Had Washington been born in the days of idolatry, he would be worshiped as a god. If there are spots on his characters, they are like spots on the sun, only discernible by the magnifying powers of a telescope.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Washington's character is so noble that any flaws are invisible to ordinary observation, visible only to extreme scrutiny.
- In plain terms
- Washington was so great that only someone looking very closely could find faults.
- What can you take from it?
- True greatness withstands close examination.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we balance admiration with realistic expectations?
- What makes a leader's flaws visible?
Another view
Idealizing historical figures can obscure their actual human limitations.
More from George Washington
Washington's is the mightiest name of earth - long since mightiest in the cause of civil liberty; still mightiest in moral reformation. On that name no eulogy …
Permalink to quote #157 I bet after seeing us, George Washington would sue us for calling him 'father.'
Permalink to quote #159 First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.
Permalink to quote #156
Related quotes
On the whole, his character was, in its mass, perfect, in nothing bad, in few points indifferent; and it may truly be said, that never did nature and fortune c…
George WashingtonGeorge Washington quote #154 Generations to come, it may be, will scarcely believe that such a one, as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.
Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi quote #259 I'm looking for the teacher who is unaffected enough to be great, and great enough to be unaffected.
Joseph GoebbelsJoseph Goebbels quote #7