If the newspapers of a country are filled with good news, the jails of that country will be filled with good people.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
No one is innocent after the experience of governing. But not everyone is guilty.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Experience in governance brings complexities to morality, showing that while everyone may not be guilty, innocence can be lost.
This quote by Daniel Patrick Moynihan suggests that the act of governing inevitably alters one's perspective on morality and ethics. While governance is a challenging endeavor that exposes individuals to difficult decisions and situations, it does not mean that all who govern are morally compromised; instead, it highlights the nuance of human experience where innocence can fade in the face of responsibility, yet not all are culpable for choices made in that complex environment.
Themes
GoverningInnocenceGuiltMoralityLeadership
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the challenges of political leadership.
More from Daniel Patrick Moynihan
All quotes βWhen a person goes to a country and finds their newspapers filled with nothing but good news, he can bet there are good men in jail.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
The richest inheritance any child can have is a stable, loving, disciplined family life.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
We must not let ourselves be seen as rushing around the world looking for arguments... Nor should we let ourselves be seen as ignoring allies, disillusioning friends, thinking only of ourselves in the most narrow terms. That is not how we survived the 20th century. Nor will it serve in the 21st.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
Similar quotes
A feeble executive implies a feeble execution of the government.
Joseph StoryRead
The fact is that a woman who aspires to be chairman of the board - or a member of the House - does so for exactly the same reasons as any man. Basically, these are that she thinks she can do the job, and she wants to try.
Shirley ChisholmRead
I would rather hire a man with enthusiasm, than a man who knows everything.
John D. RockefellerRead
Failing to engage in conflict is a terrible decision, one that puts our temporary comfort and the avoidance of discomfort ahead of the ultimate goal of our organization.
Patrick LencioniRead
People and organizations don't grow much without delegation and completed staff work because they are confined to the capacities of the boss and reflect both personal strengths and weaknesses.
Stephen CoveyRead
An Army is a collection of armed men obliged to obey one man. Every change in the rules which impairs the principle weakens the army.
William Tecumseh ShermanRead