You don't tell people who disagree with you they'd be better off somewhere else. And you don't reduce them to stereotypes; you address them as fully formed people worthy of respect. You try to persuade them.
Peggy NoonanRead
If you join government, calmly make your contribution and move on. Don't go along to get along; do your best and when you have to - and you will - leave, and be something else.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote encourages individuals to contribute meaningfully in government without compromising their principles, and to be prepared to move on when necessary.
Peggy Noonan's quote speaks to the importance of integrity and purpose in political involvement. It encourages individuals to actively contribute to government efforts without merely conforming for the sake of acceptance, emphasizing that one should strive to make a difference and recognize when it is time to step away and pursue other endeavors. The call to 'be something else' suggests a fluidity in identity and purpose, highlighting that one's contribution is not chained to a single role.
Themes
GovernmentContributionIntegrityLeadershipChange
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about civic responsibility, one might use this quote to inspire political engagement.
More from Peggy Noonan
All quotes →You can get so well educated in America that your thoughts become detached from common sense. You can get so complicated in your thinking that the obvious isn't real to you anymore.
Peggy NoonanRead
Wit penetrates; humor envelops. Wit is a function of verbal intelligence; humor is imagination operating on good nature.
Peggy NoonanRead
Naps are nature's way of reminding you that life is nice, like a beautiful swinging hammock strung between birth and infinity.
Peggy NoonanRead
We must try again to be alive to what the people of our country really long for in our national life: forgiveness and grace, maturity and wisdom. ...Our political leaders will know our priorities only if we tell them, again and again, and if those priorities begin to show up in the polls.
Peggy NoonanRead
When everyone in America knows you're in a dreadful position, admit you're in a dreadful position. Don't lie about it and make them roll their eyes, tell the truth and make them blink.
Peggy NoonanRead
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