--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I figured the government wouldn't let…" description: "\"“I figured the government wouldn't let poison flow from the taps. But in general, I'm too trusting of the government. I'm the polar opposite of the Tea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/a-j-jacobs-11588_cell-phone_i-figured-the-government-wouldn-t-let-po_1733003.png" --- # I figured the government wouldn't let poison flow from the… ![“I figured the government wouldn't let poison flow from the taps. But in general, I'm too trusting of the government. I'm the polar opposite of the Tea Partiers. I have no problem with a nanny state. But in this case, the nanny state has been chatting on the cell phone and ignoring the baby as it…” quote by A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/a-j-jacobs-11588_cell-phone_i-figured-the-government-wouldn-t-let-po_1733003.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/a-j-jacobs-11588_cell-phone_i-figured-the-government-wouldn-t-let-po_1733003.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/a-j-jacobs-11588_cell-phone_i-figured-the-government-wouldn-t-let-po_1733003.png) > ““I figured the government wouldn't let poison flow from the taps. But in general, I'm too trusting of the government. I'm the polar opposite of the Tea Partiers. I have no problem with a nanny state. But in this case, the nanny state has been chatting on the cell phone and ignoring the baby as it plays with matches.”” [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques overreliance on government safety, highlighting paradoxes when state control fails to protect. **In simple terms:** Blind trust in government can be risky. Key Takeaway Balance trust with personal vigilance. Themes government trust risk Mood cautious analytical Type social commentary satire When to use this quote - pandemic response - consumer safety - technology oversight Key Concepts public safety personal responsibility policy critique Questions to Reflect On - When is government intervention justified? - How can individuals stay informed? A Different Perspective Excessive skepticism may ignore genuine protections. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cell phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cell-phone/) [Nanny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nanny/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [I've given birth to five babies and I breastfed every single one of these babies. To think that government has to go out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-bachmann/i-ve-given-birth-to-five-babies-and-i-breastfed-every-single-one-of/) [Michele Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-bachmann/) > [Living most of my life in New York, I witnessed plenty of nanny state laws. Later, I lived in D.C. for a bit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/living-most-of-my-life-in-new-york-i-witnessed-plenty-of-nanny-state/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [We hear some people talk about the nanny state and, actually, we don't want to be telling people how to bring up their children,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-morgan/we-hear-some-people-talk-about-the-nanny-state-and-actually-we-don-t/) [Nicky Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-morgan/) > [I don't want to live in a nanny state where people are telling me where I can go and what I can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-don-t-want-to-live-in-a-nanny-state-where-people-are-telling-me/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [This modern mania for interfering in other's lives, usually under the guise of health and safety concerns, is highly irritating and counterproductive. Down with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/this-modern-mania-for-interfering-in-other-s-lives-usually-under-the/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [When people say they don't want a nanny state, they are, in fact, in a conflicted state of mind. On the one hand, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/when-people-say-they-don-t-want-a-nanny-state-they-are-in-fact-in-a/) [Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/) > [Trusting the government with money creation is like trusting a drunk with a whiskey factory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-casey/trusting-the-government-with-money-creation-is-like-trusting-a-drunk/) [Doug Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-casey/) > [Without trusting government you can't do a lot of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/without-trusting-government-you-can-t-do-a-lot-of-things/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Trusting the government to monitor your calls without listening. It's kind of like trusting Chris Christie to pick up the McDonald's and not eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/trusting-the-government-to-monitor-your-calls-without-listening-it-s/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Right now there’s kind of a generational change. Young Americans do not trust this government. Without trusting government you can't do a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/right-now-there-s-kind-of-a-generational-change-young-americans-do/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The government's appearing to be a necessary evil does not oblige people to trust it. We face a choice of trusting government or trusting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-government-s-appearing-to-be-a-necessary-evil-does-not-oblige/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [The crusade to convince us that global warming can only be dealt with by wealth destruction and higher energy prices began with an effort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/the-crusade-to-convince-us-that-global-warming-can-only-be-dealt-with/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [Well, generally, I don't like sin taxes at all, because sin taxes and nanny state politics represent the government making a moral judgment on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hoover/well-generally-i-don-t-like-sin-taxes-at-all-because-sin-taxes-and/) [Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-hoover/) > [“The nation is divided, roughly half-and-half, between people who instinctively resent the Nanny State, and those who instinctively long for its ministrations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-warren/the-nation-is-divided-roughly-half-and-half-between-people-who/) David Warren > [I think Franklin Roosevelt was a lousy president. What he did- which is to impose this great nanny state on America- was a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-crane/i-think-franklin-roosevelt-was-a-lousy-president-what-he-did-which-is/) [Ed Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-crane/) ## More by A.J. Jacobs > [“To properly engage in magical thinking, I find you have to think of every possible ghastly scenario. That's the only way you outsmart fate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i-find-you-have-to-think-of/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“There is no better time in history to be an idiot than right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/there-is-no-better-time-in-history-to-be-an-idiot-than-right-now/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“I was smart enough to know that I shouldn't tell anyone the reason I needed that icy air. No need to spill the secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/i-was-smart-enough-to-know-that-i-shouldn-t-tell-anyone-the-reason-i/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“I'm hungry enough that I started to salivate at the sight of lettuce. I repeat: lettuce.