--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the Comrades classified my conduct…" description: "\"“When the Comrades classified my conduct and my smile as intellectual (another notorious pejorative of the times), I actually came to believe them beca..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/milan-kundera-120_religion_when-the-comrades-classified-my-conduct_979315.jpg" --- # When the Comrades classified my conduct and my smile as… ![“When the Comrades classified my conduct and my smile as intellectual (another notorious pejorative of the times), I actually came to believe them because I couldn´t imagine (I wasn´t bold enough to imagine it) that anyone else might be wrong, that the Revolution itself, the spirit of the times…” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/milan-kundera-120_religion_when-the-comrades-classified-my-conduct_979315.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/milan-kundera-120_religion_when-the-comrades-classified-my-conduct_979315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/milan-kundera-120_religion_when-the-comrades-classified-my-conduct_979315.jpg) > ““When the Comrades classified my conduct and my smile as intellectual (another notorious pejorative of the times), I actually came to believe them because I couldn´t imagine (I wasn´t bold enough to imagine it) that anyone else might be wrong, that the Revolution itself, the spirit of the times, might be wrong and I, an individual, might be right. I began to keep tabs on my smiles, and soon I felt a tiny crack opening up between the person I had been and the person I should be (according to the spirit of the times) and tried to be.”” [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator describes how societal expectations forced him to question his own authenticity, leading to a personal split between imposed identity and true self. **In simple terms:** Societal pressure can cause inner conflict. Key Takeaway Question imposed identities. Themes identity conformity self‑discovery Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - political activism - personal growth - self‑reflection - psychological analysis Key Concepts existentialism social pressure Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel your true self aligns with societal expectations? - How can one reconcile personal truth with external pressures? A Different Perspective The narrative may overgeneralize the era’s influence on individuals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comrades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comrades/) [Person According](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-according-1933028/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Revolution Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution-spirit-410773/) [Smile Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smile-intellectual-1933026/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wrong Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-revolution-1933027/) ## Related quotes > [The essayist . . . can pull on any sort of shirt, be any sort of person, according to his mood or his subject…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/the-essayist-can-pull-on-any-sort-of-shirt-be-any-sort-of-person/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [“You say that I'm nobody, and you agree that nobody's perfect. Based on logic, I'm a perfect person according to your opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/you-say-that-i-m-nobody-and-you-agree-that-nobody-s-perfect-based-on/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“From now on we no longer judge any person according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 5:16). We don’t judge anyone by how he or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/from-now-on-we-no-longer-judge-any-person-according-to-the-flesh-2/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [The spirit of revolution, the spirit of insurrection, is a spirit radically opposed to liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-guizot/the-spirit-of-revolution-the-spirit-of-insurrection-is-a-spirit/) [Francois Guizot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-guizot/) > [“You cannot take what you have not given, and you must give yourself. You cannot buy the Revolution. You cannot make the Revolution. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/you-cannot-take-what-you-have-not-given-and-you-must-give-yourself/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [You cannot buy the revolution. You cannot make the revolution. You can only be the revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/you-cannot-buy-the-revolution-you-cannot-make-the-revolution-you-can/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [The quintessential revolution is that of spirit. Without this, the forces which produce the inequalities of the old order will continue to operate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/the-quintessential-revolution-is-that-of-spirit-without-this-the/) [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/) > [The quintessential revolution is that of the spirit, born of an intellectual conviction of the need for change in those mental attitudes and values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/the-quintessential-revolution-is-that-of-the-spirit-born-of-an/) [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/) > [“My comrades are alive right now!! The Exceeds are alive too!! Whether they've got magic or not, the important thing is that they're alive!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-mashima/my-comrades-are-alive-right-now-the-exceeds-are-alive-too-whether/) [Hiro Mashima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-mashima/) > [“When I see them here, in their rooms, in their offices, about their occupations, I feel an irresistible attraction in it, I would like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/when-i-see-them-here-in-their-rooms-in-their-offices-about-their/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [If you're a guild, treat your comrades right. That's all I wanted to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-mashima/if-you-re-a-guild-treat-your-comrades-right-that-s-all-i-wanted-to-say/) [Hiro Mashima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-mashima/) > [If all our comrades of Europe, America and other countries, who do not understand what we are doing to Spanish Anarchism, would come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-all-our-comrades-of-europe-america-and-other-countries-who-do-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone may be called "comrade," but some comrades have the power of