--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is real. This is the real mad man…" description: "\"This is real. This is the real mad man theory. We have to be irrational and vindictive, so people don't know what we're up to. This is not [Donald] Tru..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8c/noam-chomsky-42_bills_this-is-real-this-is-the-real-mad-man-th_205079.jpg" --- # This is real. This is the real mad man theory. We have to… ![“This is real. This is the real mad man theory. We have to be irrational and vindictive, so people don't know what we're up to. This is not [Donald] Trump and [Steve] Bannon, it's from the [Bill] Clinton era.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8c/noam-chomsky-42_bills_this-is-real-this-is-the-real-mad-man-th_205079.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8c/noam-chomsky-42_bills_this-is-real-this-is-the-real-mad-man-th_205079.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8c/noam-chomsky-42_bills_this-is-real-this-is-the-real-mad-man-th_205079.jpg) > “This is real. This is the real mad man theory. We have to be irrational and vindictive, so people don't know what we're up to. This is not \[Donald\] Trump and \[Steve\] Bannon, it's from the \[Bill\] Clinton era.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocating irrational, vindictive tactics creates unpredictability, but risks moral decay and loss of trust. **In simple terms:** Using chaos to hide motives is dangerous. Key Takeaway Avoid manipulative, unethical strategies. Themes politics ethics strategy trust manipulation Mood cautionary critical thought‑provoking Type analysis political ethical When to use this quote - campaigns - diplomacy - media relations - organizational leadership Key Concepts realpolitik psychological warfare moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Is deception ever justified in politics? - What are the long‑term costs? A Different Perspective Such tactics can backfire and erode legitimacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) [Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton/) [Eras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eras/) [Irrational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrational/) [Irrational Vindictive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrational-vindictive-2131227/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Mad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mad/) [Mad men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mad-men/) [Man Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-theory-213433/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real Mad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-mad-2131225/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) [Theory Irrational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory-irrational-2131226/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Vindictive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vindictive/) ## Related quotes > [We must present a national persona of being irrational and vindictive, because that's going to terrify people. And then, they'll back off. And this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/we-must-present-a-national-persona-of-being-irrational-and-vindictive/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We have to be irrational and vindictive, because that's going to frighten people. And we have to maintain this for years. And then we'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/we-have-to-be-irrational-and-vindictive-because-that-s-going-to/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“It's real, Six. You can't get mad at a real ending. Some of them are ugly. It's the fake happily ever afters that should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/it-s-real-six-you-can-t-get-mad-at-a-real-ending-some-of-them-are/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [Niggas say they want the real, but get mad when they hear the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/childish-gambino/niggas-say-they-want-the-real-but-get-mad-when-they-hear-the-truth/) [Childish Gambino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/childish-gambino/) > [I found myself in the changed man theory the other night thinking, "Yeah." I thought, "My god. If we could do this again," but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/i-found-myself-in-the-changed-man-theory-the-other-night-thinking/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [A young man is a theory, an old man is a fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/a-young-man-is-a-theory-an-old-man-is-a-fact/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [A study of family portraits is enough to convert a man to the theory of reincarnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/a-study-of-family-portraits-is-enough-to-convert-a-man-to-the-theory/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [A man who is all theory is like "a rudderless ship on a shoreless sea." ... Theories and speculations may be indulged in with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisha-gray/a-man-who-is-all-theory-is-like-a-rudderless-ship-on-a-shoreless-sea/) [Elisha Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisha-gray/) > [I don't believe in the Great Man theory of science or history. There are no great men, just men standing on the shoulders of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/i-don-t-believe-in-the-great-man-theory-of-science-or-history-there/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [“The Tomorrow Man theory. It’s pretty basic. Today, right here, you are who you are. Tomorrow, you will be who you will be. Each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hogan/the-tomorrow-man-theory-it-s-pretty-basic-today-right-here-you-are/) [Chuck Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hogan/) > [We have a Marlboro Man Theory of leadership and change, especially in America, but in fact anything great that's accomplished is accomplished by many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-morgan/we-have-a-marlboro-man-theory-of-leadership-and-change-especially-in/) [Nick Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-morgan/) > [“the Great Man theory (that leaders are born not made, the concept closest to our idea of some people, such as Rick Rescorla, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-vugt-mark/the-great-man-theory-that-leaders-are-born-not-made-the-concept/) [Van Vugt, Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-vugt-mark/) > [I've always been sceptical about the notion that the market is a person you can engage in an argument with, and that that person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/i-ve-always-been-sceptical-about-the-notion-that-the-market-is-a/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [On the one hand, you don't want to disrupt the nation with what might look like a vindictive prosecution, even though it might not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/on-the-one-hand-you-don-t-want-to-disrupt-the-nation-with-what-might/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [Time is a vindictive bandit to steal the beauty of our former selves. We are left with sagging, rippled flesh and burning gums with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael/time-is-a-vindictive-bandit-to-steal-the-beauty-of-our-former-selves/) [Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael/) ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Explore all 2,129 Noam Chomsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More Bills quotes > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [This is not really currency that circulates. It's like the old joke about expensive vintage wine. Wine prices will go up and once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/this-is-not-really-currency-that-circulates-it-s-like-the-old-joke/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [If Bill Gates left Microsoft we wouldn't allow Donald Trump to run it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/if-bill-gates-left-microsoft-we-wouldn-t-allow-donald-trump-to-run-it/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [Your goal should be to pay off your credit card bills in full at the end of each month and set aside money toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/your-goal-should-be-to-pay-off-your-credit-card-bills-in-full-at-the/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [He's fat and a clown, Bill, a fat clown for all to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eamon-dunphy/he-s-fat-and-a-clown-bill-a-fat-clown-for-all-to-see/) [Eamon Dunphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eamon-dunphy/) > [There's nothing nice about Steve Jobs and there's nothing evil about Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-peddle/there-s-nothing-nice-about-steve-jobs-and-there-s-nothing-evil-about/) [Chuck Peddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-peddle/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Whether it's people walking off 'The View' when Bill O'Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/whether-it-s-people-walking-off-the-view-when-bill-o-reilly-makes-a/) [Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/) > [The one thing the police cannot protect us from is a politician like Bill de Blasio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/the-one-thing-the-police-cannot-protect-us-from-is-a-politician-like/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Bill Hicks - blowtorch, excavator, truthsayer, and brain specialist. He will correct your vision. Others will drive on the road he built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/bill-hicks-blowtorch-excavator-truthsayer-and-brain-specialist-he/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) [Browse all 2,663 Bills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is real. This is the real mad man theory. We have to be irrational and vindictive, so people don't know what we're up to. 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