“Politics envelops us like the coils of a snake, and there is no way out but to wrestle with it.”
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Attribution note
The snake-coil image is genuinely Gandhi's, but this exact 'Politics envelops us... no way out but to wrestle with it' wording is a condensed paraphrase and is NOT in his autobiography (full-PDF grep: 'snake' appears only literally). Treat as a paraphrase.
Likely origin: Paraphrase of Gandhi's snake/politics image; genuine wording is closer to 'politics encircle us like the coil of a snake... I wish therefore to wrestle with the snake'
About this quote
Withdrawal looks clean but changes nothing; the tangle of power reaches everyone whether they engage with it or not. The honest response is to step in and grapple with it directly, working to bend the system without being crushed or corrupted by its grip.
When to use it
- A teacher who hates office politics still joins the committee so the curriculum reflects what students actually need.
- A resident tired of city hall runs for the neighborhood board instead of complaining from the sidelines.
- An engineer learns to navigate budget meetings so her safety concerns finally reach the people who decide.