“The devotion of such titans of spirit as Lenin to an Ideal must bear fruit. The nobility of his selflessness will be an example through centuries to come, and his Ideal will reach perfection.”
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Attribution note
Widely reposted but unsourced and out of character: Gandhi repeatedly criticized violent means, making unqualified praise of Lenin's 'Ideal reaching perfection' suspect; treat as unverified and likely dubious.
About this quote
This admiring line about Lenin is doubtfully credited to him and clashes with his documented rejection of Bolshevik violence; no reliable source backs it. The thought inside is broader: wholehearted, selfless devotion to an ideal tends to outlast the person and set an example others measure themselves by.
When to use it
- A researcher who spends decades on an unglamorous cure keeps inspiring students long after she's gone.
- A teacher's relentless care for struggling kids becomes the standard her former pupils later teach by.
- A founder who pours himself into a mission over money leaves a culture that outlives his tenure.