Accomplish Quote by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
“Public opinion contains all kinds of falsity and truth, but it takes a great man to find the truth in it. The great man of the age is the one who can put into words the will of his age, tell his age what its will is, and accomplish it. What he does is the heart and the essence of his age, he actualizes his age. The man who lacks sense enough to despise public opinion expressed in gossip will never do anything great.”
About This Quote
Source Philosophy: Phenomenology of Spirit, 1807
Great men discern truth in public opinion and articulate their era’s will.
In simple terms: Leaders find truth in public discourse.
Key Takeaway
Seek truth beyond gossip.
Themes
leadership
truth
public opinion
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- politics
- media analysis
- social movements
- civic engagement
Key Concepts
philosophy
historical agency
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we differentiate truth from rumor?
- What responsibilities do leaders have?
A Different Perspective
Public opinion can be misleading.
![“It has been said that the French revolution resulted from philosophy, and it is not without reason that philosophy has been called Weltweisheit [world wisdom]; for it is not only truth in and for itself, as the pure essence of things, but also truth in its living form as exhibited in the affairs…” quote by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/906/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel_french-revolution_it-has-been-said-that-the-french-revolut_297624.jpg)
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