It is impossible to predict the time and progress of revolution. It is governed by its own more or less mysterious laws.
We want to achieve a new and better order of society: in this new and better society there must be neither rich nor poor; all will have to work. Not a handful of rich people, but all the working people must enjoy the fruits of their common labour. Machines and other improvements must serve to ease the work of all and not to enable a few to grow rich at the expense of millions and tens of millions of people. This new and better society is called socialist society.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote advocates for a society where wealth is distributed equally among all workers, emphasizing the importance of collective labor over individual gain.
Vladimir Lenin's quote reflects the fundamental principles of socialism, highlighting the need for a societal structure that eliminates economic inequality. He argues for a system where the wealth generated by labor is shared among all workers rather than concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy individuals. Lenin envisions a future where technological advancements serve to improve the lives of all workers, promoting a more equitable and just society characterized by collective ownership and shared benefits from labor.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about economic reform, a leader might refer to this quote to emphasize the need for reducing wealth disparity.
More from Vladimir Lenin
All quotes →For the complete extinction of the state, complete Communism is necessary.
Medicine is the keystone of the arch of socialism.
A democracy is a state which recognizes the subjection of the minority to the majority, that is, an organization for the systematic use of violence by one class against the other, by one part of the population against another.
We are not utopians, we do not “dream” of dispensing at once with all administration, with all subordination. These anarchist dreams, based upon incomprehension of the tasks of the proletarian dictatorship, are totally alien to Marxism, and, as a matter of fact, serve only to postpone the socialist revolution until people are different. No, we want the socialist revolution with people as they are now, with people who cannot dispense with subordination, control, and "foremen and accountants".
The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.
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Luxury lies not in the richness of things, but in the absence of vulgarity
National events determine our ideals, as much as our ideals determine national events.
Whenever you become anxious or stressed, outer purpose has taken over, and you lost sight of your inner purpose. You have forgotten that your state of consciousness is primary, all else secondary.
Ultimately there can be no freedom for self unless it is vouchsafed for others; there can be no security where there is fear, and a democratic society presupposes confidence and candor in the relations of men with one another and eager collaboration for the larger ends of life instead of the pursuit of petty, selfish or vainglorious aims.
Science, it is said, no doubt has ameliorated the material conditions of human life, but is powerless to solve those moral and philosophical questions that interest cultured people so deeply.