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About this quote

What does it mean?
Bureaucrats often develop an intense, almost emotional attachment to their roles and procedures.
In plain terms
Officials can become overly devoted to their jobs and rules.
What can you take from it?
Public servants may prioritize procedure over purpose due to role attachment.

Where it applies

  • organizational culture
  • public administration
  • management

Putting it to work

  • audit bureaucratic processes
  • align incentives with outcomes

Questions to consider

  • Is attachment to function harmful?
  • How to measure loyalty?

Another view

Not all functionaries lack passion for the mission itself.

More from Georges Clemenceau

  1. Americans have no capacity for abstract thought, and make bad coffee.

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  2. America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilisation in between.

    Permalink to quote #17
  3. Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.

    Permalink to quote #14

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