“Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.”
- November 22, 1890 – November 9, 1970
- French
- Military Leader, Statesman, President of France, Founder of the Fifth Republic
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Quote
“Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.”
Explanation
This sharply ironic quote from Charles de Gaulle delivers a blistering critique of political insincerity. It suggests that many politicians speak not out of conviction, but out of expediency, manipulation, or performance. Thus, when the public or international actors actually take their words seriously, they are caught off guard. The humor in the quote masks a deeper warning: political discourse, if not grounded in sincerity, breeds cynicism and erodes trust.
De Gaulle, who often positioned himself as a man of principle above partisan politics, viewed much of the political class with skepticism and disdain, particularly in the turbulent years of the French Third and Fourth Republics. His own leadership style was marked by directness, symbolic authority, and a cultivated gravity of speech, precisely to contrast with the hollow rhetoric he saw in others. He believed that words must be aligned with action, and that credibility in politics comes from moral seriousness, not clever phrases.
In today’s political climate—marked by media spin, populist soundbites, and frequent policy reversals—this quote remains acutely relevant. It challenges citizens to scrutinize the sincerity of political statements, and it reminds leaders that words matter only when they reflect genuine intent. De Gaulle’s irony thus delivers a lasting lesson: public trust is not won by saying what is convenient, but by meaning—and living—what one says.
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