Our chief defect is that we are more given to talking about things than to doing them.
Jawaharlal NehruRead
Democracy and socialism are means to an end, not the end itself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Democracy and socialism are tools used to achieve goals, rather than ultimate objectives in themselves.
Jawaharlal Nehru's quote emphasizes that both democracy and socialism should be viewed as methods to create a better society rather than final destinations. This perspective encourages individuals and societies to focus on the values and objectives that underlie these systems, such as justice, equality, and freedom, instead of getting lost in the ideologies themselves.
Themes
DemocracySocialismPoliticsGoalsIdeologySociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about political systems, you can use this quote to remind others that the purpose of democracy is to serve the people's needs.
More from Jawaharlal Nehru
All quotes →India has known the innocence and insouciance of childhood, the passion and abandon of youth, and the ripe wisdom of maturity that comes from long experience of pain and pleasure; and over and over a gain she has renewed her childhood and youth and age
Jawaharlal NehruRead
Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will.
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Crises and deadlocks when they occur have at least this advantage, that they force us to think.
Jawaharlal NehruRead
What we really are matters more than what other people think of us.
Jawaharlal NehruRead
Loyal and efficient work in a great cause, even though it may not be immediately recognized, ultimately bears fruit.
Jawaharlal NehruRead
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