Communism needs democracy like the human body needs oxygen.
Leon TrotskyRead
The depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves. People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life, for only then do they have to fall back on their reserves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A person's true character is revealed in times of adversity when they must rely on their moral values.
This quote by Leon Trotsky suggests that an individual's character is tested and ultimately defined by the moral reserves they possess. When faced with challenging situations that disrupt their normal lives, people are compelled to draw upon their fundamental values and principles, showcasing their true selves. It implies that our character emerges not during times of comfort, but rather in moments of struggle and hardship.
Themes
CharacterMoral ValuesAdversityRevealingStrength
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about resilience during difficult times.
More from Leon Trotsky
All quotes →Abusive language and swearing are a legacy of slavery, humiliation, and disrespect for human dignity, one’s own and that of other people.
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In a country where the sole employer is the State, opposition means death by slow starvation. The old principle: who does not work shall not eat, has been replaced by a new one: who does not obey shall not eat.
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Man will become immeasurably stronger, wiser, and subtler; his body will become more harmonious, his movements more rhythmic, his voice more musical. The forms of life will become dynamically dramatic. The average human type will rise to the heights of an Aristotle, a Goethe, or a Marx. And above these heights, new peaks will rise.
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The masses go into a revolution not with a prepared plan of social reconstruction, but with a sharp feeling that they cannot endure the old regime. Only the guiding layers of a class have a political program, and even this still requires the test of events and the approval of the masses.
Leon TrotskyRead
History has different yardsticks for the cruelty of the Northerners and the cruelty of the Southerners in the Civil War. A slave-owner who through cunning and violence shackles a slave in chains, and a slave who through cunning or violence breaks the chains – let not the contemptible eunuchs tell us that they are equals before a court of morality!
Leon TrotskyRead
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