I always thought I was Jeanne d'Arc and Bonaparte. How little one knows oneself.
Charles De GaulleRead
Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the disconnect between what politicians say and what they actually believe, often leading to public surprise at their statements being taken seriously.
Charles De Gaulle's quote reflects on the nature of political discourse, where the insincerity of politicians often prevents them from understanding the impact of their words. It suggests an ironic situation in which politicians, accustomed to speaking without conviction, are astonished when the public genuinely interprets their statements as commitments or truths, revealing a fundamental gap in communication between leaders and citizens.
Themes
PoliticsCommunicationIronyTrustDiscourse
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate, this quote can be used to critique the sincerity of the opposing candidate's statements.
More from Charles De Gaulle
All quotes →Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life.
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Today we are crushed by the sheer weight of the mechanized forces hurled against us, but we can still look to the future in which even greater mechanized forces will bring us victory. Therein lies the destiny of the world.
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The perfection preached in the gospels never yet built an empire. Every man of action has a strong dose of egotism, pride, hardness, and cunning.
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One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day was; one cannot judge life until death.
Charles De GaulleRead
Soyons fermes, purs et fidèles ; au bout de nos peines, il y a la plus grande gloire du monde, celle des hommes qui n'ont pas cédé. [Let us be firm, pure and faithful; at the end of our sorrow, there is the greatest glory of the world, that of the men who did not give in.]
Charles De GaulleRead
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