To get people to do needed things is the perennial hard task of government, not to mention of religion and philosophy.
Interpretation
Effective leadership requires persuading people to take action, which is a constant challenge in governance, religion, and philosophy.
This quote by Gore Vidal highlights the fundamental difficulty leaders face across various fields, whether in government, religion, or philosophy, in motivating individuals to engage in necessary activities. It suggests that leadership is not just about making decisions but also about inspiring collective action and overcoming resistance to change or responsibility.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the responsibilities of leaders in society.
We must declare ourselves, become known; allow the world to discover this subterranean life of ours which connects kings and farm boys, artists and clerks. Let them see that the important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.
American writers want to be not good but great; and so are neither.
Writing fiction has become a priestly business in countries that have lost their faith.
The important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.
For the average American, freedom of speech is simply the freedom to repeat what everyone else is saying and no more.
Ayn Rand's 'philosophy' is nearly perfect in its immorality, which makes the size of her audience all the more ominous and symptomatic as we enter a curious new phase in our society.... To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to my mind not only immoral, but evil.
It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.
If longevity is the best index to measure a company, a basic requirement is the ability of the corporation to generate new and new leaders.
That is the difference we make in the world. And our own safety, our own security, depends upon our willingness to do what it takes to defend this nation and uphold the values that we stand for - timeless ideals that will endure long after those who offer only hate and destruction have been vanquished from the Earth.
I don't think that there's a hard-and-fast deadline. . . .What we have said all along is that this is not an open-ended process, we are not in this just to talk for talk's sake. . . . We expect prompt, concrete steps to be taken over the next couple of weeks.
Being positive in a negative situation is not naive. It's leadership.
The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.