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/i-m-hungry-enough-that-i-started-to-salivate-at-the-sight-of-lettuce/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“When I get it home and start to read it, the first thing I notice is that Warren has copyrighted the phrase “Purpose-driven.” It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/when-i-get-it-home-and-start-to-read-it-the-first-thing-i-notice-is/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“How do you gag the voice in your head that says, 'You don't have to go to the gym today. There's always tomorrow. C'mon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/how-do-you-gag-the-voice-in-your-head-that-says-you-don-t-have-to-go/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“Back to the books. The world’s largest bell was built in 1733 in Moscow, and weighed in at more than four hundred thousand pounds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/back-to-the-books-the-world-s-largest-bell-was-built-in-1733-in/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“If the Britannica has taught me anything, it's to be more careful. I don't want to turn into an unseemly noun or verb or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/if-the-britannica-has-taught-me-anything-it-s-to-be-more-careful-i/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“That's what I've noticed in my experiments: almost everything in life is a self-fulfilling prophecy .Probably even believing in self-fulfilling prophecies is a self-fulfilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/that-s-what-i-ve-noticed-in-my-experiments-almost-everything-in-life/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“Mr. Berkowitz clicks open his black American Tourister rolling suitcase. Inside, his tools: a microscope, an old canister with the faded label “vegetable flakes,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/mr-berkowitz-clicks-open-his-black-american-tourister-rolling/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“What seems terrible at first may turn out to be a great thing. You can't predict.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/what-seems-terrible-at-first-may-turn-out-to-be-a-great-thing-you-can/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“Maybe taming my tongue will be good for me in the end. But it's pretty hard when you've got a world filled with idiots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/maybe-taming-my-tongue-will-be-good-for-me-in-the-end-but-it-s-pretty/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“I don't think I'm in the position to bestow legitimacy on anyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/i-don-t-think-i-m-in-the-position-to-bestow-legitimacy-on-anyone/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“The literal Greek translation is “school for naked exercise.” Which made toweling off the stationary bike even more important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/the-literal-greek-translation-is-school-for-naked-exercise-which-made/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“The Bible is right: A deluge of images does encourage idolatry. Look at the cults of personality in America today. Look at Hollywood. Look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/the-bible-is-right-a-deluge-of-images-does-encourage-idolatry-look-at/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) [Explore all 58 A.J. Jacobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) ## More Cell phone quotes > [“What you’re holding in your hands is a BookShots Flames story. It’s part of a revolution in reading. Hand-picked by James Patterson, BookShots Flames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ciotta/what-you-re-holding-in-your-hands-is-a-bookshots-flames-story-it-s/) Beth Ciotta > [“Kindle Paperwhite 3G models use the same technology as cell phones, so they are dependent on cellular coverage areas. By default, a 3G device…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amazon/kindle-paperwhite-3g-models-use-the-same-technology-as-cell-phones-so/) amazon > [“I’m not sure how the ponies happened, though I have an inkling: “Can I get you anything?” I’ll say, getting up from a dinner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-m-not-sure-how-the-ponies-happened-though-i-have-an-inkling-can-i/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [I like everything with a heaping dose of feminitity, including my cell phone. I created this phone for the classic woman, who like me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimora-lee-simmons/i-like-everything-with-a-heaping-dose-of-feminitity-including-my-cell/) [Kimora Lee Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimora-lee-simmons/) > [“People were sitting together, talking and telling stories face-to-face again, instead of staring at a cell phone screens while texting or chatting with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-foster/people-were-sitting-together-talking-and-telling-stories-face-to-face/) [Mike Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-foster/) > [“To me, at least in retrospect, the really interesting question is why dullness proves to be such a powerful impediment to attention. Why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-me-at-least-in-retrospect-the-really-interesting-question-is-why/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“Another night then,' Mom said. 'Maybe on the weekend we can have a barbecue and invite your sister.' 'Or,' I said turning to Rafe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/another-night-then-mom-said-maybe-on-the-weekend-we-can-have-a/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Girls are like cell phones they love to be held and talked to but whewn you press the wrong buttons you will be disconnected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/superman/girls-are-like-cell-phones-they-love-to-be-held-and-talked-to-but/) Superman > [Sometimes life really sucks. Then I see your name pop up on my cell phone and I cant help but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-life-really-sucks-then-i-see-your-name-pop-up-on-my-cell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I remember one point seeing I had like 60-some different cell phones. I know I only use one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-kosar/i-remember-one-point-seeing-i-had-like-60-some-different-cell-phones/) Bernie Kosar > [Cell phones are so convenient that they're an inconvenience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/cell-phones-are-so-convenient-that-they-re-an-inconvenience/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The history of the sexual vanguard in America was a long list of people who had been ridiculed, imprisoned, or subjected to violence. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-witt/the-history-of-the-sexual-vanguard-in-america-was-a-long-list-of/) Emily Witt > [The increase in chemicals and the increase in technology, like wi-fi and cell phone use that's going through our bodies all of the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-jennings/the-increase-in-chemicals-and-the-increase-in-technology-like-wi-fi/) [Mason Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-jennings/) > [But I'm acutely aware that the possibility of fraud is even more prevalent in today's world because of the Internet and cell phones and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armistead-maupin/but-i-m-acutely-aware-that-the-possibility-of-fraud-is-even-more/) [Armistead Maupin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armistead-maupin/) > [“was my first indication that the policies of Mamaw’s “party of the working man”—the Democrats—weren’t all they were cracked up to be. Political scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/was-my-first-indication-that-the-policies-of-mamaw-s-party-of-the/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) [Browse all 982 Cell phone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cell-phone/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I figured the government wouldn't let poison flow from the taps. But in general, I'm too trusting of the government. I'm the polar opposite of the Tea Partiers. I have no problem with a nanny state. But in this case, the nanny state has been chatting on the cell phone and ignoring the baby as it plays with matches.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A.J. 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