--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In every revolution, there are winners…" description: "\"In every revolution, there are winners and losers. Every dystopia is a utopia for somebody else. It just depends where you are. Are you in the class th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/ken-liu-4222_dystopia_in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-an_2740885.jpg" --- # In every revolution, there are winners and losers. Every… ![“In every revolution, there are winners and losers. Every dystopia is a utopia for somebody else. It just depends where you are. Are you in the class that benefits, or are you in the class that's not?” quote by Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/ken-liu-4222_dystopia_in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-an_2740885.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/ken-liu-4222_dystopia_in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-an_2740885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/ken-liu-4222_dystopia_in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-an_2740885.jpg) > “In every revolution, there are winners and losers. Every dystopia is a utopia for somebody else. It just depends where you are. Are you in the class that benefits, or are you in the class that's not?” [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every societal shift creates winners and losers; a dystopia for one can be a utopia for another, depending on perspective. **In simple terms:** Revolutions benefit some and harm others; perspective defines utopia vs dystopia. Key Takeaway Consider whose interests are served by change. Themes politics ethics perspective Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - policy analysis - activism Key Concepts power dynamics social justice economic disparity Questions to Reflect On - How can we identify and uplift marginalized voices during upheaval? - What mechanisms ensure equitable outcomes? A Different Perspective The view may ignore structural oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dystopia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dystopia/) [Losers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losers/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Utopia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utopia/) [Winners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winners/) [Winners And Losers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winners-and-losers/) ## Related quotes > [A dystopia can become a utopia, yet a utopia can't become a dystopia. If the intelligent, with the power to take notice and predict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-dystopia-can-become-a-utopia-yet-a-utopia-can-t-become-a-dystopia/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We’re creating a dystopia, where the mania of the state isn’t secrecy or censorship but unfairness. Obsessed with success and wealth and despising failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-re-creating-a-dystopia-where-the-mania-of-the-state-isn-t-secrecy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You've got Washington picking winners and losers. And so, all of a sudden, decisions are being made on what helps politicians, not what helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-hensarling/you-ve-got-washington-picking-winners-and-losers-and-so-all-of-a/) [Jeb Hensarling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-hensarling/) > [Everyone kept saying, 'The terrorists didn't win. You won! We won! You survived!' That's just weird to me. Nobody wins in these situations. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bauman/everyone-kept-saying-the-terrorists-didn-t-win-you-won-we-won-you/) [Jeff Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bauman/) > [If stocks double but the dollar loses half its value, who beyond Wall Street are the winners and losers?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-malpass/if-stocks-double-but-the-dollar-loses-half-its-value-who-beyond-wall/) [David Malpass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-malpass/) > [The federal government has been a proven failure in picking winners and losers in the energy sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pompeo/the-federal-government-has-been-a-proven-failure-in-picking-winners/) [Mike Pompeo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pompeo/) > [Yes, dodgeball encourages competitiveness. Yes, the stronger, more athletic kids are going to be more successful at it than the weaker ones, but what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-timpf/yes-dodgeball-encourages-competitiveness-yes-the-stronger-more/) [Kat Timpf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-timpf/) > [Our elected officials would do well to remember that the most prosperous countries are those that allow consumers - not governments - to direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-koch/our-elected-officials-would-do-well-to-remember-that-the-most/) [Charles Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-koch/) > [EPA takes its Clean Air Act responsibilities seriously and is committed to providing certainty to state and industry partners. We will not use our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-r-wheeler/epa-takes-its-clean-air-act-responsibilities-seriously-and-is/) [Andrew R. Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-r-wheeler/) > [Republicans like to accuse Democrats of trying to 'pick winners and losers.' They say we should run government 'like a business' and let 'the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/republicans-like-to-accuse-democrats-of-trying-to-pick-winners-and/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [It's time the government stopped using taxes to reward winners and losers in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-cupp/it-s-time-the-government-stopped-using-taxes-to-reward-winners-and/) [S.E. Cupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-cupp/) > [I've made it very clear that the government should get out of the business of trying to affect the markets, of trying to pick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-scheer/i-ve-made-it-very-clear-that-the-government-should-get-out-of-the/) [Andrew Scheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-scheer/) > [No one suggested Lehman deserved to be saved. But the argument has been made that the crisis might have been less severe if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ross-sorkin/no-one-suggested-lehman-deserved-to-be-saved-but-the-argument-has/) [Andrew Ross Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ross-sorkin/) > [Trump seems to be implementing a form of coercive capitalism - in which the president publicly picks winners and losers and uses the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-deese/trump-seems-to-be-implementing-a-form-of-coercive-capitalism-in-which/) [Brian Deese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-deese/) > [Winners and losers do face the same difficulties but the difference is that winners don't know quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/winners-and-losers-do-face-the-same-difficulties-but-the-difference/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) ## More by Ken Liu > [I don't believe in reducing a style and a voice down to a set of descriptions, so I've never done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-don-t-believe-in-reducing-a-style-and-a-voice-down-to-a-set-of/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“My goal is to act as a faithful interpreter, preserving as much of the original's nuances of meaning as possible without embellishment or omission.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/my-goal-is-to-act-as-a-faithful-interpreter-preserving-as-much-of-the/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“It’s hard to hear the music behind the words when their meanings get in the way,” she told me once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/it-s-hard-to-hear-the-music-behind-the-words-when-their-meanings-get/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [The 'silk' in silkpunk refers not to a source of power, but to an entirely different, expressive technology language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/the-silk-in-silkpunk-refers-not-to-a-source-of-power-but-to-an/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“A memory is a re-creation, precious because it is both more and less than the original.