The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.
Saul AlinskyRead
An organizer working in and for an open society is in an ideological dilemma to begin with, he does not have a fixed truth - truth to him is relative and changing; everything to him is relative and changing.... To the extent that he is free from the shackles of dogma, he can respond to the realities of the widely different situations.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote illustrates the challenge faced by organizers in an open society, where truth is viewed as fluid rather than absolute.
Saul Alinsky's quote emphasizes the ideological struggle of those who work within open societies, highlighting that unlike fixed dogmas, their understanding of truth is subject to change. This flexibility allows them to adapt to various social realities, enabling them to respond effectively to diverse situations without being confined by rigid beliefs.
Themes
TruthIdeologyFlexibilityOpen SocietyAdaptation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about social movements and their need to adapt to changing circumstances.
More from Saul Alinsky
All quotes →Lest we forget at least an over the shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins - or which is which), the very first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom - Lucifer.
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The second rule is: Never go outside the experience of your people. When an action is outside the experience of the people, the result is confusion, fear, and retreat.
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The first step in community organization is community disorganization. The disruption of the present organization is the first step toward community organization. Present arrangements must be disorganized if they are to be displace by new patterns.... All change means disorganization of the old and organization of the new.
Saul AlinskyRead
The threat is generally more terrifying than the thing itself.
Saul AlinskyRead
Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.
Saul AlinskyRead
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