When will Labour learn that you cannot build Jerusalem in Brussels.
Margaret ThatcherRead
We should not expect the state to appear in the guise of an extravagant good fairy at every christening, a loquacious companion at every stage of life's journey, and the unknown mourner at every funeral.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Expecting the state to fulfill every need is unrealistic; individuals must take responsibility for their own lives.
Margaret Thatcher's quote emphasizes the idea that individuals should not rely on the government to take care of every aspect of their lives. Instead of looking for the state as a benevolent force that will guide us through milestones and challenges, we should recognize our own agency and responsibilities in navigating life. The metaphor of the state as a fairy godmother or companion implies that such expectations are misplaced and that personal accountability is crucial.
Themes
ResponsibilityGovernmentIndividualsLifeAccountability
In practice
Example use cases
During a political debate about welfare policies.
More from Margaret Thatcher
All quotes →Never in the history of human credit has so much been owed.
Margaret ThatcherRead
The battle for women's rights has been largely won.
Margaret ThatcherRead
Ought we not to ask the media to agree among themselves a voluntary code of conduct, under which they would not say or show anything which could assist the terrorists' morale or their cause while the hijack lasted.
Margaret ThatcherRead
Israel must never be expected to jeopardize her security: if she was ever foolish enough to do so, and then suffered for it, the backlash against both honest brokers and Palestinians would be immense - 'land for peace' must also bring peace.
Margaret ThatcherRead
If it's me against 48, I feel sorry for the 48.
Margaret ThatcherRead
Similar quotes
Apartheid was baked hard in the mining industry because that's where it originated.
Cyril RamaphosaRead
Now you have people in Washington who have no interest in the country at all. They're interested in their companies, their corporations grabbing Caspian oil.
Gore VidalRead
He who uses the office he owes to the voters wrongfully and against them is a thief.
Jose MartiRead
In so strong a light, nevertheless, do they appear to the Secretary, that, on their due observance, at the present critical juncture, materially depend, in his judgment, the individual and aggregate prosperity of the citizens of the United States; their relief from the embarrassments they now experience; their character as a people; the cause of good government.
Alexander HamiltonRead
Congress is where Americans are supposed to have our big, messy political fights. That's because the people who make the laws need to be hired and fired by the people. Don't like the laws? Fire the lawmakers.
Ben SasseRead
For the United States, supporting international development is more than just an expression of our compassion. It is a vital investment in the free, prosperous, and peaceful international order that fundamentally serves our national interest.
Condoleezza RiceRead