--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No reform ever came from the bottom, and…" description: "\"No reform ever came from the bottom, and it was always people who understood how the ruling class worked who turned out to be the reformers.\" — Gore Vidal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/gore-vidal-466_bottom_no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and_864221.jpg" --- # No reform ever came from the bottom, and it was always… ![“No reform ever came from the bottom, and it was always people who understood how the ruling class worked who turned out to be the reformers.” quote by Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/gore-vidal-466_bottom_no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and_864221.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/gore-vidal-466_bottom_no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and_864221.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/gore-vidal-466_bottom_no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and_864221.jpg) > “No reform ever came from the bottom, and it was always people who understood how the ruling class worked who turned out to be the reformers.” [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reform originates from those who understand power structures, not from grassroots alone **In simple terms:** Understanding power drives change Key Takeaway Study systems to become effective reformer Themes politics power reform Mood critical analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - activism - policy making - organizational change Key Concepts elite theory social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Who truly holds influence in your field? - How can grassroots movements gain insider knowledge? A Different Perspective Reforms can be co-opted by existing elites ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bottom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-understood-252582/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) [Reform Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform-came-885307/) [Reformers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reformers/) [Ruling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruling/) [Ruling class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruling-class/) [Turned Reformers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned-reformers-885306/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) ## Related quotes > [You know, I've been around the ruling class all my life, and I've been quite aware of their total contempt for the people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/you-know-i-ve-been-around-the-ruling-class-all-my-life-and-i-ve-been/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from ever questioning the inequity of a system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-genius-of-our-ruling-class-is-that-it-has-kept-a-majority-of-the/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [How to get people to vote against their interests and to really think against their interests is very clever. It's the cleverest ruling class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/how-to-get-people-to-vote-against-their-interests-and-to-really-think/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [As Brooks Adams put it, the sole problem of our ruling class is whether to coerce or to bribe the powerless majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/as-brooks-adams-put-it-the-sole-problem-of-our-ruling-class-is/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [That's all very well as an abstract moral principle, Avril, a coffee-table theoretical construct, but there's no denying the sheer gratuitous pleasure to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/that-s-all-very-well-as-an-abstract-moral-principle-avril-a-coffee/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [The Republican establishment, the Democrat establishment agree and accept that the media is an equal player in the ruling class. Trump has blown all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-republican-establishment-the-democrat-establishment-agree-and/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Our democracies are increasingly captured by a ruling class that seeks to perpetuate its privileges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/our-democracies-are-increasingly-captured-by-a-ruling-class-that/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [Because you look at it, you know, and there's basically one set of rules that protect that industrial ruling class. That's what the governments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/because-you-look-at-it-you-know-and-there-s-basically-one-set-of/) [John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/) > [But in view of the constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marshall-harlan/but-in-view-of-the-constitution-in-the-eye-of-the-law-there-is-in/) [John Marshall Harlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marshall-harlan/) > [The ruling class doesn't care about public safety. Having made it very difficult for States and localities to police themselves, having left ordinary citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-wallop/the-ruling-class-doesn-t-care-about-public-safety-having-made-it-very/) [Malcolm Wallop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-wallop/) > [Chuck Schumer is the face of the ruling class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-long/chuck-schumer-is-the-face-of-the-ruling-class/) [Wendy Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-long/) > [I am running to fix the economy, restore the constitutional system of checks and balances and to end this game of crony capitalism by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-brat/i-am-running-to-fix-the-economy-restore-the-constitutional-system-of/) [Dave Brat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-brat/) > [David Rockefeller is the most conspicuous representative today of the ruling class, a multinational fraternity of men who shape the global economy and manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/david-rockefeller-is-the-most-conspicuous-representative-today-of-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/) [Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/) ## More by Gore Vidal > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Many people in the United States happen to believe that United States policy is wrong in Vietnam and the Vietcong are correct in wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/many-people-in-the-united-states-happen-to-believe-that-united-states/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“It is curious how little interested we are in the sexual