Sometimes when people are under stress, they hate to think, and it's the time when they most need to think.
Interpretation
In times of stress, people often avoid thinking, yet that's when thoughtful reflection is most necessary.
This quote by William J. Clinton highlights the paradoxical behavior people exhibit under stress. Often, in moments of pressure, individuals are inclined to avoid deep thinking and reflection, even though these very moments are crucial for making informed decisions and navigating challenges effectively. Stress can cloud judgment and lead to hasty decisions, but it is precisely during such times that one should take a step back and engage in critical thought to ensure clarity and direction.
In practice
In a speech about managing stress in the workplace, this quote can inspire employees to engage in mindful thinking.
You know, there was a recent poll which said that young people in the generation of the students here felt it was far more likely that they would see a UFO than that they would draw Social Security... It's very important you understand this. Once you understand this, you realize this is not an episode from the X Files, and you're not more likely to see a UFO if you do certain specific things.
When we got organized as a country, [and] wrote a fairly radical Constitution, with a radical Bill of Rights, giving radical amounts of freedom to Americans, it was assumed that Americans who had that freedom would use it responsibly...When personal freedom is being abused, you have to move to limit it.
For too long we've been told about 'us' and 'them.' Each and every election we see a new slate of arguments and ads telling us that 'they' are the problem, not 'us.' But there can be no 'them' in America. There's only us.
There is a huge body of business evidence now showing that energy savings give better service at lower cost with higher profit. We have to tear down barriers to successful markets and we have to create incentives to enter them.
Demand that your government pays more attention. It's immoral that people in Africa die like flies of diseases that no one dies of in the United States. And the more disease there is, the more political unrest there will be, leading to more Darfurs, which the U.S. will have to pay to fix.
I was not elected to produce a pile of vetoes.
There are many people who can do big things, but there are very few people who will do the small things.
When forced to choose, I will not trade even a night's sleep for the chance of extra profits.
Whenever we need to make a very important decision it is best to trust our instincts, because reason usually tries to remove us from our dream, saying that the time is not yet right. Reason is afraid of defeat, but intuition enjoys life and its challenges.
You must ask for what you really want.
To be honest and truthful in all endeavours is an experience, not a regret
It is painful to face the self we know we have never had the integrity to honor and assert.
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