--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Politics is the choice between the lesser…" description: "\"Politics is the choice between the lesser of two evils.\" — George Orwell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52e/george-orwell-57_choice_politics-is-the-choice-between-the-lesse_2287402.jpg" --- # Politics is the choice between the lesser of two evils. ![“Politics is the choice between the lesser of two evils.” quote by George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52e/george-orwell-57_choice_politics-is-the-choice-between-the-lesse_2287402.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52e/george-orwell-57_choice_politics-is-the-choice-between-the-lesse_2287402.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52e/george-orwell-57_choice_politics-is-the-choice-between-the-lesse_2287402.jpg) > “Politics is the choice between the lesser of two evils.” [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing between two undesirable options is a pragmatic compromise, acknowledging that all political choices involve some moral compromise. **In simple terms:** Politics often forces a choice of the lesser evil. Key Takeaway Accept imperfect options while seeking improvement. Themes politics ethics decision‑making Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical political When to use this quote - voting - policy support - activism Key Concepts utilitarianism realism compromise Questions to Reflect On - What criteria define the “lesser” evil? - Can systemic change reduce the need for compromise? A Different Perspective Idealism may overlook practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Lesser evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesser-evil/) [Lesser of two evils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesser-of-two-evils/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [The lesser of two evils is still evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon/the-lesser-of-two-evils-is-still-evil/) [Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon/) > [Although war is evil, it is occasionally the lesser of two evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mcgeorge-bundy/although-war-is-evil-it-is-occasionally-the-lesser-of-two-evils/) [McGeorge Bundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mcgeorge-bundy/) > [If you choose the lesser of two evils, you are still choosing evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/if-you-choose-the-lesser-of-two-evils-you-are-still-choosing-evil/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [There's a terrible danger in voting for the lesser of two evils because the parties can set it up that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-a-terrible-danger-in-voting-for-the-lesser-of-two-evils/) [Hunter S. 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That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/abortion-is-not-the-lesser-of-two-evils-it-is-a-crime-it-is-to-throw-2/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [If you have difficulties making a decision, choose the lesser of the two evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/if-you-have-difficulties-making-a-decision-choose-the-lesser-of-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Every time we have had a presidential election where there is "White or Black," you always have to choose between the lesser of two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/every-time-we-have-had-a-presidential-election-where-there-is-white/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [I don't consider Hillary Clinton to be the lesser of two evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-don-t-consider-hillary-clinton-to-be-the-lesser-of-two-evils/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Abortion is not the lesser of two evils. It is a crime. It is to throw someone out in order to save another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/abortion-is-not-the-lesser-of-two-evils-it-is-a-crime-it-is-to-throw/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Some rule out of a lust for ruling; others, so as not to be ruled:Mto these it is merely the lesser of two evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/some-rule-out-of-a-lust-for-ruling-others-so-as-not-to-be-ruled-mto/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The lesser of two evils, or the least of the worst, is not good enough for the American people anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/the-lesser-of-two-evils-or-the-least-of-the-worst-is-not-good-enough/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [If you are picking the lesser of two evils, you are still picking Evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/if-you-are-picking-the-lesser-of-two-evils-you-are-still-picking-evil/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [But you don't do it. Because guys like us, Red, we know there's a third choice. An alternative to staying simon-pure or bathing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/but-you-don-t-do-it-because-guys-like-us-red-we-know-there-s-a-third/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The two-party system is a bad joke on the American people; when it comes to Republicans and Democrats remember they are two sides of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-russo/the-two-party-system-is-a-bad-joke-on-the-american-people-when-it/) [Aaron Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-russo/) ## More by George Orwell > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. This was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/it-was-given-out-that-the-animals-there-practised-cannibalism/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“The actual writing would be easy. All he had to do was to transfer to paper the interminable restless monologue that had been running…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-actual-writing-would-be-easy-all-he-had-to-do-was-to-transfer-to/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [He felt as though he were wandering in the forests of the sea bottom, lost in a monstrous world where he himself was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/he-felt-as-though-he-were-wandering-in-the-forests-of-the-sea-bottom/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“if you took 1 Corinthians, chapter thirteen, and in every verse wrote 'money' instead of 'charity', the chapter had ten times as much meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/if-you-took-1-corinthians-chapter-thirteen-and-in-every-verse-wrote/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Happiness can exist only in acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/happiness-can-exist-only-in-acceptance/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-if-all-others-accepted-the-lie-which-the-party-imposed-if-all/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Whitman himself "accepted" a great deal that his contemporaries found unmentionable. 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In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/don-t-you-see-that-the-whole-aim-of-newspeak-is-to-narrow-the-range/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on--that is, badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/windmill-or-no-windmill-he-said-life-would-go-on-as-it-had-always/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/man-is-the-only-creature-that-consumes-without-producing-he-does-not/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [And the bigger the fall, the bigger the joke. It would be better fun to throw a custard pie at a bishop than at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-the-bigger-the-fall-the-bigger-the-joke-it-would-be-better-fun-to/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Any writer or journalist who wants to retain his integrity finds himself thwarted by the general drift of society rather than by active persecution.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/any-writer-or-journalist-who-wants-to-retain-his-integrity-finds/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) [Explore all 1,657 George Orwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! 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Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. 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