Politics Quote by Joseph Goebbels
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
About This Quote
Massive, repeated falsehoods become accepted when the state shields citizens from the fallout, using repression to silence dissent because truth threatens its control.
In simple terms: State power sustains large lies.
Key Takeaway
Truth endangers authoritarian regimes.
Themes
propaganda
authoritarianism
psychology
media
political strategy
Mood
cynical
grim
Type
political statement
warning
When to use this quote
- totalitarian regimes
- corporate spin‑control
- media manipulation
Key Concepts
lie
truth
state power
repression
Practical Applications
- creating narratives that suppress counter‑information
- leveraging legal mechanisms to silence critics
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms allow a lie to persist despite evidence?
- How does repression reinforce belief in the false narrative?
![“[Hitler thought] that Mussolini was no figure of world history, like der Fuehrer or Stalin.” quote by Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fa3/joseph-goebbels-4054_figures_hitler-thought-that-mussolini-was-no-fig_5180.jpg)
