--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most the power of authoritarianism is…" description: "\"“Most the power of authoritarianism is freely given.”\" — Timothy Snyder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/timothy-snyder-882_authoritarianism_most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-fr_2459947.jpg" --- # Most the power of authoritarianism is freely given. ![“Most the power of authoritarianism is freely given.” quote by Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/timothy-snyder-882_authoritarianism_most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-fr_2459947.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/timothy-snyder-882_authoritarianism_most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-fr_2459947.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/timothy-snyder-882_authoritarianism_most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-fr_2459947.jpg) > ““Most the power of authoritarianism is freely given.”” [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authoritarianism thrives when people willingly grant power to oppressive structures. **In simple terms:** Power is willingly given. Key Takeaway Question authority and resist compliance. Themes politics power obedience Mood critical urgent Type philosophical political When to use this quote - elections - public policy - civil rights Key Concepts authoritarianism social contract Questions to Reflect On - What motivates voluntary submission? - How can civic engagement counteract? A Different Perspective People may fear loss of security. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authoritarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarianism/) [Authoritarianism Freely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarianism-freely-644303/) [Freely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freely/) [Freely Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freely-given-644305/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Authoritarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-authoritarianism-644304/) ## Related quotes > [“Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/most-of-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-freely-given-in-times-like/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/do-not-obey-in-advance-most-of-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [There is nothing stronger than a heart which loves and is freely given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/there-is-nothing-stronger-than-a-heart-which-loves-and-is-freely-given/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [“The greatest things are freely given.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-greatest-things-are-freely-given/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Everything I ever valued before this was valued only because it was useless, because time spent upon it was not demanded but freely given,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-malouf/everything-i-ever-valued-before-this-was-valued-only-because-it-was/) [David Malouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-malouf/) > [Love so joyfully and freely given can never be taken away. It is never truly gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-dokey/love-so-joyfully-and-freely-given-can-never-be-taken-away-it-is-never/) [Cameron Dokey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-dokey/) > [“Don't let anyone charge you for what God has freely given.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ellis/don-t-let-anyone-charge-you-for-what-god-has-freely-given/) [Paul Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ellis/) > [When advice is freely given, the receiver is free to use it as he or she sees fit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/when-advice-is-freely-given-the-receiver-is-free-to-use-it-as-he-or/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [What was freely given to me, I freely give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/what-was-freely-given-to-me-i-freely-give/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [“Grace freely given by God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/grace-freely-given-by-god/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Grace is freely given by God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/grace-is-freely-given-by-god/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Advice is one thing that is freely given away, but watch that you take only what is worth having.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-clason/advice-is-one-thing-that-is-freely-given-away-but-watch-that-you-take-2/) [George S. Clason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-clason/) > [“The grace of God is freely given.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-grace-of-god-is-freely-given/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Love is something you don't need to ask for neither to give it freely . It is something that should be given conversely by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hitchuraan/love-is-something-you-don-t-need-to-ask-for-neither-to-give-it-freely/) [Hitchuraan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hitchuraan/) > [“Trust was, after all, a freely given commodity. Once lost, it was not easily”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-leighton-dickson/trust-was-after-all-a-freely-given-commodity-once-lost-it-was-not/) [H. Leighton Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-leighton-dickson/) ## More by Timothy Snyder > [“Nationalism is relativist, since the only truth is the resentment we feel when we contemplate others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/nationalism-is-relativist-since-the-only-truth-is-the-resentment-we/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“The time is out of joint. O cursed spite,/That ever I was born to set it right!” Thus Hamlet. 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Most people were distracted, some were imprisoned, and others were outmatched.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/salami-tactics-slicing-off-layers-of-opposition-one-by-one-most/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“We allowed ourselves to accept the politics of inevitability, the sense that history could move in only one direction: toward liberal democracy...We imbibed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/we-allowed-ourselves-to-accept-the-politics-of-inevitability-the/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“The key to this translation of ideology to politics in both cases was an effective appeal to human experience at the crucial time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-key-to-this-translation-of-ideology-to-politics-in-both-cases-was/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“Both of these positions, inevitability and eternity, are antihistorical. 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Our power isn’t in a political system, or a religious system, or in an economic system, or in a military system;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/we-have-power-our-power-isn-t-in-a-political-system-or-a-religious/) [John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/) > [The practical reason for freedom is that freedom seems to be the only condition under which any kind of substantial moral fiber can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/the-practical-reason-for-freedom-is-that-freedom-seems-to-be-the-only/) [Albert J. 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In science, as elsewhere, intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-reeves/we-must-nevertheless-present-all-possible-interpretations-for-each/) [Hubert Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-reeves/) [Browse all 233 Authoritarianism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarianism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Most the power of authoritarianism is freely given.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Timothy Snyder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-freely-given/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authoritarianism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-freely-given/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/timothy-snyder-882_authoritarianism_most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-fr_2459947.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/timothy-snyder-882_authoritarianism_most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-fr_2459947.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/timothy-snyder-882_authoritarianism_most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-fr_2459947.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most the power of authoritarianism is freely given.” — Timothy Snyder", "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": "Timothy Snyder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Most the power of authoritarianism is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-freely-given/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/most-the-power-of-authoritarianism-is-freely-given/#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 } } ] } ```