--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The lunatic fringe in all reform movements." description: "\"The lunatic fringe in all reform movements.\" — Theodore Roosevelt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/theodore-roosevelt-218_fringe_the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movemen_2100544.jpg" --- # The lunatic fringe in all reform movements. ![“The lunatic fringe in all reform movements.” quote by Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/theodore-roosevelt-218_fringe_the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movemen_2100544.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/theodore-roosevelt-218_fringe_the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movemen_2100544.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/theodore-roosevelt-218_fringe_the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movemen_2100544.jpg) > “The lunatic fringe in all reform movements.” [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every reform movement contains extreme elements that can undermine its goals. **In simple terms:** Reforms have fringe radicals. Key Takeaway Watch for extremes in activism. Themes politics reform radicalism Mood cautious critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - grassroots organizing - media coverage - public protests Key Concepts history social change Questions to Reflect On - When are fringe ideas beneficial? - How to distinguish constructive from destructive radicals? A Different Perspective Extremes may be necessary catalysts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fringe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fringe/) [Fringe Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fringe-reform-4193702/) [Lunatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lunatic/) [Lunatic Fringe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lunatic-fringe-366770/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) [Reform movements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform-movements/) ## Related quotes > [Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/every-reform-movement-has-a-lunatic-fringe/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Among the wise and high-minded people who in self-respecting and genuine fashion strive earnestly for peace, there are the foolish fanatics always to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/among-the-wise-and-high-minded-people-who-in-self-respecting-and/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [There is apt to be a lunatic fringe among the votaries of any forward movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-is-apt-to-be-a-lunatic-fringe-among-the-votaries-of-any-forward/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“In every revival of truth, the pendulum tendency to extremes finds abundant illustration. All reform movements, including the present one, are characterized by "a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-ford/in-every-revival-of-truth-the-pendulum-tendency-to-extremes-finds/) [Desmond Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-ford/) > [The lunatic fringe wags the underdog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-lunatic-fringe-wags-the-underdog/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [People like me, who care about printing, constitute the tiniest lunatic fringe in the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-baskin/people-like-me-who-care-about-printing-constitute-the-tiniest-lunatic/) [Leonard Baskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-baskin/) > [That was like the moment of revelation for me that in fact we are not the lunatic fringe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/that-was-like-the-moment-of-revelation-for-me-that-in-fact-we-are-not/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Writers are the lunatic fringe of publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-rossner/writers-are-the-lunatic-fringe-of-publishing/) [Judith Rossner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-rossner/) > [The way to find what the mainstream will do tomorrow is to associate with the lunatic fringe today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-louis/the-way-to-find-what-the-mainstream-will-do-tomorrow-is-to-associate/) [Jean Louis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-louis/) > [When you have a liberal class that no longer functions, when those people who traditionally defend and care about a civil society no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/when-you-have-a-liberal-class-that-no-longer-functions-when-those/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [One of the things about leadership is that you cannot be a moderate, balanced, thoughtful, careful articulator of policy. You've got to be on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/one-of-the-things-about-leadership-is-that-you-cannot-be-a-moderate/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [Does political correctness have a good side? Yes, it does, for it makes us re-examine attitudes, and that is always useful. The trouble is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/does-political-correctness-have-a-good-side-yes-it-does-for-it-makes/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [You sometimes find something good in the lunatic fringe. In fact, we have got as part of our social and economic government today a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/you-sometimes-find-something-good-in-the-lunatic-fringe-in-fact-we/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The lunatic fringe is more like a Spanish shawl, where the fringe makes up the entire garment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-lunatic-fringe-is-more-like-a-spanish-shawl-where-the-fringe/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Outrageous behavior, also known as the lunatic fringe, is the seed bed of innovation and creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/outrageous-behavior-also-known-as-the-lunatic-fringe-is-the-seed-bed/) [Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/) ## More by Theodore Roosevelt > [No people is wholly civilized where a distinction is drawn between stealing an office and stealing a purse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/no-people-is-wholly-civilized-where-a-distinction-is-drawn-between/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [There can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-effective-control-of-corporations-while-their/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/get-action-seize-the-moment-man-was-never-intended-to-become-an-oyster/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Argument weak; speak loudly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/argument-weak-speak-loudly/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense."