There are numerous bugbears in the profession of a politician. First, ordinary life suffers. Second, there are many temptations to ruin you and those around you. And I suppose third, and this is rarely discussed, people at the top generally have no friends.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Yeltsin outlines the personal costs of political life including sacrifice of ordinary life, temptation, and isolation.
- In plain terms
- Politicians lose normal life, face many temptations, and often have no real friends.
- What can you take from it?
- Political power comes with significant personal sacrifices and risks.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What are the hidden costs of leadership?
- Can a politician have a normal life?
Another view
Not all politicians experience these costs to the same degree.
More from Boris Yeltsin
Today it's important for me to tell you. The pain of each of you has called forth pain in me, in my heart. Sleepless nights, tormenting worries - about what ne…
Permalink to quote #19 He's been on the verge of death so many times. ... His doctors themselves are in shock that he's still alive. Half the blood vessels in his brain are about to …
Permalink to quote #21 Today, on this day that is so extraordinarily important for me, I want to say just a few more personal words than usual. I want to ask for your forgiveness. Fo…
Permalink to quote #18
Related quotes
All my games were political games; I was, like Joan of Arc, perpetually being burned at the stake.
Indira GandhiIndira Gandhi quote #15 An influential member of parliament has not only to pay much money to become such, and to give time and labour, he has also to sacrifice his mind too - at leas…
Walter BagehotWalter Bagehot quote #34 Whenever a dictator uses Stalin's quote of 'breaking eggs to make an omelette', they are demanding 'your eggs' be sacrificed and broken, not theirs, and the 'o…
Harry BrowneHarry Browne quote #37