Quote of the Day by Sigmund Freud's nephew Edward Bernays: 'The great enemy of any attempt to change men’s habits is inertia. Civilization is limited by inertia'

Edward L. Bernays is regarded as one of the fathers of public relations. Born on November 22, 1891, in Vienna, Austria, Edward L. Bernays was the nephew of Sigmund Freud, and after moving to the United States as a child, he pursued a career as a journalist post-college. He was pioneer American publicist who is generally considered to have been the first to develop the idea of the professional public relations counselor. Through his work with the Committee on Public Information during World War One, Bernays honed his craft and brought his expertise to the private sector.

In 1919, Bernays founded his own public relations firm, rapidly earning recognition for his groundbreaking strategies. He spearheaded memorable campaigns, from boosting bacon sales at breakfast to encouraging women to smoke through the iconic “torches of freedom” demonstration. By applying psychological principles, he skillfully influenced public perception and behavior, often enlisting celebrities and experts to amplify his campaigns. Beyond his professional work, Bernays authored several influential books on public relations and pioneered the first college course on the subject at New York University.

Quote of the Day by Edward L. Bernays

Today's quote of the day: 'The great enemy of any attempt to change men’s habits is inertia. Civilization is limited by inertia' is widely attributed to Edward Bernays and has been widely used by various media houses, publications and websites. The quote by Edward Bernays speaks to a fundamental truth about human behavior and societal progress.


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Meaning of the quote by Edward L. Bernays

Edward L. Bernays through his quote tries to explain that it is natural for human beings to resist to change as that would need them to step out of their comfort zone. In his quote, Bernays applies the concept of inertia, a concept borrowed from physics that describes an object’s resistance to movement. Here it is applied to human habits, patterns, attitudes, and routines. In simple terms, just like a stationary object tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force, humans often behave in familiar patterns, even when those behaviors are inefficient, harmful, or outdated.

And this resistance to change is a huge hurdle for people who want to experience growth or want to adopt new habits in their routine. This also explains the reasons why societal reforms, technological innovations, or cultural shifts take such a long time to happen. As per Edward L. Bernays's view, civilization is constrained by this natural tendency toward inertia. Even when opportunities for improvement exist—whether in science, governance, or social structures—progress is slow because people are comfortable with the status quo.

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Bernays understood that effective and great communication, persuasion and social engineering are some of the tools that can help "push" people out of their habitual patterns, thus leading to their overall growth and development. Marketing, advertising, and public campaigns, in his perspective, could serve as the external forces that overcome resistance and accelerate change.

In essence, the quote emphasizes that inertia is a hidden but powerful barrier to growth. Recognizing it allows leaders, innovators, and individuals to strategize methods for motivating change, whether through education, incentives, or persuasive messaging. Civilization’s advancement, according to Bernays, is ultimately bounded by our collective reluctance to break from established habits, making the deliberate management of inertia essential for meaningful progress.

Other inspiring and powerful quotes by Edward Bernays

“We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.”

“Men (people) are rarely aware of the real reasons which motivate their actions.”

“The great enemy of any attempt to change men’s habits is inertia. Civilization is limited by inertia.”

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“Modern business must have its finger continuously on the public pulse. It must understand the changes in the public mind and be prepared to interpret itself fairly and eloquently to changing opinion.”

“Propaganda is the executive arm of the invisible government.”

“In place of thoughts it has impulses, habits, and emotions"