Ability Quote by Michel Foucault
“Power is tolerable only on condition that it mask a substantial part of itself. Its success is proportional to its ability to hide its own mechanisms.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Discipline and Punish, 1975
Power works best when it conceals its mechanisms, making control invisible and accepted.
In simple terms: Power hides its workings to be accepted.
Key Takeaway
Recognize hidden influences.
Themes
control
power
visibility
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- political analysis
- organizational behavior
- media consumption
- personal relationships
Key Concepts
Foucaultian theory
social control
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you identify hidden power structures?
- What mechanisms are most concealed?
A Different Perspective
Power can be too subtle to detect, leading to complacency.
![“You have not been mistaken in supposing my views and feeling to be in favor of the abolition of war. Of my dispos[i]tion to maintain peace until its condition shall be made less tolerable than that of war itself, the world has had proofs, and more, perhaps, than it has approved. I hope it is…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/77f/thomas-jefferson-43_abolition_you-have-not-been-mistaken-in-supposing_184816.jpg)
