--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those in power don't need more power…" description: "\"“Those in power don't need more power. They need criticism. They need a mirror.”\" — historian Zeev Sternhell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/historian-zeev-sternhell-24268_power_those-in-power-don-t-need-more-power-the_1162057.jpg" --- # Those in power don't need more power. They need criticism… ![“Those in power don't need more power. They need criticism. They need a mirror.” quote by historian Zeev Sternhell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/historian-zeev-sternhell-24268_power_those-in-power-don-t-need-more-power-the_1162057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/historian-zeev-sternhell-24268_power_those-in-power-don-t-need-more-power-the_1162057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/historian-zeev-sternhell-24268_power_those-in-power-don-t-need-more-power-the_1162057.jpg) > ““Those in power don't need more power. They need criticism. They need a mirror.”” historian Zeev Sternhell ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power seeks critique and reflection, not more authority. **In simple terms:** Power needs criticism. Key Takeaway Seek honest feedback. Themes power criticism self‑reflection accountability Mood critical thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - leadership training - government oversight - media analysis - personal growth Key Concepts political theory psychology of authority Questions to Reflect On - Who can you hold a mirror to? - How do you respond to critique? A Different Perspective Criticism can be ignored by the powerful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [There is rampant among us a spirit of criticism. Men and women who carry heavy responsibility do not need criticism, they need encouragement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/there-is-rampant-among-us-a-spirit-of-criticism-men-and-women-who/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [Children of color need a mirror to see themselves in. And then people who don't have that experience, they need a window. They need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/children-of-color-need-a-mirror-to-see-themselves-in-and-then-people/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [I only need a mirror to see a sinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/i-only-need-a-mirror-to-see-a-sinner/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [The one who has a good friend doesn't need any mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/the-one-who-has-a-good-friend-doesn-t-need-any-mirror/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Learn to control ego. Humans hold their dogmas and biases too tightly, and we only think that our opponents are dogmatic! But we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/learn-to-control-ego-humans-hold-their-dogmas-and-biases-too-tightly/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [I believe in myself, and that's why I take criticism. You need to be very strong to survive in Bollywood. If someone calls me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esha-gupta/i-believe-in-myself-and-that-s-why-i-take-criticism-you-need-to-be/) [Esha Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esha-gupta/) > [It feels like the more I'm out there in the public eye, the more criticism I get. You need to have confidence - that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-stefani/it-feels-like-the-more-i-m-out-there-in-the-public-eye-the-more/) [Gwen Stefani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-stefani/) > [Criticism will need an injection of humility that is, a recognition of its role as ancillary to the arts, needed only occasionally in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/criticism-will-need-an-injection-of-humility-that-is-a-recognition-of/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [People who avoid all criticism fail. It's destructive criticism we need to avoid, not criticism in all forms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/people-who-avoid-all-criticism-fail-it-s-destructive-criticism-we/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [For our improvement we need a mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/for-our-improvement-we-need-a-mirror/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [I don't need a mirror to see that it's true, cause I'm ugly with a capital U.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-hatfield/i-don-t-need-a-mirror-to-see-that-it-s-true-cause-i-m-ugly-with-a/) [Juliana Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-hatfield/) > [“You don't need me. What you really need is a mirror. Because any stranger is for you simply a mirror in which to reflect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobo-abe/you-don-t-need-me-what-you-really-need-is-a-mirror-because-any/) [Kōbō Abe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobo-abe/) > [You are beautiful... when you don't need a mirror to tell you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/you-are-beautiful-when-you-don-t-need-a-mirror-to-tell-you/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [If we cannot be ourselves, there is no need for a mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-cannot-be-ourselves-there-is-no-need-for-a-mirror/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The mirror is the tool of the one who wants to do a self-portrait. And if you want to make a photo you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/the-mirror-is-the-tool-of-the-one-who-wants-to-do-a-self-portrait-and/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) ## More Criticism quotes > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [I'm more comfortable modelling as a man because I don't get any criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/i-m-more-comfortable-modelling-as-a-man-because-i-don-t-get-any/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I don't mind positive criticism, but when it is negative and personal, it is quite hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/i-don-t-mind-positive-criticism-but-when-it-is-negative-and-personal/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Everything is allowable in literature, but what is not allowable in criticism is objection on the grounds of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/everything-is-allowable-in-literature-but-what-is-not-allowable-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [Lots of relationships fail because we spend more time pointing out each other's mistakes and not enough time enjoying each other's company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lots-of-relationships-fail-because-we-spend-more-time-pointing-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [People believe that criticism should be objective, whatever that means, but I really don't understand what people mean by that. I guess if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/people-believe-that-criticism-should-be-objective-whatever-that-means/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [I welcome criticism. I come from a - I wouldn't say mean, but you've got to have tough skin to be in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saweetie/i-welcome-criticism-i-come-from-a-i-wouldn-t-say-mean-but-you-ve-got/) [Saweetie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saweetie/) > [The good author is he who contemplates without marked joy or excessive sorrow the adventures of his soul amongst criticisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-good-author-is-he-who-contemplates-without-marked-joy-or/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) [Browse all 3,954 Criticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Those in power don't need more power. They need criticism. 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