I ask that all Americans demonstrate in their personal and public lives... the high ethical standards that are essential to good character and to the continued success of our Nation.
Interpretation
The quote calls for ethical behavior in both personal and public spheres to ensure national success.
William J. Clinton emphasizes the importance of high ethical standards in the conduct of all Americans. He believes that such standards are foundational to good character and are crucial for the ongoing success of the nation, suggesting that individual actions contribute to the collective welfare and integrity of society.
In practice
In a speech about public service, a leader might reference this quote to encourage integrity among citizens.
You know, there was a recent poll which said that young people in the generation of the students here felt it was far more likely that they would see a UFO than that they would draw Social Security... It's very important you understand this. Once you understand this, you realize this is not an episode from the X Files, and you're not more likely to see a UFO if you do certain specific things.
When we got organized as a country, [and] wrote a fairly radical Constitution, with a radical Bill of Rights, giving radical amounts of freedom to Americans, it was assumed that Americans who had that freedom would use it responsibly...When personal freedom is being abused, you have to move to limit it.
For too long we've been told about 'us' and 'them.' Each and every election we see a new slate of arguments and ads telling us that 'they' are the problem, not 'us.' But there can be no 'them' in America. There's only us.
There is a huge body of business evidence now showing that energy savings give better service at lower cost with higher profit. We have to tear down barriers to successful markets and we have to create incentives to enter them.
Demand that your government pays more attention. It's immoral that people in Africa die like flies of diseases that no one dies of in the United States. And the more disease there is, the more political unrest there will be, leading to more Darfurs, which the U.S. will have to pay to fix.
I was not elected to produce a pile of vetoes.
It's about communication. It's about honesty. It's about treating people in the organization as deserving to know the facts. You don't try to give them half the story. You don't try to hide the story. You treat them as - as true equals, and you communicate and you communicate and communicate.
The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.
In organizations, once you articulate how success will be measured, everybody tries to game the system so that they are measured in the best possible way.
In public administration good sense would seem to require that public expectation be kept at the lowest possible level in order to minimize eventual disappointment.
Let me have men about me that are fat, Sleek-headed-men, and such as sleep o'nights; Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; he thinks too much; such men are dangerous.
I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, so I ask you to confirm me with your prayers.
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