Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice.
Woodrow WilsonRead
We want the spirit of America to be efficient; we want American character to be efficient; we want American character to display itself in what I may, perhaps, be allowed to call spiritual efficiency - clear disinterested thinking and fearless action
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of efficiency in both thought and action as a core aspect of American character.
In this quote, Woodrow Wilson advocates for a vision of America characterized by efficiency, which he defines not just in terms of productivity, but as 'spiritual efficiency.' He calls for a blend of clear, objective thinking and courageous action, suggesting that true effectiveness involves a disinterested approach to problem-solving that prioritizes the greater good over personal interests. This reflects a deeper philosophical view of character, aligning moral integrity with the pursuit of efficiency in both thought and action.
Themes
EfficiencyCharacterActionThoughtSpiritual
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the values of leadership in modern America.
More from Woodrow Wilson
All quotes →Since trade ignores national boundaries and the manufacturer insists on having the world as a market, the flag of his nation must follow him, and the doors of the nations which are closed against him must be battered down. Concessions obtained by financiers must be safeguarded by ministers of state, even if the sovereignty of unwilling nations be outraged in the process. Colonies must be obtained or planted, in order that no useful corner of the world may be overlooked or left unused.
Woodrow WilsonRead
The history of liberty is the history of limitations on the power of government, not the increase of it. When we resist, therefore, the concentration of power, we are resisting the processes of death, because concentration of power is what always precedes the destruction of human liberties.
Woodrow WilsonRead
We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers.
Woodrow WilsonRead
The way to stop financial joyriding is to arrest the chauffeur, not the automobile.
Woodrow WilsonRead
Once lead this people into war, and they'll forget there ever was such a thing as tolerance. To fight, you must be brutal and ruthless, and the spirit of ruthless brutality will enter into the very fiber of our national life, infecting Congress, the courts, the policeman on the beat, the man in the street.
Woodrow WilsonRead
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