People are selfish, but they can also be compassionate and generous, and they care about the country. But not when they feel threatened. That's why this is such a crucial time. We can go in either direction. But if we don't make a choice soon, it will be too late to turn things around. I think people are willing to make the right choice. But they need leadership. They're hungry for leadership.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- People can be compassionate but fear drives selfishness; leadership is needed now to choose the right path.
- In plain terms
- Fear makes people selfish, but they want good leadership to make the right choice.
- What can you take from it?
- Leadership is needed to overcome fear-driven selfishness.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What choice defines this moment?
- How do you recognize true leadership?
Another view
Leadership alone may not suffice if systemic issues remain.
More from Robert Kennedy
Parties are instruments of government....The business of parties is not just win elections. It is to govern. And a party cannot govern if it is disunited. (Kin…
Permalink to quote #59 People say I am ruthless. I am not ruthless. And if I find the man who is calling me ruthless, I shall destroy him.
Permalink to quote #61 Our gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the bea…
Permalink to quote #58
Related quotes
I believe that at every level of society - familial, tribal, national and international - the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compa…
Tenzin GyatsoTenzin Gyatso quote #19 The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices. God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate…
Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter quote #26 All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their tim…
John Kenneth GalbraithJohn Kenneth Galbraith quote #36