Nothing ever gets settled in this town. a seething debating society in which the debate never stops, in which people never give up, including me. And so that's the atmosphere in which you administer.
George P. ShultzRead
He who walks in the middle of the roads gets hit from both sides.
Interpretation
Compromising too much can lead to negative consequences from all sides.
This quote by George P. Shultz emphasizes the idea that attempting to remain neutral or indecisive in situations requiring commitment can invite criticism and harm from all parties involved. It suggests that straddling the fence or avoiding firm stances can leave one vulnerable and without support, underscoring the importance of taking a clear position in life.
In practice
In a team meeting discussing project direction, this quote could encourage members to take a clear stance rather than playing both sides.
Nothing ever gets settled in this town. a seething debating society in which the debate never stops, in which people never give up, including me. And so that's the atmosphere in which you administer.
If they are too big to fail, make them smaller.
The minute you start talking about what you're going to do if you lose, you have lost.
What we want is scientists who don't become part of the policy discussion: All they do is produce science. If someone becomes an advocate, then I won't pay as much attention to their science.
I want my grandchildren to be proud of me. That's the main thing.
Increasingly, the state system has been eroding. Terrorists have exploited this weakness by burrowing into the state system in order to attack it.
The workman mindful of success, therefore, will naturally direct his attention to the faultless preparation of his stock, and in order to achieve this result, he will find it necessary not merely to make use of the freshest and finest goods, but also to exercise the most scrupulous care in their preparation, for, in cooking, care is half the battle.
He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden.
I know more than I can express in words, and the little I can express would not have been expressed, had I not known more.
I have no views as to where it will be, but the one thing I can tell you is it won't do anything between now and then except look at you. Whereas, you know, Coca-Cola (KO) will be making money, and I think Wells Fargo (WFC) will be making a lot of money and there will be a lot - and it's a lot - it's a lot better to have a goose that keeps laying eggs than a goose that just sits there and eats insurance and storage and a few things like that.
I've reached the age of self-knowledge, so I don't know anything. People who claim that they know something are responsible for most of the fuss in the world.
One of my greatest pleasures in my writing has come from the thought that perhaps my work might annoy someone of comfortably pretentious position. Then comes the realization that such people rarely read.
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