The effect of that is to poison the flow of information to the President himself and to create a situation where a President can be almost, to use a metaphor, psychotically divorced from the realities in which he is acting.
Daniel EllsbergRead
We were young, we were foolish, we were arrogant, but we were right.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Youth can bring a sense of certainty that may be perceived as foolishness, yet sometimes youthfulness can lead to being right despite arrogance.
This quote reflects on the duality of youth, emphasizing that while young people may often act with arrogance and naivety, they can still possess a profound clarity or insight into certain situations. It suggests that the confidence often associated with youth can lead to truths that are overlooked by more experienced individuals, highlighting the importance of listening to diverse perspectives, regardless of age.
Themes
YouthWisdomArroganceFoolishnessTruth
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech, one might use this quote to encourage graduates to trust their instincts as they embark on their journeys.
More from Daniel Ellsberg
All quotes βThere should be at least one leak like the Pentagon Papers every year.
Daniel EllsbergRead
I felt that as an American citizen, as a responsible citizen, I could no longer cooperate in concealing this information from the American public. I did this clearly at my own jeopardy and I am prepared to answer to all the consequences of this decision.
Daniel EllsbergRead
I see Edward Snowden as someone who has chosen, at best, exile from the country he loves-with a serious risk of his assassination by agents of his government or life in prison (in solitary confinement)-to awaken us to the danger of our loss of democracy to a total-surveilla nce state
Daniel EllsbergRead
EVERY attack now made on WikiLeaks and Julian Assange was made against me and the release of the Pentagon Papers at the time.
Daniel EllsbergRead
If there's another 9/11 or a major war in the Middle-East involving a U.S. attack on Iran, I have no doubt that there will be, the day after or within days an equivalent of a Reichstag fire decree that will involve massive detentions in this country.
Daniel EllsbergRead
Similar quotes
Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and respect of self, in turn, is the chief element in courage.
ThucydidesRead
Drink not the third glass, which thou canst not tame, when once it is within thee.
George HerbertRead
You will never have a greater or lesser dominion than that over yourself...the height of a man's success is gauged by his self-mastery; the depth of his failure by his self-abandonment. ...And this law is the expression of eternal justice. He who cannot establish dominion over himself will have no dominion over others.
Leonardo Da VinciRead
Just three minutes a day of silence is a wonderful exercise to reset your ears and to recalibrate so that you can hear the quiet again. If you can't get absolute silence, go for quiet; that's absolutely fine.
Julian TreasureRead
You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you'll win, no matter what the outcome.
Robin WilliamsRead
Christ came to be Father's compassion to the world. Be kind in your actions. Do not think that you are the only one who can do efficient work, work worth showing. This makes you harsh in your judgment of others who may not have the same talents. Do your best and trust that others do their best. And be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
Mother TeresaRead