People
Being in power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.
— Margaret Thatcher
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The saying compares power with a social ideal of being a lady, then claims both should be evident without announcement. Its sharp final reversal turns insistence into evidence against the claim. The point is that authority or standing loses credibility when it depends on declaring itself.
Context reviewed