desires of those who do not attract us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-little-interested-we-are-in-the-sexual-desires-of/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/style-is-knowing-who-you-are-what-you-want-to-say-and-not-giving-a/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The oligarchs think that the people are both dangerous and stupid. Their point is moot. But we do know that the oligarchs are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-oligarchs-think-that-the-people-are-both-dangerous-and-stupid/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [It is curious how often one prefers his enemies to his friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-often-one-prefers-his-enemies-to-his-friends/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/as-societies-grow-decadent-the-language-grows-decadent-too-words-are/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Rome ... at its most decadent, had never thought of hiring an actor to go through the motions of being an emperor while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/rome-at-its-most-decadent-had-never-thought-of-hiring-an-actor-to-go/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [History is nothing but gossip about the past, with the hope that it might be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/history-is-nothing-but-gossip-about-the-past-with-the-hope-that-it/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. The good artist, like the wise man, addresses himself to life and invests with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-malady-of-civilized-man-is-his-knowledge-of-death-the-good-artist/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Sex is a continuum. You go through different phases along life's way... and if you don't, you've been sort of cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/sex-is-a-continuum-you-go-through-different-phases-along-life-s-way/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [All I want is that Americans still be able to read the alphabet in a hundred years. I am not very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/all-i-want-is-that-americans-still-be-able-to-read-the-alphabet-in-a/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I do not admire 'the people,' as such. No one really does. Their folk wisdom is usually false, their instincts predatory. Even their sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/i-do-not-admire-the-people-as-such-no-one-really-does-their-folk/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“One of the problems of a society as tightly controlled as ours is that we get so little information about what those of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/one-of-the-problems-of-a-society-as-tightly-controlled-as-ours-is/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) [Explore all 539 Gore Vidal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) ## More Bottom quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I plead with my Moonlight fans to give this show a chance if they let me give it a chance. I can’t do Moonlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-o-loughlin/i-plead-with-my-moonlight-fans-to-give-this-show-a-chance-if-they-let/) [Alex O'Loughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-o-loughlin/) > [Well, the bottom line is that I'm extremely pleased with 'The Stupids.' I'm pleased that it's coming out, and it should look good. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/well-the-bottom-line-is-that-i-m-extremely-pleased-with-the-stupids-i/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/search-for-the-seed-of-good-in-every-adversity-master-that-principle/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I hit bottom, I can attack the problem and get to where I want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/when-i-hit-bottom-i-can-attack-the-problem-and-get-to-where-i-want-to/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [If I had lost the popular vote but won the electoral college and in my first day as president the intelligence community came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-i-had-lost-the-popular-vote-but-won-the-electoral-college-and-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The bottom line, in the professional level, no matter where you go, there's going to be competition. That's what it is. At the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/the-bottom-line-in-the-professional-level-no-matter-where-you-go/) [Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/) > [Life is a climb and it's a struggle getting to the top but the drop to the bottom can be quick and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/life-is-a-climb-and-it-s-a-struggle-getting-to-the-top-but-the-drop/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/one-thing-you-learned-as-a-cubs-fan-when-you-bought-you-ticket-you/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) > [The political satirist usually votes against their own interests, but the bottom line is that it doesn't really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-winstead/the-political-satirist-usually-votes-against-their-own-interests-but/) [Lizz Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-winstead/) [Browse all 2,558 Bottom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No reform ever came from the bottom, and it was always people who understood how the ruling class worked who turned out to be the reformers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gore Vidal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and-it-was-always-people-who/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bottom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and-it-was-always-people-who/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/gore-vidal-466_bottom_no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and_864221.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/gore-vidal-466_bottom_no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and_864221.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/gore-vidal-466_bottom_no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and_864221.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No reform ever came from the bottom, and it was always people who understood how the ruling class worked who…” — Gore Vidal", "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": "Gore Vidal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No reform ever came from the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and-it-was-always-people-who/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/no-reform-ever-came-from-the-bottom-and-it-was-always-people-who/#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 } } ] } ```