--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In modern states, the citizen is…" description: "\"In modern states, the citizen is politically impotent. A citizen, it is true, may complain, make suggestions, or cause disruptions, but in the ancient ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/mark-mirabello-57103_ancient_in-modern-states-the-citizen-is-politica_3077864.png" --- # In modern states, the citizen is politically impotent. A… ![“In modern states, the citizen is politically impotent. A citizen, it is true, may complain, make suggestions, or cause disruptions, but in the ancient world these were privileges that belonged to any slave.” quote by Mark Mirabello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/mark-mirabello-57103_ancient_in-modern-states-the-citizen-is-politica_3077864.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/mark-mirabello-57103_ancient_in-modern-states-the-citizen-is-politica_3077864.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/mark-mirabello-57103_ancient_in-modern-states-the-citizen-is-politica_3077864.png) > “In modern states, the citizen is politically impotent. A citizen, it is true, may complain, make suggestions, or cause disruptions, but in the ancient world these were privileges that belonged to any slave.” [Mark Mirabello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mirabello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Citizens today have little real political power, unlike ancient slaves who could voice grievances. **In simple terms:** Modern citizens lack political influence. Key Takeaway Recognize limits and seek collective action. Themes political power citizen rights democracy Mood critical reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - voting - community organizing - public protest - policy advocacy Key Concepts authority agency historical comparison Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens amplify their voice? - What historical lessons apply today? A Different Perspective Even limited influence can shape outcomes through solidarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizen/) [Disruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disruption/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Suggestions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suggestions/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I am a United States citizen and I vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-am-a-united-states-citizen-and-i-vote/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [One of the most meaningful things that's happened to me since I've been the governor - the president - governor - president. Oops. Ex-governor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/one-of-the-most-meaningful-things-that-s-happened-to-me-since-i-ve/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Voting is the next-to-last refuge of the politically impotent. The last refuge, of course, is giving your opinion to a pollster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/voting-is-the-next-to-last-refuge-of-the-politically-impotent-the/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Voting, we might even say, is the next to last refuge of the politically impotent. The last refuge is, of course, giving your opinion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/voting-we-might-even-say-is-the-next-to-last-refuge-of-the/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Root cause of inequality is the mass scale digital disruption advantage as means of wealth creation is concentrated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/root-cause-of-inequality-is-the-mass-scale-digital-disruption/) [Ziad K. 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But it's not about growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/the-concept-of-disruption-is-about-competitive-response-it-is-not-a/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [ \[Buckminster\] Fuller was an independent operator coming up with these madcap ways of combining things with absolutely no strings attached and the fact that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathon-keats/buckminster-fuller-was-an-independent-operator-coming-up-with-these/) [Jonathon Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathon-keats/) > [The online education space, especially in higher education, is ripe for disruption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-screwvala/the-online-education-space-especially-in-higher-education-is-ripe-for/) [Ronnie Screwvala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-screwvala/) ## More by Mark Mirabello > [The truth is not beautiful - it stands on cloven hooves - it is covered in coagulated blood - but it is the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mirabello/the-truth-is-not-beautiful-it-stands-on-cloven-hooves-it-is-covered/) [Mark Mirabello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mirabello/) > [“a man and the result is a god. AUTHOR: Do Odinists honor all the gods that”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mirabello/a-man-and-the-result-is-a-god-author-do-odinists-honor-all-the-gods/) [Mark Mirabello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mirabello/) > [“AUTHOR: Appealing to an emotion is rather irrational. THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: True. But Odinists know the irrational can be a source of illumination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mirabello/author-appealing-to-an-emotion-is-rather-irrational-the-odin/) [Mark Mirabello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mirabello/) > [Self-destruction would be a brief, almost autoerotic free-fall into a great velvet darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mirabello/self-destruction-would-be-a-brief-almost-autoerotic-free-fall-into-a/) [Mark Mirabello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mirabello/) > [When the world is pregnant with lies, a secret long hidden will be revealed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mirabello/when-the-world-is-pregnant-with-lies-a-secret-long-hidden-will-be/) [Mark Mirabello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mirabello/) [Explore all 6 Mark Mirabello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mirabello/) ## More Ancient quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. 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I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. 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And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/ancient-societies-had-anthropomorphic-gods-a-huge-pantheon-expanding/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/) [Edward P. 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If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) [Browse all 2,415 Ancient quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In modern states, the citizen is politically impotent. 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