Admire and adore the Author of the telescopic universe, love and esteem the work, do all in your power to lessen ill, and increase good, but never assume to comprehend.
John AdamsRead
No man who ever held the office of president would congratulate a friend on obtaining it.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that achieving the presidency is not something that is generally celebrated by those who understand its burdens.
John Adams implies that the office of the president comes with great responsibility and challenges, such that those who have experienced it wouldnβt easily congratulate a friend for acquiring such a demanding position. It highlights the weight of leadership and the complexities associated with political power.
In practice
In a discussion about the demands of political leadership.
Admire and adore the Author of the telescopic universe, love and esteem the work, do all in your power to lessen ill, and increase good, but never assume to comprehend.
Property monopolized or in the possession of a few is a curse to mankind.
Let us dare to read, think, speak and write.
There are two ways to conquer and enslave a country. One is by the sword. The other is by debt.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
The furnace of affliction produces refinement, in states as well as individuals.
Palestine is the cement that holds the Arab world together, or it is the explosive that blows it apart.
Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states.
The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations.
If there is a mystical chord in democracy, it probably revolves around the notion that unexpected music can resonate from politics when people are pursuing questions larger than self... I have seen that ennobling effect in people many, many times- expressed by those who found themselves engaged in genuine acts of democratic expression, who claimed their right to define the larger destiny of their community, their nations.
Democracy cannot be static. Whatever is static is dead.
We must not let history repeat itself in Iraq. The reality is there is no military solution in Iraq. This is a sectarian war with long standing roots that were flamed when we invaded Iraq in 2003. Any lasting solution must be political and take into account respect for the entire Iraqi population.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.