Success is the important thing. Propaganda is not a matter for average minds, but rather a matter for practitioners. It is not supposed to be lovely or theoretically correct. I do not care if I give wonderful, aesthetically elegant speeches, or speak so that women cry. The point of a political speech is to persuade people of what we think right. I speak differently in the provinces than I do in Berlin, and when I speak in Bayreuth, I say different things than I say in the Pharus Hall. That is a matter of practice, not of theory. We do not want to be a movement of a few straw brains, but rather a movement that can conquer the broad masses. Propaganda should be popular, not intellectually pleasing. It is not the task of propaganda to discover intellectual truths.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Propaganda prioritizes persuasion and mass appeal over intellectual truth or aesthetic quality.
- In plain terms
- Political speeches aim to convince people, not to be beautiful or correct.
- What can you take from it?
- Effective messaging focuses on the audience's reaction rather than abstract ideals.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is truth important in public messaging?
- How do you measure successful persuasion?
Another view
This view justifies manipulation and disregards ethical communication standards.
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