- The most effective means are whatever will achieve the desired ends.

- An intermediate end for radicals should be democracy because of its relative ease to work within to achieve other ends of social justice.

- Alinsky would ask new Community Organizers why they wanted to organize, they would invariably respond with selfless bromides about wanting to help others. Alinsky would then scream back at them that there was a one-word answer: "You want to organize for power!"

-Many new Community Organizers have an aversion to Alinsky's gritty approach because they come to organizing as idealists rather than realists. They need to get over these hang-ups. "We are not virtuous by not wanting power, We are really cowards for not wanting power," because "power is good" and "powerlessness is evil."

- The Alinsky's maxim of self-interest is the only principle around which to organize people. Community Organizers should "get rid of do-gooders in your church and your organization." The key to creating successful organizations is making sure people's self-interest is met.