“When God desires to destroy a thing, he entrusts its destruction to the thing itself. Every bad institution of this world ends by suicide.”
- February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885
- Born in France
- Author, poet, playwright
- Written novels and poems such as “Les Miserables” and “Notre-Dame de Paris,” he was a representative figure of French Romantic literature and had a worldwide influence.
Quote
“When God desires to destroy a thing, he entrusts its destruction to the thing itself. Every bad institution of this world ends by suicide.”
Explanation
In this powerful quote, Victor Hugo suggests that the downfall of a corrupt or harmful institution is often brought about not by external forces, but by its own internal contradictions and failures. Hugo implies that the inherent flaws within an unjust system will eventually lead to its own demise, a process he describes as self-destruction or “suicide.” This aligns with the idea that bad institutions, whether political, social, or economic, ultimately collapse when their foundations—based on injustice or immorality—become unsustainable.
Hugo, writing in a time of revolution and political upheaval, had witnessed firsthand the fall of monarchical and aristocratic systems that had failed to adapt to the demands for social change. He believed that these institutions, when corrupted by greed, cruelty, or injustice, would inevitably meet their end through the very forces they oppressed. The metaphor of suicide underscores the idea that the institutions themselves are responsible for their destruction, as their actions eventually lead to their own undoing.
In modern times, this quote serves as a reminder of the dangers of unchecked power and corruption. Whether in government, corporations, or other institutions, when a system becomes too self-serving or neglectful of the needs of the people, it creates the conditions for its own collapse. The quote highlights the importance of self-awareness and the need for continual reform to avoid the self-destructive tendencies that arise from arrogance, inequality, or greed. Hugo’s words continue to resonate as a call for vigilance and moral integrity in the face of institutional power.
