There is...a spiritual hunger in the world today and it cannot be satisfied...by better cars on longer credit terms.
Adlai E. StevensonRead
A politician is a statesman who approaches every question with an open mouth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously suggests that politicians often speak without deep thought or consideration.
Adlai E. Stevenson uses this quote to critique politicians, implying that many of them are more focused on speaking and making promises than on genuinely engaging with the issues at hand. The metaphor of politicians approaching questions 'with an open mouth' serves as a playful jab at their tendency to talk excessively while lacking substantial insight or wisdom.
Themes
PoliticsCommunicationCritiqueStatesmanshipHumor
In practice
Example use cases
This quote would be fitting during a debate about political transparency.
More from Adlai E. Stevenson
All quotes βWhat a man knows at fifty that he did not know at twenty is, for the most part, incommunicable.
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Journalists do not live by words alone, although sometimes they have to eat them.
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Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.
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Accuracy to a newspaper is what virtue is to a lady; but a newspaper can always print a retraction.
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I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends... that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them.
Adlai E. StevensonRead
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