Joan Didion: For Power’s Sake
on Sunday, December 13, 2020Joan Didion Money Quote saying the unknown point of having power isn’t the stuff but the freedom. Joan Didion said:
“The secret point of money and power in America is neither the things that money can buy nor power for power’s sake… but absolute personal freedom, mobility, privacy” — Joan Didion
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In this quote, Joan Didion seems to be arguing that for many Americans, the true appeal of wealth and influence lies not in material goods or status alone, but rather in the autonomy, flexibility and anonymity that money and power enable. By stating the “secret point” is “absolute personal freedom, mobility, privacy”, Didion implies accumulating money and authority affords self-determination to move and act freely without constraints, as well as live privately without undue public scrutiny.
The quote conveys Didion’s perspective that for some, financial success and clout represent liberation to define oneself and one’s circumstances on their own terms, away from obligations and visibility. Overall, she appears to suggest money and power in American culture promise an independence of self and lifestyle that many find just as or more alluring than outward displays of wealth and prestige.