Antonio Gramsci — "Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will."
Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.
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More from Antonio Gramsci
"The challenge of modernity is to live without illusions and without becoming disillusioned."
"Indifference is the dead weight of history."
"The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear."
"The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters."
"My practicality consists in this: in the knowledge that if you beat your head against the wall it is your head which breaks and not the wall … that is my strength, my only strength."
Details
A famous maxim, often attributed to Romain Rolland but adopted and popularized by Gramsci, suggesting a clear-eyed analysis of difficult situations combined with a resolute determination to act. Not 'shocking' in itself, but its call for radical action despite pessimistic analysis can be seen as provocative.
Date: 1920s-1930s
ShockingVerification
Unverifiable
Found in 1 providers: gemini
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