May the sun never set on American baseball.
Harry S. TrumanRead
Republicans don't like people to talk about depressions. You can hardly blame them for that. You remember the old saying: Don't talk about rope in the house where somebody has been hanged.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests discomfort in discussing certain topics within sensitive contexts, particularly political and economic issues.
Harry S. Truman's quote reflects the idea that some subjects are best avoided in certain settings due to their sensitivity or the emotional memories they evoke. This metaphor of not talking about rope in the context of a hangman's noose captures the notion that discussing painful topics can be distressing for those who have been affected by them, particularly in the realm of politics, where discussions around economic downturns may trigger negative feelings among constituents.
Themes
PoliticsSensitivityDiscussionsDepressionHistory
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker might use this quote to illustrate the discomfort of discussing financial crises during a political debate.
More from Harry S. Truman
All quotes →Having found the bomb we have used it. We have used it against those who attacked us without warning at Pearl Harbor, against those who have starved and beaten and executed American prisoners of war, against those who have abandoned all pretense of obeying international laws of warfare. We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war, in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans.
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Herbert Hoover once ran on the slogan, 'Two cars in every garage'. Apparently, the Republican candidate this year is running on the slogan, 'Two families in every garage'.
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The only things worth learning are the things you learn after you know it all.
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I never would have agreed to the formulation of the Central Intelligence Agency back in forty-seven, if I had known it would become the American Gestapo.
Harry S. TrumanRead
I would rather have peace in the world than be President.
Harry S. TrumanRead
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