Revolutionaries do not make revolutions. The revolutionaries are those who know when power is lying in the street and then they can pick it up.
What’s the meaning of this quote?
Quote Meaning: This quote challenges the conventional understanding of what it means to be a revolutionary. Often, when we think of revolutionaries, we imagine them as instigators, the ones who initiate and drive the change. However, this quote suggests that the true essence of a revolutionary lies in their ability to discern when a significant change is on the horizon and seize the opportunity. Revolutionaries are like surfers patiently waiting for the right wave, the wave that could carry them forward. Power is the wave, and it’s not always flashy and apparent. Sometimes, it’s subtle, unclaimed, and ‘lying in the street’. Revolutionaries are those who can see this latent power, understand its potential, and have the courage and the skill to pick it up and ride the wave of change. They don’t necessarily create the circumstances for a revolution, but they have the knack for understanding when those circumstances have ripened enough to be leveraged into a significant societal shift.
Who said the quote?
The quote “Revolutionaries do not make revolutions. The revolutionaries are those who know when power is lying in the street and then they can pick it up.” was said by Hannah Arendt (Bio / Quotes). Hannah Arendt was a German philosopher and political theorist who is best known for her work on totalitarianism and the nature of power.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an impact-driven creator at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 life goals around the globe. Tal's journey and recent book, The Art of Fully Living, inspired him to found Elevate Society.
