We are at heart so profoundly anarchistic - Lionel Trilling

Hello, I am Lionel Trilling, a literary critic, writer, and thinker who has long contemplated the paradoxes of human society and governance. One of my most quoted insights is this: "We are at heart so profoundly anarchistic that the only form of state we can imagine living in is Utopian; and so cynical that the only Utopia we can believe in is authoritarian." This statement reflects the duality that resides within human nature. On the one hand, we yearn for a perfect society, one free from oppression, corruption, and coercion—a true Utopia. Yet, on the other hand, we are deeply skeptical of the very idea of Utopia, suspecting that any attempt to achieve it must inevitably lead to authoritarianism. Let me explain how this applied in the past, how it applies now, and why it continues to resonate.