Skip to content

Old fashion Quote by László Krasznahorkai

“It was a long struggle against invisible foes, or to put it more accurately, against invisible foes that might not have been there at all, but it was a victorious struggle, in the course of which they understood that the victory would only be unconditional if they annihilated or, if he might put…” quote by László Krasznahorkai
Download Open image
““It was a long struggle against invisible foes, or to put it more accurately, against invisible foes that might not have been there at all, but it was a victorious struggle, in the course of which they understood that the victory would only be unconditional if they annihilated or, if he might put it in such old fashioned terms, said Korin, exiled, exiled anything that might have stood against them, or rather, fully absorbed it into the repulsive vulgarity of the world they now ruled, ruled if not exactly commanded, and thereby besmirched whatever was good and transcendent, not by saying a haughty 'no' to good and transcendent things, no, for they understood that the important thing was to say 'yes' from the meanest of motives, to give them their outright support, to display them, to nurture them; it was this that dawned on them and showed them what to do, that their best option was not to crush their enemies, to mock them or wipe them off the face of the earth, but, on the contrary, to embrace them, to take responsibility for them and so to empty them of their content, and in this way to establish a world in which it was precisely these things that would be the most liable to spread the infection so that the only power that had any chance of resisting them, by whose radiant light it might still have been possible to see the degree to which they had taken over people's lives... how could he make himself clearer at this point, Korin hesitated...””

László Krasznahorkai

About This Quote

Source Novel: Satantango, 1985

He describes a struggle where conquering enemies means absorbing and transforming them, suggesting that true power comes from integration rather than destruction.

In simple terms: Power lies in embracing and reshaping opposition.

Key Takeaway

Integrate rather than annihilate.

Themes

power transformation ethics

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

  • conflict resolution
  • leadership
  • social change
  • personal growth

Key Concepts

philosophical integration political strategy

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you transform opposition into collaboration?
  • When is integration preferable to defeat?
A Different Perspective

Risk of losing identity in assimilation.

2.1 out of 5 (10 ratings)

More by László Krasznahorkai

Explore all 36 László Krasznahorkai quotes

More Old fashion quotes

Browse all 249 Old fashion quotes