Maintain Quote by Ursula K. Le Guin
“To oppose something is to maintain it.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Dispossessed, 1974
Maintaining opposition often unintentionally sustains the very thing you oppose.
In simple terms: Opposing can keep the thing alive.
Key Takeaway
Be aware of how resistance may reinforce the status quo.
Themes
politics
paradox
activism
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- social movements
- policy debates
- activist strategies
Key Concepts
feedback loops
systems theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How might your resistance be strengthening the target?
- What alternative approaches could avoid this paradox?
A Different Perspective
Opposition can be co-opted or become a self‑fulfilling prophecy.
![“To oppose something is to maintain it… To be sure, if you turn your back on [something] and walk away from it, you are still on the [same] road. To oppose vulgarity is inevitably to be vulgar. You must go somewhere else; you must have another goal; then you walk a different road.” quote by Ursula K. LeGuin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f2a/ursula-k-leguin-70755_goals_to-oppose-something-is-to-maintain-it-to_2193061.jpg)
