“The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.”
- Source
- An Enemy of the People
- Date
- 1882
- Attribution
- Source identified
- Voice / speaker
- Fictional character · Dr. Thomas Stockmann
What does this quote mean?
Dr. Stockmann turns social isolation into a claim about independence of conviction: within the play’s conflict, standing without majority approval becomes evidence of his determination to continue rather than a neutral rule that solitude always makes a person stronger.
Where does it come from?
An Enemy of the People, Act V, final exchange; R. Farquharson Sharp translation represented by Project Gutenberg #2446. Dr. Thomas Stockmann says the line to his family after deciding to remain in town, so the dramatic speaker and contentious political context are essential to the quotation.
Who voices the line?
Fictional character · Dr. Thomas Stockmann. Dr. Stockmann makes this claim at the end of An Enemy of the People, Act V; it is dramatic dialogue and should not be flattened into an unframed autobiographical assertion by Ibsen.
The source author and the local speaker can be different, especially in fiction, drama, dialogue and poetry.
How should this attribution be read?
This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.