Power is perhaps one of the most foundational concepts around which our societies and cultures revolve. It is a word with a multitude of dimensions and meanings, often times complex and paradoxical. This selection of quotes explores power from its many different perspectives, from the advice of world leaders to the musings of great philosophers.
Quotes About Power
- “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” – Lord Acton
- “The measure of a man is what he does with power.” – Plato
- “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
- “Knowledge is power.” – Francis Bacon
- “Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it.” – William Pitt
- “Power is not an institution, and not a structure; neither is it a certain strength we are endowed with; it is the name that one attributes to a complex strategical situation in a particular society.” – Michel Foucault
- “Power corrupts, but lack of power corrupts absolutely.” – Adlai Stevenson
- “Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true.” – Honoré de Balzac
- “Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” – Henry Kissinger
- “With great power there must also come — great responsibility!” – Stan Lee
- “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
- “Mastering others is strength. Mastering oneself makes you fearless.” – Lao Tzu
- “Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.” – Carl Jung
- “Power is given only to those who dare to lower themselves and pick it up. Only one thing matters, one thing; to be able to dare!” – Fyodor Dostoevsky
- “I met an old lady once, almost a hundred years old, and she told me, ‘There are only two questions that human beings have ever fought over, all through history. How much do you love me? And Who’s in charge?'” – Elizabeth Gilbert
- “Power is like being a lady… if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” – Margaret Thatcher
- “You see what power is – holding someone else’s fear in your hand and showing it to them!” – Amy Tan
- “The attempt to combine wisdom and power has only rarely been successful and then only for a short while.” – Albert Einstein
- “Silence is the ultimate weapon of power.” – Charles de Gaulle
These quotes offer insight from some of the world’s greatest minds on the nature and use of power. They highlight the wisdom obtained from centuries of human experience and the many layers of understanding surrounding the concept. We hope they inspire you, challenge you and stimulate thoughtful conversation about the power you possess and how you wield it in your own life.