Love Quote by Masha Gessen
““It all fit. The love of power, the focus on Russia to the exclusion of the rest of the world—with an exception made perhaps only for a Napoleon or a Hitler, whose power trumped even their enemy status but who were made relevant by the fact that they had invaded Russia—this and other survey results added up to a totalitarian mind-set. The only consideration that gave Gudkov pause was what seemed like an utter lack of a concept of the future. He had been taught that totalitarianism presupposed the image of a glorious future. But as he researched both Communist and Nazi ideologies, he came to the conclusion that the appeal of the rhetoric in both cases lay in archaic, primitive images: a simple society, a world of “us,” a tribe. Fromm, in fact, rejected the very idea of an image of the future in Nazi ideology and stressed the “worship of the past.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Atlantic, “The Totalitarian Mindset,” 2020
Totalitarian ideologies often lack a forward-looking vision, relying instead on nostalgic, tribal images and a worship of the past.
In simple terms: Totalitarianism focuses on past myths, not future goals.
Key Takeaway
Question the future-less narratives of power.
Themes
politics
ideology
history
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- analysis of regimes
- education
- public discourse
Key Concepts
totalitarianism
nostalgia
futurelessness
Questions to Reflect On
- What role does nostalgia play in modern politics?
- Can a positive future vision counter totalitarian impulses?
A Different Perspective
Some argue that future visions can also be used to justify authoritarian control.
