latest-contribution-to-dagens-industri-s-webcast-on-the-rise-of/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“the financial market is not something that exists like you or I, Karin, or this bottle of water on the table. The moment we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/the-financial-market-is-not-something-that-exists-like-you-or-i-karin/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“The last time we saw each other, we talked about that statue over there,” she said. “He wanted to know why I was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/the-last-time-we-saw-each-other-we-talked-about-that-statue-over/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“Surely the great thing about life is that every now and then it springs a surprise on us,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/surely-the-great-thing-about-life-is-that-every-now-and-then-it/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“perhaps the will to please leads people to crime as often as evil or greed does. People want to fit in and do well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/perhaps-the-will-to-please-leads-people-to-crime-as-often-as-evil-or/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) > [“Kim Peek, for example, who was the basis for Rain Man, was severely mentally handicapped and could not get dressed by himself. Yet he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/kim-peek-for-example-who-was-the-basis-for-rain-man-was-severely/) [David Lagercrantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) [Explore all 23 David Lagercrantz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/) ## More Demagogues quotes > [The idea that democracies could be vulnerable to demagogues is not a new notion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kristol/the-idea-that-democracies-could-be-vulnerable-to-demagogues-is-not-a/) [Bill Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kristol/) > [ “You \[demagogues\] are like the fishers for eels; in still waters they catch nothing, but if they thoroughly stir up the slime, their fishing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/you-demagogues-are-like-the-fishers-for-eels-in-still-waters-they/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“Like so many demagogues before him, Trump encouraged a zero-sum view of life where if someone else is gaining, you must be losing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/like-so-many-demagogues-before-him-trump-encouraged-a-zero-sum-view/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [Paralysis in decision-making breeds frustration and contempt from the electorate, and provides the perfect seedbed for demagogues who fill the vacuum with populist simplicities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/paralysis-in-decision-making-breeds-frustration-and-contempt-from-the/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [We cannot be wise while in the grip of a deep fear. ... This is why demagogues, when seeking our support, will first cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gulley/we-cannot-be-wise-while-in-the-grip-of-a-deep-fear-this-is-why/) [Philip Gulley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gulley/) > [“Demagogues thrive in dim light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/demagogues-thrive-in-dim-light/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [We have demagogues on all sides of the political spectrum. It's not helpful. It's destructive. It's harmful. So, I don't like demagoguery whether it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/we-have-demagogues-on-all-sides-of-the-political-spectrum-it-s-not/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [Demagogues always do well in economic downturns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/demagogues-always-do-well-in-economic-downturns/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [What faith has not been used by demagogues as a club over somebody's head?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/what-faith-has-not-been-used-by-demagogues-as-a-club-over-somebody-s/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [It's political Daddyism and it's as old as demagogues and despotism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/it-s-political-daddyism-and-it-s-as-old-as-demagogues-and-despotism/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [Down with politics and the art of the possible; up with pronouncements and the allure of the prophetic: It's the way of demagogues everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/down-with-politics-and-the-art-of-the-possible-up-with-pronouncements/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Syllogisms а la mode - If you are against labor racketeers, then you are against the working man. If you are against demagogues, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/syllogisms-la-mode-if-you-are-against-labor-racketeers-then-you-are/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Demagogues are so easy to identify. They gesture a lot and speak with pulpit rhythms, using words that ring of religious fervour and god-fearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/demagogues-are-so-easy-to-identify-they-gesture-a-lot-and-speak-with/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Demagogues and agitators are very unpleasant, they are incidental to a free and constitutional country, and you must put up with these inconveniences or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/demagogues-and-agitators-are-very-unpleasant-they-are-incidental-to-a/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [In every age the vilest specimens of human nature are to be found among demagogues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/in-every-age-the-vilest-specimens-of-human-nature-are-to-be-found/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) [Browse all 30 Demagogues quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demagogues/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Demagogues and psychopaths dominated the political scene, and prejudice and intolerance were poisoning everything,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Lagercrantz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the-political-scene-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Demagogues" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the-political-scene-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/david-lagercrantz-23607_demagogues_demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the_164814.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/david-lagercrantz-23607_demagogues_demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the_164814.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/david-lagercrantz-23607_demagogues_demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the_164814.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Demagogues and psychopaths dominated the political scene, and prejudice and intolerance were poisoning…” — David Lagercrantz", "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": "David Lagercrantz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lagercrantz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Demagogues and psychopaths dominated the political...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the-political-scene-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lagercrantz/demagogues-and-psychopaths-dominated-the-political-scene-and/#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 } } ] } ```