--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only when God was said to have died did…" description: "\"Only when God was said to have died did various leaders, professions and sectors risk pushing themselves forward as successors.\" — John Ralston Saul" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/john-ralston-saul-3128_died_only-when-god-was-said-to-have-died-did_2505719.jpg" --- # Only when God was said to have died did various leaders… ![“Only when God was said to have died did various leaders, professions and sectors risk pushing themselves forward as successors.” quote by John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/john-ralston-saul-3128_died_only-when-god-was-said-to-have-died-did_2505719.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/john-ralston-saul-3128_died_only-when-god-was-said-to-have-died-did_2505719.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/john-ralston-saul-3128_died_only-when-god-was-said-to-have-died-did_2505719.jpg) > “Only when God was said to have died did various leaders, professions and sectors risk pushing themselves forward as successors.” [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When society loses its moral anchor, various leaders attempt to fill the void, often risking ethical compromise. **In simple terms:** Leaders step in when moral certainty fades. Key Takeaway Question authority and seek ethical foundations. Themes leadership morality succession risk Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political transitions - organizational change - personal decision making Key Concepts philosophy political theory ethics Questions to Reflect On - What ethical standards should guide new leaders? - How do societies protect against opportunistic succession? A Different Perspective Succession can lead to power struggles and moral ambiguity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/died/) [Forward Successors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forward-successors-1107257/) [God Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-said/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Pushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pushing/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Said Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-died-405465/) [Successors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successors/) [Various](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/various/) [Various Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/various-leaders-1107256/) ## Related quotes > [“Certainly there were obvious differences in policies between the various leaders, and an America run by a Bush, an Obama or a Clinton would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morcan/certainly-there-were-obvious-differences-in-policies-between-the/) [James Morcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morcan/) > [If you look back through history, you'll see that God, in any form - Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed - has always wanted prosperity for everyone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-zane-pilzer/if-you-look-back-through-history-you-ll-see-that-god-in-any-form/) [Paul Zane Pilzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-zane-pilzer/) > [“I only knew the schoolbooks said he "died in the wilderness, of a broken heart." 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They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Some people don't like the 'comeback' because that suggests they went somewhere, which they didn't. That isn't what I mean. In my mind, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/some-people-don-t-like-the-comeback-because-that-suggests-they-went/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [In the humanist ideal, the mainstream is where interesting debate, the generating of new ideas and creativity take place. 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They claim to be conservatives, when everything they stand for is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/the-neo-conservatives-who-are-closely-linked-to-the-neo-corporatists/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Armaments; extremely useful for fighting wars, a deadweight in any civil economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/armaments-extremely-useful-for-fighting-wars-a-deadweight-in-any/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [In the European tradition, rivers are seen as divisions between peoples. But in the Aboriginal tradition, rivers are seen as the glue, the highway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/in-the-european-tradition-rivers-are-seen-as-divisions-between/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [“Basic technical training is, of course, useful. But to treat it as anything more than that is to lock students into technology that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/basic-technical-training-is-of-course-useful-but-to-treat-it-as/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Bankers - pillars of society who are going to hell if there is a God and He has been accurately quoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/bankers-pillars-of-society-who-are-going-to-hell-if-there-is-a-god/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [If allowed to run free of the social system, capitalism will attempt to corrupt and undermine democracy, which is after all not a natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/if-allowed-to-run-free-of-the-social-system-capitalism-will-attempt/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [For about 125 years, give or take, the Canadian government has acted extremely badly - even in a way which should be called evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/for-about-125-years-give-or-take-the-canadian-government-has-acted/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Ten geographers who think the world is flat will tend to reinforce each other's errors ... Only a sailor can set them straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/ten-geographers-who-think-the-world-is-flat-will-tend-to-reinforce/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) [Explore all 139 John Ralston Saul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## More Died quotes > [Historically, more people have died of religion than cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/historically-more-people-have-died-of-religion-than-cancer/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. Everything was in its place -- the tree, the earth underneath, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/this-at-last-was-where-things-were-as-they-ought-to-be-everything-was/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [If I had to choose a song to listen to before I died, it would be Simone singing Começar de novo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-bittencourt-de-oliveira/if-i-had-to-choose-a-song-to-listen-to-before-i-died-it-would-be/) [Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-bittencourt-de-oliveira/) > [“Rather than see me or have me touch it again, it died.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/rather-than-see-me-or-have-me-touch-it-again-it-died/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [My gramps died 4 years ago from a heart attack .. I came in late at the hospital because I was buying dope.. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yankit/my-gramps-died-4-years-ago-from-a-heart-attack-i-came-in-late-at-the/) [Yankit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yankit/) > [I realized my father's sister Joanne, who died at 19 had instilled her spirit in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-realized-my-father-s-sister-joanne-who-died-at-19-had-instilled-her/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [At home we didnt talk about religion. So gradually the question faded away by itself and disappeared from the agenda. 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