--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He understood that, contrary to what most…" description: "\"“He understood that, contrary to what most people think, total power means total slavery.”\" — Paulo Coelho" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/paulo-coelho-10_slavery_he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most_578795.jpg" --- # He understood that, contrary to what most people think… ![“He understood that, contrary to what most people think, total power means total slavery.” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/paulo-coelho-10_slavery_he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most_578795.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/paulo-coelho-10_slavery_he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most_578795.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/paulo-coelho-10_slavery_he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most_578795.jpg) > ““He understood that, contrary to what most people think, total power means total slavery.”” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Absolute power eliminates personal freedom, turning the ruler into a prisoner of their own authority. **In simple terms:** Total power creates slavery. Key Takeaway Beware of power’s corrupting effect. Themes power freedom responsibility Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical warning When to use this quote - leadership - politics - personal relationships Key Concepts authoritarianism psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How does power change your sense of self? - Can authority coexist with freedom? A Different Perspective Power can be abused and lead to isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Means Total](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-total-4762023/) [Power Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-means-1097087/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Total Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/total-power-3521781/) [Total Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/total-slavery-4762021/) [Understood Contrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood-contrary-4762022/) ## Related quotes > [Our romance is having total power in that we've just got nothing to lose cos we're secure in the knowledge we already lost a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richey-edwards/our-romance-is-having-total-power-in-that-we-ve-just-got-nothing-to/) [Richey Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richey-edwards/) > [No power was total, no power permanent, no power absolute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-power-was-total-no-power-permanent-no-power-absolute/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every parent in America has the total power to control all television programming that is dispatched to their home today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-valenti/every-parent-in-america-has-the-total-power-to-control-all-television/) [Jack Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-valenti/) > [In architecture the pride of man, his triumph over gravitation, his will to power, assume a visible form. Architecture is a sort of oratory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-architecture-the-pride-of-man-his-triumph-over-gravitation-his/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [What's the third metric beyond money and power? I think it's a combination of wellbeing and wisdom. Because the problem also with defining success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/what-s-the-third-metric-beyond-money-and-power-i-think-it-s-a/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [“Expressing your talent of power means to do what you truly love and allowing it to become your work. In this way work does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franco-santoro/expressing-your-talent-of-power-means-to-do-what-you-truly-love-and/) [Franco Santoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franco-santoro/) > [Love and faith are not common companions. More commonly power and fear consort with faith…Power is not to be crossed; one must respect and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/love-and-faith-are-not-common-companions-more-commonly-power-and-fear/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [Obtain power, then, by all means; power is the law of man; make it yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-edgeworth/obtain-power-then-by-all-means-power-is-the-law-of-man-make-it-yours/) [Maria Edgeworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-edgeworth/) > [I'm an adult and I know what power means in the modern world. In the modern world, power is mainly defined by such factors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/i-m-an-adult-and-i-know-what-power-means-in-the-modern-world-in-the/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Power is not a means; it is an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/power-is-not-a-means-it-is-an-end/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Power means happiness; power means hard work and sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/power-means-happiness-power-means-hard-work-and-sacrifice/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [Money power means budget power and it is folly to imagine that the citizen can control government unless he can control its budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-riegel/money-power-means-budget-power-and-it-is-folly-to-imagine-that-the/) [E.C. Riegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-riegel/) > [“In the ego's world, power means having the ability to control circumstances to your benefit, to manipulate or dominate people in order to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/in-the-ego-s-world-power-means-having-the-ability-to-control/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/power-is-not-a-means-it-is-an-end-one-does-not-establish-a/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/power-is-not-a-means-it-is-an-end-one-does-not-establish-a-2/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Slavery quotes > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/single-acts-of-tyranny-may-be-ascribed-to-the-accidental-opinion-of-a/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Can you look forward to the future of our country and imagine any state of things in which, with slavery still existing, we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dale-owen/can-you-look-forward-to-the-future-of-our-country-and-imagine-any/) [Robert Dale Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dale-owen/) > [My favorite Founding Fathers, Christians like John Adams, were absolutely appalled by slavery, and did not own slaves. I think we're going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/my-favorite-founding-fathers-christians-like-john-adams-were/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Slavery, if it can be legalized at all, can be legalized only by positive legislation. Natural law gives it no aid. Custom imparts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/slavery-if-it-can-be-legalized-at-all-can-be-legalized-only-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [If he's - the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a - is a noble institution I would - I would strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-he-s-the-inference-is-that-somehow-he-thinks-slavery-is-a-is-a/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Work is a vehicle with which man chases some fleeting destination called a full tummy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/work-is-a-vehicle-with-which-man-chases-some-fleeting-destination/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Being a slave is to have nothing but still having something left to lose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalita-tedemy/being-a-slave-is-to-have-nothing-but-still-having-something-left-to/) [Lalita Tedemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lalita-tedemy/) > [Think about it: we went into slavery pagans; we came out Christians. We went into slavery pieces of property; we came out American citizens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/think-about-it-we-went-into-slavery-pagans-we-came-out-christians-we/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [Man preys on man; and you mourn for the idle tapestry that decorated a gothic pillar, and the dronish bell that summoned the fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/man-preys-on-man-and-you-mourn-for-the-idle-tapestry-that-decorated-a/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [They don't really focus on that history here in America. I remember growing up as a kid, history class was very washed-over. They didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldis-hodge/they-don-t-really-focus-on-that-history-here-in-america-i-remember/) [Aldis Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldis-hodge/) > [We're living based on laws and ideas that we, as a society, embraced back in the days of slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-duvernay/we-re-living-based-on-laws-and-ideas-that-we-as-a-society-embraced/) [Ava DuVernay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-duvernay/) > [“To say to the slave who has not been emancipated 'Do not behave as a slave' is to mock his enslavement. But to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-murray/to-say-to-the-slave-who-has-not-been-emancipated-do-not-behave-as-a/) [John Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-murray/) [Browse all 2,997 Slavery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He understood that, contrary to what most people think, total power means total slavery.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paulo Coelho" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most-people-think-total-power/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Slavery" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most-people-think-total-power/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/paulo-coelho-10_slavery_he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most_578795.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/paulo-coelho-10_slavery_he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most_578795.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/paulo-coelho-10_slavery_he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most_578795.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He understood that, contrary to what most people think, total power means total slavery.” — Paulo Coelho", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paulo Coelho", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He understood that, contrary to what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most-people-think-total-power/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/he-understood-that-contrary-to-what-most-people-think-total-power/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```