Quotation by

Simone Weil

Force is as pitiless to the man who possesses it, or thinks he does, as it is to its victims the second it crushes, the first it intoxicates. The truth is, nobody really possesses it.

Advertisement

Understanding this quote AI Analysis

Simone Weil is saying that force harms both those who use it and those who suffer from it, but in different ways: it destroys its victims immediately while it makes its users feel drunk with power. She argues that this feeling of control is an illusion because true ownership of force is impossible.

More by this author

All quotes by Simone Weil →

More quotes about Truth

See all →
Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.
Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either.
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Advertisement

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.
I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.