Looking for a quote along the lines of "every extremist was once a romantic."

December 8, 2011 6:41 PM

Looking for a quote along the lines of "every extremist was once a romantic."

I read it on Tumblr a couple years ago. Google turns up nothing, it's obviously not a direct quote. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

posted by vanitas to Writing & Language (9 answers total)

If you're not Liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not Conservative when you're 35, you have no brain

There are a bunch of riffs on this particular quote. It's often presented in a similar vein to your notion, however with the Liberal and Conservative bits bastardized.
posted by EsotericAlgorithm at 7:15 PM on December 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. (or something like that?)
posted by elizeh at 8:10 PM on December 8, 2011

There's a "scratch a cynic, find a romantic" cliche out there.
posted by steinsaltz at 8:17 PM on December 8, 2011

"All rebels are closet aristocrats. That’s why I can convert them so easily."
the God-Emperor Leto II, from "God Emperor Of Dune", by Frank Herbert
posted by Babblesort at 9:55 PM on December 8, 2011

The addendum to EsotericAlgorith's quote:

"And if you're a Libertarian at any age, you have neither."
posted by likeso at 3:53 AM on December 9, 2011

The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution. Hannah Arendt
posted by violinflu at 5:50 AM on December 9, 2011

"Inside every anarchist lives a policeman". Flaubert.

I can't thank you enough for the opportunity to trot this one out.
posted by devious truculent and unreliable at 6:46 AM on December 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Cynicism is the result of frustrated idealism.
posted by txmon at 7:30 AM on December 9, 2011

I've heard, "Scratch a cynic and you find a romantic." Googling turns up dubious attributions. I swear I heard it in a movie.
posted by frecklefaerie at 5:09 PM on December 9, 2011