--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was just such a man when I was…" description: "\"“There was just such a man when I was young—an Austrian who invented a new way of life and convinced himself that he was the chap to make it work. He t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/t-h-white-4461_force_there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-you_1868621.png" --- # There was just such a man when I was young—an Austrian who… ![“There was just such a man when I was young—an Austrian who invented a new way of life and convinced himself that he was the chap to make it work. He tried to impose his reformation by the sword, and plunged the civilized world into misery and chaos. But the thing which this fellow had overlooked…” quote by T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/t-h-white-4461_force_there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-you_1868621.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/t-h-white-4461_force_there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-you_1868621.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/t-h-white-4461_force_there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-you_1868621.png) > ““There was just such a man when I was young—an Austrian who invented a new way of life and convinced himself that he was the chap to make it work. He tried to impose his reformation by the sword, and plunged the civilized world into misery and chaos. But the thing which this fellow had overlooked, my friend, was that he had a predecessor in the reformation business, called Jesus Christ. Perhaps we may assume that Jesus knew as much as the Austrian did about saving people. But the odd thing is that Jesus did not turn the disciples into storm troopers, burn down the Temple at Jerusalem, and fix the blame on Pontius Pilate. On the contrary, he made it clear that the business of the philosopher was to make ideas available , and not to impose them on people.”” [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True leadership shares ideas without coercion, unlike forceful reformers. **In simple terms:** Leadership should share ideas, not force them. Key Takeaway Lead by sharing vision, not imposing it. Themes leadership philosophy nonviolence Mood thoughtful hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - political activism - community organizing Key Concepts ethical persuasion influence historical comparison Questions to Reflect On - How can ideas be spread peacefully? - What examples show nonviolent leadership? A Different Perspective Forceful methods can still attract followers despite moral flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assume Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume-jesus-2562713/) [Austrian Invented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/austrian-invented-2562712/) [Called Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-jesus-1155658/) [Christ Assume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ-assume-2562715/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Free will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-will/) [Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hitler/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas-are-power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-are-power/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Philosphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosphy/) [Reformation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reformation/) [Reformation Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reformation-business-2562714/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Way of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [Especially among Christians in positions of wealth and power, the idea of reading the Gospels and keeping Jesus' commandments as stated therein has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/especially-among-christians-in-positions-of-wealth-and-power-the-idea/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“I often wonder how many prayers flooded the gates of Heaven that day. How many Christians, or otherwise, called on the Lord? How many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-haskin/i-often-wonder-how-many-prayers-flooded-the-gates-of-heaven-that-day/) [Leslie Haskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-haskin/) > [ \[There is\] a great book from Ravi Zacharis, a scholar from India, and its called Jesus Among Other Gods. I havent read that one,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/there-is-a-great-book-from-ravi-zacharis-a-scholar-from-india-and-its/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Somehow you've come past the realm of just knowing about this Person called Jesus Christ and He is real to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-grubb/somehow-you-ve-come-past-the-realm-of-just-knowing-about-this-person/) [Norman Grubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-grubb/) > [Guy back there called you 'Jesus'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcclane/guy-back-there-called-you-jesus/) [John Mcclane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcclane/) > [I'm from Oklahoma City, and there's a statue across from the site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building of Jesus. It's called 'Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/i-m-from-oklahoma-city-and-there-s-a-statue-across-from-the-site-of/) [Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/) > [“We are not called to embody Jesus ourselves; He has already been incarnated and is still even now! No, we are not called to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-anderson/we-are-not-called-to-embody-jesus-ourselves-he-has-already-been/) [Hannah Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-anderson/) > [I believe that a man called Jesus did walk the earth at one time but I don't think he was the superhero that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kay/i-believe-that-a-man-called-jesus-did-walk-the-earth-at-one-time-but/) [Peter Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kay/) > [Those who have the disease called Jesus will never be cured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/those-who-have-the-disease-called-jesus-will-never-be-cured/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“Christians have been beaten, whipped, starved, humiliated, mutilated, tortured, hung, burned at the stake, crucified, and fed to lions; yet two thousand years after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/christians-have-been-beaten-whipped-starved-humiliated-mutilated/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [“It is a miracle that we know anything at all about the man called Jesus of Nazareth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-aslan/it-is-a-miracle-that-we-know-anything-at-all-about-the-man-called/) [Reza Aslan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-aslan/) > [“Who say mo'? You say mo'? I say mo' Mo' what? Mo' who? Mo' when? More Jesus. Right Now! To stop the fighting Backbiting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maisie-a-smikle/who-say-mo-you-say-mo-i-say-mo-mo-what-mo-who-mo-when-more-jesus/) [Maisie A. Smikle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maisie-a-smikle/) > [“So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, a “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-pilate-entered-his-headquarters-again-and-called-jesus-and-said-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Ideas are not intellectuals' toys: ideas have consequences, for good and for ill, in what even intellectuals sometimes call "the real world".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weigel/ideas-are-not-intellectuals-toys-ideas-have-consequences-for-good-and/) [George Weigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weigel/) > [“View a Copycat as a Stray Cat.. They stray through the day hunting down prey. They pick up a scent through steel or cement.