The 10 most popular passages in Saul Alinsky's 'Rules for Radicals

Amazon has a feature whereby it makes available listings of the most popular passages in given e-books as determined by number of Kindle reader highlights. Blaze Books has been reviewing a number of titles, the most popular passages of which we thought might provide useful insights to readers. Below are the 10 most popular passages in Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals."

1. Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people. They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and chance the future.

[sharequote align="center"]Revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative...attitude...among...our people[/sharequote]

2. A reformation means that masses of our people have reached the point of disillusionment with past ways and values. They don’t know what will work but they do know that the prevailing system is self-defeating, frustrating, and hopeless. They won’t act for change but won’t strongly oppose those who do. The time is then ripe for revolution.

3. As an organizer I start from where the world is, as it is, not as I would like it to be. That we accept the world as it is does not in any sense weaken our desire to change it into what we believe it should be — it is necessary to begin where the world is if we are going to change it to what we think it should be. That means working in the system.

[sharequote align="center"]The ethics of means is dependent upon the political position of those sitting in judgment[/sharequote]

4. The second rule of the ethics of means and ends is that the judgment of the ethics of means is dependent upon the political position of those sitting in judgment.

5. My aim here is to suggest how to organize for power: how to get it and to use it. I will argue that the failure to use power for a more equitable distribution of the means of life for all people signals the end of the revolution and the start of the counterrevolution.

6. Mankind has been and is divided into three parts: the Haves, the Have-Nots, and the Have-a-Little, Want Mores.

[sharequote align="center"]As an organizer I start from where the world is, as it is, not as I would like it to be[/sharequote]

7. Remember: once you organize people around something as commonly agreed upon as pollution, then an organized people is on the move. From there it’s a short and natural step to political pollution, to Pentagon pollution.

8. The pursuit of happiness is never-ending; happiness lies in the pursuit.

9. There can be no darker or more devastating tragedy than the death of man’s faith in himself and in his power to direct his future.

[sharequote align="center"]The human spirit glows from that small inner light of doubt whether we are right[/sharequote]

10. Dogma is the enemy of human freedom. Dogma must be watched for and apprehended at every turn and twist of the revolutionary movement. The human spirit glows from that small inner light of doubt whether we are right, while those who believe with complete certainty that they possess the right are dark inside and darken the world outside with cruelty, pain, and injustice.