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/a-memory-is-a-re-creation-precious-because-it-is-both-more-and-less/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [Almost all of my stories can be understood to be elaborations on our drive to remake the world and our adjustments to the result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/almost-all-of-my-stories-can-be-understood-to-be-elaborations-on-our/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“Dad and I went on walking, our shadows touching.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/dad-and-i-went-on-walking-our-shadows-touching/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“I can only wish that someday you’ll also be pestered by a student as persistent to learn what you do not wish to teach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-can-only-wish-that-someday-you-ll-also-be-pestered-by-a-student-as/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I think male authors who want to try to tackle these issues of representation of women can generally do a better job if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-think-male-authors-who-want-to-try-to-tackle-these-issues-of/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“Surveillance is surveillance. I can never understand why some people think it matters whether it's the government doing it to you or a company.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/surveillance-is-surveillance-i-can-never-understand-why-some-people/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [Whenever you talk about Chinese dragons, emperors, palaces, concubines - they conjure up a whole colonial argle-bargle that has nothing to do with historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/whenever-you-talk-about-chinese-dragons-emperors-palaces-concubines/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [We have never had a society that was truly just. Some groups have always benefited at the expense of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/we-have-never-had-a-society-that-was-truly-just-some-groups-have/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“By custom, we wield the sword and wear the armor, but who among you does not know a mother, sister, daughter, friend, who exceeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/by-custom-we-wield-the-sword-and-wear-the-armor-but-who-among-you/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [My wife, Lisa, and I both grew up on wuxia - Chinese historical romances. They're kind of analogous to Western epics. They're based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/my-wife-lisa-and-i-both-grew-up-on-wuxia-chinese-historical-romances/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) [Explore all 114 Ken Liu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) ## More Dystopia quotes > [“He tried. That's the big thing. He tried to do the best he could with what God gave him. He should get a nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/he-tried-that-s-the-big-thing-he-tried-to-do-the-best-he-could-with/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The author is not impartial. Dystopia is not tragedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-author-is-not-impartial-dystopia-is-not-tragedy/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“A glacial chill rushes through Gage. He whips around just in time to see arms clutch Summer around the middle and drag her into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kreitzer/a-glacial-chill-rushes-through-gage-he-whips-around-just-in-time-to/) [Laura Kreitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kreitzer/) > [In the event of a Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic dystopia, people with supplies of food and water could become warlords or chieftains in the social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nish-kumar/in-the-event-of-a-mad-max-style-post-apocalyptic-dystopia-people-with/) [Nish Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nish-kumar/) > [“Your realm is an insane place. In Volaria, no-one goes hungry, slaves are no use when they starve. Those freeborn too lazy or lacking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ryan/your-realm-is-an-insane-place-in-volaria-no-one-goes-hungry-slaves/) [Anthony Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ryan/) > [“It was a room full of ghosts, arranged in readiness for days that would never happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-sant/it-was-a-room-full-of-ghosts-arranged-in-readiness-for-days-that/) [Sharon Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-sant/) > [“We’re a nonviolent collective working to undermine the Trust and free the Badlands. Once the Trust is exposed as lying and corrupt, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-clark/we-re-a-nonviolent-collective-working-to-undermine-the-trust-and-free/) [Georgia Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-clark/) > [“Their conversation ceased abruptly with the entry of an oddly-shaped man whose body resembled a certain vegetable. He was a thickset fellow with calloused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-phillips/their-conversation-ceased-abruptly-with-the-entry-of-an-oddly-shaped/) Jeff Phillips > [“And that date, too, is far off?' 'Far off; when it comes, think your end in this world is at hand!' 'How and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-george-bulwer-lytton/and-that-date-too-is-far-off-far-off-when-it-comes-think-your-end-in/) Edward George Bulwer-Lytton > [That's how we stay young these days: murder and suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/that-s-how-we-stay-young-these-days-murder-and-suicide/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [“Life involves a lot of unknowns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-l-wallace/life-involves-a-lot-of-unknowns/) [S.L. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-l-wallace/) > [“There is no sanctity. This is the downfall of innocence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nad-ge-richards/there-is-no-sanctity-this-is-the-downfall-of-innocence/) [Nadège Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nad-ge-richards/) > [“Perhaps every society is a utopia when you fail to peel up all the layers and look at what's underneath”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/perhaps-every-society-is-a-utopia-when-you-fail-to-peel-up-all-the/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [“People always think the best is still ahead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slava-pilotoff/people-always-think-the-best-is-still-ahead/) [Slava Pilotoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slava-pilotoff/) > [“We’re creating a dystopia, where the mania of the state isn’t secrecy or censorship but unfairness. Obsessed with success and wealth and despising failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-re-creating-a-dystopia-where-the-mania-of-the-state-isn-t-secrecy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 198 Dystopia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dystopia/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In every revolution, there are winners and losers. Every dystopia is a utopia for somebody else. It just depends where you are. Are you in the class that benefits, or are you in the class that's not?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ken Liu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-and-losers-every-dystopia-is-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dystopia" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-and-losers-every-dystopia-is-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/ken-liu-4222_dystopia_in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-an_2740885.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/ken-liu-4222_dystopia_in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-an_2740885.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/ken-liu-4222_dystopia_in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-an_2740885.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In every revolution, there are winners and losers. Every dystopia is a utopia for somebody else. It just…” — Ken Liu", "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": "Ken Liu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In every revolution, there are winners...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-and-losers-every-dystopia-is-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/in-every-revolution-there-are-winners-and-losers-every-dystopia-is-a/#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 } } ] } ```