--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My only fixed truth is a belief in…" description: "\"My only fixed truth is a belief in people, a conviction that if people have the opportunity to act freely and the power to control their own destinies,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/saul-alinsky-3048_belief_my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-peopl_1468747.png" --- # My only fixed truth is a belief in people, a conviction… ![“My only fixed truth is a belief in people, a conviction that if people have the opportunity to act freely and the power to control their own destinies, they'll generally reach the right decisions.” quote by Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/saul-alinsky-3048_belief_my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-peopl_1468747.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/saul-alinsky-3048_belief_my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-peopl_1468747.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/saul-alinsky-3048_belief_my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-peopl_1468747.png) > “My only fixed truth is a belief in people, a conviction that if people have the opportunity to act freely and the power to control their own destinies, they'll generally reach the right decisions.” [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When people have freedom and power, they tend to make good choices, so trust in human agency. **In simple terms:** Freedom leads to good decisions. Key Takeaway Empower others to decide. Themes politics human nature empowerment Mood analytical hopeful Type political ethical When to use this quote - community organizing - policy making - education reform - leadership training Key Concepts agency collective responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure power is used wisely? - What safeguards protect decision‑making? A Different Perspective Power can be misused, leading to poor outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Right decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-decision/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [An organizer working in and for an open society is in an ideological dilemma to begin with, he does not have a fixed truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/an-organizer-working-in-and-for-an-open-society-is-in-an-ideological/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [“History is not a fixed truth. It changes with the speaker.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-reese/history-is-not-a-fixed-truth-it-changes-with-the-speaker/) [Jenn Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-reese/) > [“Over time, and sentence uttered long and loud enough becomes fixed. Becomes a truth. Provided, of course, you can outlast the dissent and silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-bowden/over-time-and-sentence-uttered-long-and-loud-enough-becomes-fixed/) [Oliver Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-bowden/) > [The truth is that I have full belief in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-ter-stegen/the-truth-is-that-i-have-full-belief-in-myself/) [Marc-Andre ter Stegen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-ter-stegen/) > [Only the search for truth and the experience of truth not a belief is capable of healing all your wounds, of making you a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-the-search-for-truth-and-the-experience-of-truth-not-a-belief-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't you give me that postmodern bullshit. There is truth, There is a truth. And what you want, or you feel, or you need,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-plum-ucci/don-t-you-give-me-that-postmodern-bullshit-there-is-truth-there-is-a/) [Carol Plum-Ucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-plum-ucci/) > [What essence is to generation, that truth is to belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/what-essence-is-to-generation-that-truth-is-to-belief/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“Most people are not looking for provable truths. As you said, truth is often accompanied by intense pain, & almost no one is looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/most-people-are-not-looking-for-provable-truths-as-you-said-truth-is-2/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Truth is a belief among others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paching-ho-lambaiho/truth-is-a-belief-among-others/) Paching Hoé Lambaiho > [It is always a great honour to mention a truth which has not become widespread yet. One of these truths is that man has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/it-is-always-a-great-honour-to-mention-a-truth-which-has-not-become/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Belief comes spontaneously as well as by effort. Belief is power. An insincere and uninspired seeker is aware of the truth that belief is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/belief-comes-spontaneously-as-well-as-by-effort-belief-is-power-an/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [If you obsess over whether you are making the right decision, you are basically assuming that the universe will reward you for one thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/if-you-obsess-over-whether-you-are-making-the-right-decision-you-are/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [As you know, the best way to solve a problem is to identify the core belief that causes the problem; then mock that belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/as-you-know-the-best-way-to-solve-a-problem-is-to-identify-the-core/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“If you know yourself and don’t have a belief that other people are better than you, then you simply can’t feel jealous or threatened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-hogue/if-you-know-yourself-and-don-t-have-a-belief-that-other-people-are/) [Roberto Hogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-hogue/) > [“There can be no possible belief that these people were inspired by any consuming zeal to vindicate God’s law against miscegenationists of the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells-barnett/there-can-be-no-possible-belief-that-these-people-were-inspired-by/) [Ida B. Wells-Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells-barnett/) ## More by Saul Alinsky > [The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/the-threat-is-usually-more-terrifying-than-the-thing-itself/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [The very first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/the-very-first-radical-known-to-man-who-rebelled-against-the/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [I've never joined any organization - not even the ones I've organized myself. I prize my own independence too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/i-ve-never-joined-any-organization-not-even-the-ones-i-ve-organized/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [Everybody owned stock in the Capone mob; in a way, he was a public benefactor. I remember one time when he arrived at his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/everybody-owned-stock-in-the-capone-mob-in-a-way-he-was-a-public/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [First rule of change is controversy. You can't get away from it for the simple reason all issues are controversial. Change means movement, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/first-rule-of-change-is-controversy-you-can-t-get-away-from-it-for/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [Radicals, on the other hand, want to advance from the jungle of laissez-faire capitalism to a world worthy of the name of human civilization.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/radicals-on-the-other-hand-want-to-advance-from-the-jungle-of-laissez/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it. Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/pick-the-target-freeze-it-personalize-it-and-polarize-it-cut-off-the/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [The first step in community organization is community disorganization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/the-first-step-in-community-organization-is-community-disorganization/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [Power just goes to two poles — to those who've got money, and those who've got people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/power-just-goes-to-two-poles-to-those-who-ve-got-money-and-those-who/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [The establishment can accept being screwed, but not being laughed at](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/the-establishment-can-accept-being-screwed-but-not-being-laughed-at/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [To the organizer, compromise is a key and beautiful word. It is always present in the pragmatics of operation... If you start with nothing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/to-the-organizer-compromise-is-a-key-and-beautiful-word-it-is-always/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/power-is-not-only-what-you-have-but-what-the-enemy-thinks-you-have/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [The standards of judgment must be rooted in the whys and wherefores of life as it is lived, the world as it is, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/the-standards-of-judgment-must-be-rooted-in-the-whys-and-wherefores/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [Organized business has assumed that greater profits would be pretty much of a cure-all, and it has to a major extent ignored the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/organized-business-has-assumed-that-greater-profits-would-be-pretty/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [One acts decisively only in the conviction that all the angels are on one side and all the devils on the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/one-acts-decisively-only-in-the-conviction-that-all-the-angels-are-on/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) [Explore all 141 Saul Alinsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Browse all 10,268 Belief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My only fixed truth is a belief in people, a conviction that if people have the opportunity to act freely and the power to control their own destinies, they'll generally reach the right decisions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Saul Alinsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-people-a-conviction-that-if-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Belief" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-people-a-conviction-that-if-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/saul-alinsky-3048_belief_my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-peopl_1468747.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/saul-alinsky-3048_belief_my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-peopl_1468747.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/saul-alinsky-3048_belief_my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-peopl_1468747.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My only fixed truth is a belief in people, a conviction that if people have the opportunity to act freely…” — Saul Alinsky", "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": "Saul Alinsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My only fixed truth is a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-people-a-conviction-that-if-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/my-only-fixed-truth-is-a-belief-in-people-a-conviction-that-if-people/#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 } } ] } ```