--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we have power, we'll never give it up…" description: "\"If we have power, we'll never give it up again unless we're carried out of our offices as corpses\" — Joseph Goebbels" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/joseph-goebbels-4054_corpses_if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up_802468.jpg" --- # If we have power, we'll never give it up again unless… ![“If we have power, we'll never give it up again unless we're carried out of our offices as corpses” quote by Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/joseph-goebbels-4054_corpses_if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up_802468.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/joseph-goebbels-4054_corpses_if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up_802468.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/joseph-goebbels-4054_corpses_if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up_802468.jpg) > “If we have power, we'll never give it up again unless we're carried out of our offices as corpses” [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power consolidates and creates a fear of loss, leading to extreme measures to retain it. **In simple terms:** Power makes people cling to it. Key Takeaway Guard against unchecked authority. Themes politics power fear authoritarianism Mood cautious critical Type political historical When to use this quote - government - corporate leadership - activism - revolutionary movements Key Concepts totalitarianism psychology of control Questions to Reflect On - How does fear of losing power affect decision making? - What safeguards can prevent power abuse? A Different Perspective Power can be abused, prompting resistance or collapse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war 2](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-2/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/) ## Related quotes > [It would have been easier to fight alone with inadequate forces than to have to accept...responsibility for our ally's lack of fighting qualities and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-kesselring/it-would-have-been-easier-to-fight-alone-with-inadequate-forces-than/) [Albert Kesselring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-kesselring/) > [This war is not as in the past: whoever occupies a territory also imposes his own social system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/this-war-is-not-as-in-the-past-whoever-occupies-a-territory-also/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [The hand that held the dagger has struck it into the back of its neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-hand-that-held-the-dagger-has-struck-it-into-the-back-of-its/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/sure-we-want-to-go-home-we-want-this-war-over-with-the-quickest-way/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [The Red Army and Navy and the whole Soviet people must fight for every inch of Soviet soil, fight to the last drop of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/the-red-army-and-navy-and-the-whole-soviet-people-must-fight-for/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [The battle of Kursk... the forcing of the Dnieper... and the liberation of Kiev, left Hitlerite Germany facing catastrophe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-chuikov/the-battle-of-kursk-the-forcing-of-the-dnieper-and-the-liberation-of/) Vasily Chuikov > [The Eastern front is like a house of cards. If the front is broken through at one point all the rest will collapse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-guderian/the-eastern-front-is-like-a-house-of-cards-if-the-front-is-broken/) [Heinz Guderian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-guderian/) > [He sees with amazement that our defeats are but the stepping stones to victory and that all his victories are stepping stones to ruin.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/he-sees-with-amazement-that-our-defeats-are-but-the-stepping-stones/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [The gallantry and aggressive fighting spirit of the Russian soldiers command the American army's admiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-marshall/the-gallantry-and-aggressive-fighting-spirit-of-the-russian-soldiers/) [George C. Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-marshall/) > [Three cheers for war, noble and beautiful above all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/three-cheers-for-war-noble-and-beautiful-above-all/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [On the European Front the most important development of the past year has been the crushing offensive of the Great Armies of Russia...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/on-the-european-front-the-most-important-development-of-the-past-year/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Fuehrer, we are on the march! Victorious Italian troops crossed the Greco-Albanian frontier at dawn today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/fuehrer-we-are-on-the-march-victorious-italian-troops-crossed-the/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [They have given their sons to the military services. They have stoked the furnaces and hurried the factory wheels. They have made the planes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/they-have-given-their-sons-to-the-military-services-they-have-stoked/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [No other island received as much preliminary pounding as did Iwo Jima.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-w-nimitz/no-other-island-received-as-much-preliminary-pounding-as-did-iwo-jima/) [Chester W. Nimitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-w-nimitz/) > [Today we are crushed by the sheer weight of the mechanized forces hurled against us, but we can still look to the future in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/today-we-are-crushed-by-the-sheer-weight-of-the-mechanized-forces/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) ## More 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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-you-tell-a-lie-big-enough-and-keep-repeating-it-people-will/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [ \[Hitler thought\] that Mussolini was no figure of world history, like der Fuehrer or Stalin. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/hitler-thought-that-mussolini-was-no-figure-of-world-history-like-der/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [When you stroll through Munich it can happen that you suddenly stand in front of an old house, an idyllically-dreaming church that smiles like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/when-you-stroll-through-munich-it-can-happen-that-you-suddenly-stand/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Intellectual activity is a danger to the building of character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/intellectual-activity-is-a-danger-to-the-building-of-character/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [There was no point in seeking to convert the intellectuals. For intellectuals would never be converted and would anyway always yield to the stronger,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/there-was-no-point-in-seeking-to-convert-the-intellectuals-for/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [If you tell a lie, tell a big one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-you-tell-a-lie-tell-a-big-one/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Our starting point is not the individual: We do not subscribe to the view that one should feed the hungry, give drink