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The opposition is indispensable. A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, always learns more from his opposition than from his fervent supporters.
Walter Lippmann
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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

Football strategy does not originate in a scrimmage: it is useless to expect solutions in a political campaign.
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The simple opposition between the people and big business has disappeared because the people themselves have become so deeply involved in big business.
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The news and the truth are not the same thing.
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There is nothing so bad but it can masquerade as moral.
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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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