One of the little-celebrated powers of Presidents (and other high government officials) is to listen to their critics with just enough sympathy to ensure their silence.
John Kenneth GalbraithRead
No society ever seems to have succumbed to boredom. Man has developed an obvious capacity for surviving the pompous reiteration of the commonplace.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that societies have a remarkable ability to endure boredom and mundane repetition over time.
John Kenneth Galbraith highlights the human capacity to adapt to and survive through the monotony of everyday life. Despite the repetitive nature of social experiences, people find ways to cope with and even thrive amidst the ordinary, indicating resilience and the ability to overlook the tedious aspects of existence.
Themes
SocietyBoredomResilienceAdaptationCommonplace
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect to inspire a group discussion on societal norms.
More from John Kenneth Galbraith
All quotes βIf all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
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The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.
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All successful revolutions are the kicking in of a rotten door.
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Money differs from an automobile or mistress in being equally important to those who have it and those who do not.
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People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage.
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