... "We must treat each man on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/let-the-watchwords-of-all-our-people-be-the-old-familiar-watchwords/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [The forces that tend for evil are great and terrible, but the forces of truth and love and courage and honesty and generosity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-forces-that-tend-for-evil-are-great-and-terrible-but-the-forces/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/every-reform-movement-has-a-lunatic-fringe/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Conservation and rural-life policies are really two sides of the same policy; and down at the bottom this policy rests upon the fundamental law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/conservation-and-rural-life-policies-are-really-two-sides-of-the-same/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [It is a great mistake to think that the extremist is a better man than the moderate. Usually the difference is not that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-a-great-mistake-to-think-that-the-extremist-is-a-better-man/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [I am a strong individualist by personal habit, inheritance, and conviction; but it is a mere matter of common sense to recognize that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/i-am-a-strong-individualist-by-personal-habit-inheritance-and/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Alone of human beings the good and wise mother stands on a plane of equal honor with the bravest soldier; for she has gladly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/alone-of-human-beings-the-good-and-wise-mother-stands-on-a-plane-of/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [The greatest privilege and greatest duty for any man is to be happily married, and no other form of success or service, for either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-greatest-privilege-and-greatest-duty-for-any-man-is-to-be-happily/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [For unflagging interest and enjoyment, a household of children, if things go reasonably well, certainly all other forms of success and achievement lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/for-unflagging-interest-and-enjoyment-a-household-of-children-if/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [There can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains. To put an end to it will be neither a short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-effective-control-of-corporations-while-their-2/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [If elected, I shall see to it that every man has a square deal, no less and no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/if-elected-i-shall-see-to-it-that-every-man-has-a-square-deal-no-less/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) [Explore all 876 Theodore Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) ## More Fringe quotes > [The Fringe is by far my favorite time of year; I like everything about it. But there are people I know who are much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/the-fringe-is-by-far-my-favorite-time-of-year-i-like-everything-about/) [Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [The lunatic fringe wags the underdog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-lunatic-fringe-wags-the-underdog/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/every-reform-movement-has-a-lunatic-fringe/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [As evangelical Christians we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life. The rest of human life we feel is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/as-evangelical-christians-we-have-tended-to-relegate-art-to-the-very/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [I was in a really crummy pop-punk band. I think we did a whole bunch of Blink-182 covers, and we were on the fringe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-ruess/i-was-in-a-really-crummy-pop-punk-band-i-think-we-did-a-whole-bunch/) [Nate Ruess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-ruess/) > [I’ve always been a sort of self-imposed outsider, not a geeky outsider or a snobby outsider but, I just have a natural desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/i-ve-always-been-a-sort-of-self-imposed-outsider-not-a-geeky-outsider/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [Never in my career have I got the support for what I'm doing, any more than I have on Fringe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-h-wyman/never-in-my-career-have-i-got-the-support-for-what-i-m-doing-any-more/) [J.H. Wyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-h-wyman/) > [When fringe groups gather, there is power in that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hopkins/when-fringe-groups-gather-there-is-power-in-that/) [Ben Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hopkins/) > [We have banished our artists to the fringe of society and tell them to eat cake. It is our artists who choose freedom over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-block/we-have-banished-our-artists-to-the-fringe-of-society-and-tell-them/) [Peter Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-block/) > [As evangelical Christians, we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life. The rest of human life we feel is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/as-evangelical-christians-we-have-tended-to-relegate-art-to-the-very-2/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [Georgia has been on the fringes of competitive for a while now because of its black population and growing Hispanic community. The white vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-michael-cillizza/georgia-has-been-on-the-fringes-of-competitive-for-a-while-now/) [Christopher Michael Cillizza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-michael-cillizza/) > [The City of New York is like an enormous citadel, a modern Carcassonne. Walking between the magnificent skyscrapers one feels the presence on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-city-of-new-york-is-like-an-enormous-citadel-a-modern-carcassonne/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [I seem to be a brief light that flashes but once in all the aeons of time a rare, complicated, and all-too-delicate organism on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/i-seem-to-be-a-brief-light-that-flashes-but-once-in-all-the-aeons-of/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [I've always been very curious about fringe cultures where people temporarily adopt a different social model or way of presenting themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/i-ve-always-been-very-curious-about-fringe-cultures-where-people/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) [Browse all 304 Fringe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fringe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The lunatic fringe in all reform movements.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Theodore Roosevelt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movements/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fringe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movements/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/theodore-roosevelt-218_fringe_the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movemen_2100544.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/theodore-roosevelt-218_fringe_the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movemen_2100544.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/theodore-roosevelt-218_fringe_the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movemen_2100544.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The lunatic fringe in all reform movements.” — Theodore Roosevelt", "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": "Theodore Roosevelt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The lunatic fringe in all reform...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movements/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-lunatic-fringe-in-all-reform-movements/#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 } } ] } ```