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-addino/view-a-copycat-as-a-stray-cat-they-stray-through-the-day-hunting-down/) [Victoria Addino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-addino/) ## More by T.H. White > [“Guenever began to breathe through her nose. She was feeling as if there were two red thumbs behind her eyeballs, trying to push them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/guenever-began-to-breathe-through-her-nose-she-was-feeling-as-if/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“EXPLICIT LIBER REGIS QUONDAM REGIS FUTURI THE BEGINNING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/explicit-liber-regis-quondam-regis-futuri-the-beginning/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“Gawaine and Gareth took turns with the fat ass, one of them whacking it while the other rode bareback.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/gawaine-and-gareth-took-turns-with-the-fat-ass-one-of-them-whacking/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“No. There is one fairly good reason for fighting--and that is, if the other man starts it. You see, wars are a wickedness, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/no-there-is-one-fairly-good-reason-for-fighting-and-that-is-if-the/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“It is generally the trustful and optimistic people who can afford to retreat. The loveless and faithless ones are compelled by their pessimism to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/it-is-generally-the-trustful-and-optimistic-people-who-can-afford-to/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“The mustard—pot got up and walked over to his plate on thin silver legs that waddled like the owl’s. Then it uncurled its handles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/the-mustard-pot-got-up-and-walked-over-to-his-plate-on-thin-silver/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“It was Christmas night, the eve of the Boxing Day Meet. You must remember that this was in the old Merry England of Gramarye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/it-was-christmas-night-the-eve-of-the-boxing-day-meet-you-must/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“I see what you think you mean," said the magician, "but you are wrong. There is no excuse for war, none whatever, and whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/i-see-what-you-think-you-mean-said-the-magician-but-you-are-wrong/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“I suppose the best way to tell the story is simply to narrate it, without an effort to carry belief. The thing did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/i-suppose-the-best-way-to-tell-the-story-is-simply-to-narrate-it/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“It is only the people who are lacking, or bad, or inferior, who have to be good at things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/it-is-only-the-people-who-are-lacking-or-bad-or-inferior-who-have-to/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“The fortress was entered by tunnels in the rock, and, over the entrance to each tunnel, there was a notice which said: EVERYTHING NOT…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/the-fortress-was-entered-by-tunnels-in-the-rock-and-over-the-entrance/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“I incline my agreement with Toirdealbhach,' said Gareth. 'After all, what is the good of killing poor kerns who do not know anything? It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/i-incline-my-agreement-with-toirdealbhach-said-gareth-after-all-what/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“I know hardly anything about Galahad except that everybody dislikes him." "Dislikes him?" "They complain about him being inhuman." Lancelot considered his cup. "He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/i-know-hardly-anything-about-galahad-except-that-everybody-dislikes/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“Their mother is Athene, the goddess of wisdom, and, although they are often ready to play the buffoon to amuse you, such conduct is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/their-mother-is-athene-the-goddess-of-wisdom-and-although-they-are/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“but it seems, in tragedy, that innocence is not enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/but-it-seems-in-tragedy-that-innocence-is-not-enough/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) [Explore all 107 T.H. White quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) ## More Force quotes > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/) [Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Above Coblentz almost every mountain has a ruin and a legend. One feels everywhere the spirit of the past, and its stirring recollections come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/above-coblentz-almost-every-mountain-has-a-ruin-and-a-legend-one/) [Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason is terror and force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-one-means-that-wins-the-easiest-victory-over-reason-is-terror-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [Dictatorship is rule based directly upon force and unrestricted by any laws. The revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat is rule won and maintained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/dictatorship-is-rule-based-directly-upon-force-and-unrestricted-by/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [The great force for forging a society into a solid mass has always been war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-great-force-for-forging-a-society-into-a-solid-mass-has-always/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) [Segun Magbagbeola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segun-magbagbeola/) [Browse all 10,458 Force quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There was just such a man when I was young—an Austrian who invented a new way of life and convinced himself that he was the chap to make it work. He tried to impose his reformation by the sword, and plunged the civilized world into misery and chaos. But the thing which this fellow had overlooked, my friend, was that he had a predecessor in the reformation business, called Jesus Christ. Perhaps we may assume that Jesus knew as much as the Austrian did about saving people. But the odd thing is that Jesus did not turn the disciples into storm troopers, burn down the Temple at Jerusalem, and fix the blame on Pontius Pilate. On the contrary, he made it clear that the business of the philosopher was to make ideas available , and not to impose them on people.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "T.H. White" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-young-an-austrian-who-invented-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Force" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-young-an-austrian-who-invented-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/t-h-white-4461_force_there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-you_1868621.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/t-h-white-4461_force_there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-you_1868621.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/t-h-white-4461_force_there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-you_1868621.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was just such a man when I was young—an Austrian who invented a new way of life and convinced himself…” — T.H. White", "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": "T.H. White", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There was just such a man...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-young-an-austrian-who-invented-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/there-was-just-such-a-man-when-i-was-young-an-austrian-who-invented-a/#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 } } ] } ```