George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Part III, Ch. 3 (1948)
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We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.

— George Orwell on Persecution

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power." in the context of "George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Part III, Ch. 3 (1948)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Persecution" (Quotes, O) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 28, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

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#George Orwell#power#object#dictatorship#persecution#revolution#establish#torture#order#relinquishing#intention#safeguard
George Orwell

About George Orwell

George Orwell (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was the pen name of British novelist, essayist, and journalist Eric Arthur Blair, whose work is characterised by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and strong support of democratic socialism.