1967 Quote by Hannah Arendt
““Somehow it was not the fault of the born adventurers, of those who by their very nature dwelt outside society and outside all political bodies, that they found in imperialism a political game that was endless by definition; they were not supposed to know that in politics an endless game can end only in catastrophe and that political secrecy hardly ever ends in anything nobler than the vulgar duplicity of a spy. The joke on these players of the Great Game was that their employers knew what they wanted and used their passion for anonymity for ordinary spying. But this triumph of the profit-hungry investors was temporary, and they were duly cheated when a few decades later they met the player of the game of totalitarianism, a game played without ulterior motives like profit and therefore played with such murderous efficiency that it devoured even those who financed it.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt, 1951
The quote warns that adventurous, detached individuals can be co-opted into imperialist schemes, which later give way to totalitarian regimes that consume even their own financiers.
In simple terms: Adventurous people can be used by imperialism, later overtaken by totalitarianism.
Key Takeaway
Beware of being used by power structures.
Themes
politics
power
imperialism
totalitarianism
ethics
Mood
cautious
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
political
historical
When to use this quote
- historical analysis
- political activism
- education
- media literacy
Key Concepts
political manipulation
ideological fanaticism
moral responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we prevent idealists from being exploited by oppressive systems?
- What safeguards can stop profit motives from spawning totalitarianism?
A Different Perspective
Totalitarianism can arise from profit‑driven imperialism, but its logic is not inevitable.
