Football strategy does not originate in a scrimmage: it is useless to expect solutions in a political campaign.
Walter LippmannRead
The opposition is indispensable. A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, always learns more from his opposition than from his fervent supporters.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Opposition helps individuals grow and learn more than support does.
In this quote, Walter Lippmann emphasizes the value of opposition in leadership and personal growth. He asserts that a wise statesman benefits more from criticism and challenges posed by adversaries rather than solely relying on the affirmation and support from followers, as it offers opportunities for reflection, improvement, and a deeper understanding of differing perspectives.
Themes
OppositionLearningLeadershipCriticismGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate, a candidate might reference this quote to convey the importance of understanding opposing views.
More from Walter Lippmann
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The tendency of the casual mind is to pick out or stumble upon a sample which supports or defies its prejudices, and then to make it the representative of a whole class.
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The private citizen, beset by partisan appeals for the loan of his Public Opinion, will soon see, perhaps, that these appeals are not a compliment to his intelligence, but an imposition on his good nature and an insult to his sense of evidence.
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