life and death over other comrades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/everyone-may-be-called-comrade-but-some-comrades-have-the-power-of/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I said, wouldn't it be nice, instead of having these women fight with each other over men, which seems to be more of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-beals/i-said-wouldn-t-it-be-nice-instead-of-having-these-women-fight-with/) [Jennifer Beals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-beals/) > [Comrades, there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women. May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/comrades-there-is-no-true-social-revolution-without-the-liberation-of/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) ## More by Milan Kundera > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Our lives may be separate, but they run in the same direction, like parallel lines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/our-lives-may-be-separate-but-they-run-in-the-same-direction-like/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-remained-annoyed-with-himself-until-he-realized-that-not-knowing/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [When we ignore the body, we are more easily victimized by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/when-we-ignore-the-body-we-are-more-easily-victimized-by-it/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/do-stories-apart-from-happening-being-have-something-to-say-for-all/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/os-extremos-delimitam-a-fronteira-para-al-m-da-qual-a-vida-termina-e/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) [Explore all 952 Milan Kundera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## More Comrades quotes > [Comrades, there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women. May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/comrades-there-is-no-true-social-revolution-without-the-liberation-of/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [I said, wouldn't it be nice, instead of having these women fight with each other over men, which seems to be more of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-beals/i-said-wouldn-t-it-be-nice-instead-of-having-these-women-fight-with/) [Jennifer Beals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-beals/) > [Everyone may be called "comrade," but some comrades have the power of life and death over other comrades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/everyone-may-be-called-comrade-but-some-comrades-have-the-power-of/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [If all our comrades of Europe, America and other countries, who do not understand what we are doing to Spanish Anarchism, would come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-all-our-comrades-of-europe-america-and-other-countries-who-do-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're a guild, treat your comrades right. That's all I wanted to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-mashima/if-you-re-a-guild-treat-your-comrades-right-that-s-all-i-wanted-to-say/) [Hiro Mashima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-mashima/) > [“When I see them here, in their rooms, in their offices, about their occupations, I feel an irresistible attraction in it, I would like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/when-i-see-them-here-in-their-rooms-in-their-offices-about-their/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“My comrades are alive right now!! The Exceeds are alive too!! Whether they've got magic or not, the important thing is that they're alive!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-mashima/my-comrades-are-alive-right-now-the-exceeds-are-alive-too-whether/) [Hiro Mashima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-mashima/) > [ I admit that I do not recall the speeches of Comrades \[Earl\] Browder and \[Samuel\] Darcy. I do not even recall of what they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/i-admit-that-i-do-not-recall-the-speeches-of-comrades-earl-browder/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [The men who died at D-Day did not die shoulder-to-shoulder with their French comrades. They died to liberate the French from a sinister and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/the-men-who-died-at-d-day-did-not-die-shoulder-to-shoulder-with-their/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [There are no comrades. Turn on a comrade; accuse him; even destroy him if necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-monks-jr/there-are-no-comrades-turn-on-a-comrade-accuse-him-even-destroy-him/) [John Monks Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-monks-jr/) > [“Go ahead, throw me to the wolves. They're my comrades.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-l-exley/go-ahead-throw-me-to-the-wolves-they-re-my-comrades/) [A.L. Exley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-l-exley/) > [I must return to my old comrades of the Great War - to the brown, the treeless, the flat and grave-set plain of Flanders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-williamson/i-must-return-to-my-old-comrades-of-the-great-war-to-the-brown-the/) [Henry Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-williamson/) > [“The talk here makes me quite ill. I would rather we had never come together again; then at least we might still have preserved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/the-talk-here-makes-me-quite-ill-i-would-rather-we-had-never-come/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [I also had a mistaken attitude towards certain comrades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-kun/i-also-had-a-mistaken-attitude-towards-certain-comrades/) [Bela Kun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bela-kun/) > [They are more to me than life, these voices, they are more than motherliness and more than fear; they are the strongest, most comforting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/they-are-more-to-me-than-life-these-voices-they-are-more-than/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) [Browse all 85 Comrades quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comrades/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When the Comrades classified my conduct and my smile as intellectual (another notorious pejorative of the times), I actually came to believe them because I couldn´t imagine (I wasn´t bold enough to imagine it) that anyone else might be wrong, that the Revolution itself, the spirit of the times, might be wrong and I, an individual, might be right. 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