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The goal in the end is not to win elections. The goal is to change society.
Paul Krugman
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Winning elections is not the ultimate objective; rather, the real aim is to bring about societal transformation.

Paul Krugman's quote emphasizes that the true measure of success in politics is not merely securing electoral victories but instead instigating meaningful changes within society. It challenges the conventional view that winning is the primary goal, advocating for deeper societal impact as the ultimate aim of political engagement.

Themes

ChangeSocietyElectionsPoliticsTransformation

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about civic engagement, one might quote Krugman to inspire more profound action.

More from Paul Krugman

Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth.
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It’s not about the budget; it’s about the power...So will the attack on unions succeed? I don’t know. But anyone who cares about retaining government of the people by the people should hope that it doesn’t.
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The economics profession went astray because economists, as a group, mistook beauty, clad in impressive-looking mathematics, for truth.
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In this speedy world of ours when facts are multiplying rapidly and giant rearrangements are happening all around us, it seems dangerous to be made nervous by the new - to want what we can never have, to want things not to be rearranged. It would be better to be able to take the leap, which is to be able not only to live with change and newness, but even to help make it.
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