If the newspapers of a country are filled with good news, the jails of that country will be filled with good people.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
No one is innocent after the experience of governing. But not everyone is guilty.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Experience in governance brings complexities to morality, showing that while everyone may not be guilty, innocence can be lost.
This quote by Daniel Patrick Moynihan suggests that the act of governing inevitably alters one's perspective on morality and ethics. While governance is a challenging endeavor that exposes individuals to difficult decisions and situations, it does not mean that all who govern are morally compromised; instead, it highlights the nuance of human experience where innocence can fade in the face of responsibility, yet not all are culpable for choices made in that complex environment.
Themes
GoverningInnocenceGuiltMoralityLeadership
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the challenges of political leadership.
More from Daniel Patrick Moynihan
All quotes βWhen a person goes to a country and finds their newspapers filled with nothing but good news, he can bet there are good men in jail.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
The richest inheritance any child can have is a stable, loving, disciplined family life.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
We must not let ourselves be seen as rushing around the world looking for arguments... Nor should we let ourselves be seen as ignoring allies, disillusioning friends, thinking only of ourselves in the most narrow terms. That is not how we survived the 20th century. Nor will it serve in the 21st.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
Similar quotes
We cannot lead anyone farther than we have been ourselves.
John C. MaxwellRead
I would rather hire a man with enthusiasm, than a man who knows everything.
John D. RockefellerRead
Leadership is neither a rank nor a title. It is a choice. The choice to provide care and protection for those for whom we are responsible.
Simon SinekRead
Trust gives you the permission to give people direction, get everyone aligned, and give them the energy to go get the job done. Trust enables you to execute with excellence and produce extraordinary results. As you execute with excellence and deliver on your commitments, trust becomes easier to inspire, creating a flywheel of performance.
Douglas ConantRead
Achievement comes to someone when he is able to do great things for himself. Success comes when he empowers followers to do great things with him. Significance comes when he develops leaders to do great things for him. But a legacy is created only when a person puts his organization into the position to do great things without him.
John C. MaxwellRead
It is necessary to develop a strategy that utilizes all the physical conditions and elements that are directly at hand. The best strategy relies upon an unlimited set of responses.
Morihei UeshibaRead