People who have what they want are very fond of telling people who haven't what they want that they don't want it.
Ogden NashRead
There are some who lack confidence in the integrity and capacity of the people to govern themselves. To all who entertain such fears I will most respectfully say that I entertain none. If man is not capable, and is not to be trusted with the government of himself, is he to be trusted with the government of others? Who, then, will govern? The answer must be, Man - for we have no angels in the shape of men, as yet, who are willing to take charge of our political affairs.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the belief in humanity's ability to govern itself and questions the validity of mistrust in people's capacity for self-governance.
Andrew Johnson's quote reflects a fundamental belief in the integrity and capabilities of humanity. He argues against the skepticism surrounding self-governance, asserting that if people cannot be trusted to manage their own affairs, they cannot be trusted to manage those of others. This statement underscores the importance of faith in collective human judgment and political responsibility, asserting that since there are no perfect leaders, we must accept the inherent fallibility of mankind.
Themes
Self-GovernanceTrustHumanityPoliticsIntegrity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in an argument advocating for democracy over authoritarianism.
Similar quotes
Discrimination is not liberal. Arguing against discrimination is not intolerance.
Richard DawkinsRead
Society is held together by our need; we bind it together with legend, myth, coercion, fearing that without it we will be hurled into that void, within which, like the earth before the Word was spoken, the foundations of society are hidden.
James A. BaldwinRead
With the eventual acceptance of Darwin's theory we reach a modern understanding of nature, one which has since then changed in detail rather than in fundamentals. Only those who prefer religious faith to beliefs based on reasoning and evidence can still maintain that the human species is the special darling of the entire universe, or that other animals were created to provide us with food, or that we have divine authority over them, and divine permission to kill them.
Peter SingerRead
He was near tears, 'Who do I blame?' he kept asking me. 'There is no God.I can only blame myself.'" The Reb's face tightened, as if in pain. "That," he said, softly, "is a terrible self-indictment." Worse than an unanswered prayer? "Oh yes. It is far more comforting to think God listened and said no, than to think that nobody's out there.
Mitch AlbomRead
One may well find oneself beginning to doubt whether all this could conceivably be the product of an enormous lottery presided over by natural selection, blindly picking the rare winners from among numbers drawn at utter random...nevertheless although the miracle of life stands "explained" it does not strike us as any less miraculous. As Francois Mauriac wrote, What this professor says is far more incredible than what we poor Christians believe.
Jacques MonodRead