The President is the last person in the world to know what the people really want and think.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Garfield claims the President is isolated from the true opinions and desires of the people.
- In plain terms
- The President does not know what people really think.
- What can you take from it?
- Power can isolate leaders from public reality.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How can leaders stay connected?
- What distorts public signals?
Another view
It simplifies how information flows in modern governance.
More from James A. Garfield
The possession of great powers no doubt carries with it a contempt for mere external show.
Permalink to quote #51 The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.
Permalink to quote #53 The lesson of history is rarely learned by the actors themselves.
Permalink to quote #50
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