The office ... make[s] its incumbent a repair man behind a…
![“The office ... make[s] its incumbent a repair man behind a dyke. No sooner is one leak plugged than it is necessary to dash over and stop another that has broken out. There is no end to it.” quote by Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/q/i/199/herbert-hoover-1115_great-saying-by-grea_the-office-make-s-its-incumbent-a-repair_534874.jpg)
“The office ... make[s] its incumbent a repair man behind a dyke. No sooner is one leak plugged than it is necessary to dash over and stop another that has broken out. There is no end to it.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote illustrates endless bureaucratic problems where fixing one issue creates another, suggesting a never‑ending cycle of maintenance.
In simple terms: Fixing one problem leads to another, creating endless work.
Key Takeaway
Accept that some systems generate constant new challenges.
Themes
bureaucracy
maintenance
systemic issues
Mood
frustrated
critical
Type
political
observational
When to use this quote
- government agencies
- large corporations
- IT systems
- infrastructure projects
Key Concepts
feedback loops
organizational inertia
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we design systems that reduce cascading failures?
- What strategies break the cycle of endless repairs?
A Different Perspective
Solutions may only shift problems elsewhere, not eliminate them.