We ought not to extract pernicious honey from poison blossoms of misrepresentation and mendacious half-truth, to pamper the course appetite of bigotry and self-love.
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeRead
The three great ends which a statesman ought to propose to himself in the government of a nation, are one, Security to possessors; two, facility to acquirers; and three, hope to all.
Interpretation
A statesman should aim to provide security, support opportunities for acquisition, and instill hope in the populace.
In this quote, Samuel Taylor Coleridge emphasizes the essential responsibilities of a statesman in governance. He argues that a successful leader must ensure security for those who already possess property or rights, facilitate opportunities for those seeking to acquire wealth or status, and cultivate a sense of hope for all citizens, fostering a conducive environment for societal growth and stability.
In practice
In a public speech about leadership principles.
We ought not to extract pernicious honey from poison blossoms of misrepresentation and mendacious half-truth, to pamper the course appetite of bigotry and self-love.
Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
And all who heard should see them there, And all should cry, Beware! Beware! His flashing eyes, his floating hair! Weave a circle round him thrice, And close your eyes with holy dread, For he on honey-dew hath fed, And drunk the milk of Paradise.
Often do the spirits stride on before the event; and in today already walks tomorrow.
Mr. Lyell's system of geology is just half the truth, and no more. He affirms a great deal that is true, and he denies a great deal which is equally true; which is the general characteristic of all systems not embracing the whole truth.
To believe and to understand are not diverse things, but the same things in different periods of growth.
Earn the right to be heard by listening to others. Seek to understand a situation before making judgments about it.
Making good judgments when one has complete data, facts, and knowledge is not leadership - it's bookkeeping
You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it's going to be bad.
I've got the greatest job in the world. There's no other job in government where cause and effect is so tightly coupled where you can make a difference every day in so many different ways and in so many different people's lives. It's a great challenge.
Great men are rarely isolated mountain-peaks; they are the summits of ranges.
In the 101st Airborne Division headquarters in Mosul, we had a sign on the wall. It was a question that we would ask ourselves before every new operation or policy initiative. It asked: Will this policy or operation take more bad guys off the streets than it creates by its conduct?
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