This is the president that looked in the soul of Putin [see George W. Bush's quote above], and I could have told him, he was a KGB agent. By definition he doesn't have a soul. I mean, this is a waste of time, right? This is nonsense, but this is the world we're living in right now.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker claims the president can read Putin's soul, but argues Putin lacks a soul because he is a KGB agent, calling the effort pointless.
- In plain terms
- He says trying to understand Putin is useless because Putin has no soul.
- What can you take from it?
- Don't waste time trying to decipher someone who lacks conscience.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do we seek to read others' motives?
- What are the limits of political analysis?
Another view
The claim that someone has no soul is a rhetorical exaggeration, not a factual assessment.
More from Vladimir Putin
[In 2000] Vladimir Putin had the intelligence, energy and stamina the country needed to get Russia's economy on track and handle its complicated politics.
Permalink to quote #42 I looked into his eyes and saw three letters: a K, a G and a B.
Permalink to quote #44 I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man …
Permalink to quote #41
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