to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/our-starting-point-is-not-the-individual-we-do-not-subscribe-to-the/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-you-repeat-a-lie-often-enough-people-will-believe-it-and-you-will/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [A media system wants ostensible diversity that conceals an actual uniformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/a-media-system-wants-ostensible-diversity-that-conceals-an-actual/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Not every item of news should be published. Rather must those who control news policies endeavor to make every item of news serve a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/not-every-item-of-news-should-be-published-rather-must-those-who/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-you-repeat-a-lie-often-enough-it-becomes-the-truth/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [One should not as a rule reveal one's secrets, since one does not know if and when one may need them again. The essential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/one-should-not-as-a-rule-reveal-one-s-secrets-since-one-does-not-know/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [At night I sit in my chamber and read the bible. Far in the distance roars the sea. Then I lie down and think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/at-night-i-sit-in-my-chamber-and-read-the-bible-far-in-the-distance/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [If the German people lay down their arms the whole of Eastern and Southern Europe, together with the Reich, will come under Russian occupation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-the-german-people-lay-down-their-arms-the-whole-of-eastern-and/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/propaganda-works-best-when-those-who-are-being-manipulated-are/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) [Explore all 116 Joseph Goebbels quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) ## More Corpses quotes > [My specialties are corpses, unconscious people and people snoring in spectacular epics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gig-young/my-specialties-are-corpses-unconscious-people-and-people-snoring-in/) Gig Young > [The enemy? His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem. You wonder what his name is, where he came from. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/the-enemy-his-sense-of-duty-was-no-less-than-yours-i-deem-you-wonder/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [ Of course I think it's a movie for everybody \[Insane Farting Corpse\], but that's probably just because it's a movie for me. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/of-course-i-think-it-s-a-movie-for-everybody-insane-farting-corpse/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [If you look at the history of technology gadget makers, hardware makers, it's littered with the corpses of Palm and RIM and companies like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/if-you-look-at-the-history-of-technology-gadget-makers-hardware/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [“The Path Of Least Resistance Is Littered With The Corpses Of The Bored To Death”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/the-path-of-least-resistance-is-littered-with-the-corpses-of-the/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [ René of Anjou \[(1409-80)\] painted a picture of his mistress's corpse as he found it eaten by worms on having it \[her tomb\] openedon… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-walpole/ren-of-anjou-1409-80-painted-a-picture-of-his-mistress-s-corpse-as-he/) [Horace Walpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-walpole/) > [Religion exalts mystery as an unknowable secret that must be sealed in glass like the corpse of an enchanted princess and fearfully worshipped from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lon-milo-duquette/religion-exalts-mystery-as-an-unknowable-secret-that-must-be-sealed/) [Lon Milo DuQuette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lon-milo-duquette/) > [Why exactly are we so frightened of death that we avoid looking at it altogether? Somewhere, deep down, we know we cannot avoid facing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/why-exactly-are-we-so-frightened-of-death-that-we-avoid-looking-at-it/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [The government increasingly resembles somebody who is trying to give the kiss of life to a corpse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/the-government-increasingly-resembles-somebody-who-is-trying-to-give/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [“You and I are victims of the same disease. We're fighting the same war, just different battles in different theaters, and it's way too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/you-and-i-are-victims-of-the-same-disease-we-re-fighting-the-same-war/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [Alas, poor Yorick! How surprised he would be to see how his counterpart of today is whisked off to a funeral parlor and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/alas-poor-yorick-how-surprised-he-would-be-to-see-how-his-counterpart/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [“Yes, and look at the corpses. Place always reminds me of that old thing in Punch, you know—‘Waiter, take away Lord Whatsisname, he’s been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/yes-and-look-at-the-corpses-place-always-reminds-me-of-that-old-thing/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Reread, rewrite, reread, rewrite. If it still doesn't work, throw it away. It's a nice feeling, and you don't want to be cluttered with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/reread-rewrite-reread-rewrite-if-it-still-doesn-t-work-throw-it-away/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [ Reading the script \[Insane Farting Corpse\], by page two or three, I felt that way. I thought, I'm in. It was so beautiful and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/reading-the-script-insane-farting-corpse-by-page-two-or-three-i-felt/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [Photos are profound because they have such short lives. They are more like fingerprints, dead leaves, rain puddles, or the corpses of flies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/photos-are-profound-because-they-have-such-short-lives-they-are-more/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) Browse all 363 Corpses quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we have power, we'll never give it up again unless we're carried out of our offices as corpses", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Goebbels" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up-again-unless-we-re-carried/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Corpses" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up-again-unless-we-re-carried/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/joseph-goebbels-4054_corpses_if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up_802468.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/joseph-goebbels-4054_corpses_if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up_802468.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/joseph-goebbels-4054_corpses_if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up_802468.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we have power, we'll never give it up again unless we're carried out of our offices as corpses” — Joseph Goebbels", "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": "Joseph Goebbels", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we have power, we'll never...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up-again-unless-we-re-carried/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-we-have-power-we-ll-never-give-it-up-again-unless-we-re-carried/#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 } } ] } ```