He is vain, irritable, and a bad calculator of the force and probable effect of the motives which govern men. This is all the ill which can possibly be said of him. He is as disinterested as the Being who made him. He is profound in his views and accurate in his judgment, except where knowledge of the world is necessary to form a judgment. He is so amiable that I pronounce you will love him, if ever you become acquainted with him. He would be, as he was, a great man in Congress.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- He is vain, irritable, and poor at judging motives, yet he is disinterested, profound, accurate, amiable, and could be a great congressman.
- In plain terms
- He has many flaws but also strong virtues that could make him an effective leader.
- What can you take from it?
- People are complex; strengths can outweigh weaknesses in public service.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How should we weigh personal flaws against public abilities?
- Can a leader’s virtues compensate for personal shortcomings?
Another view
The description is contradictory and may be biased.
More from John Adams
The doctrine of the divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.
Permalink to quote #99 The President's title, as proposed by the Senate, was the most superlatively ridiculous thing I ever heard of. It is a proof the more of the justice of the cha…
Permalink to quote #101 The 'divinity' of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity. Nowhere in the Gospels do we find a precept for Creeds, Confessions, Oaths, Doctrines, and wh…
Permalink to quote #98
Related quotes
We are Communist, you are Capitalist. You have your ideas, we have ours. But I tell you this much: many American generals are very often sorry that they have n…
Rodion MalinovskyRodion Malinovsky quote #1 Hitler was basically an artist.
Albert SpeerAlbert Speer quote #5 Iron hand in a velvet glove.
Holy Roman Emperor Charles VHoly Roman Emperor Charles V quote #9