--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I should esteem it the extreme of…" description: "\"I should esteem it the extreme of imprudence to prolong the precarious state of our national affairs, and to expose the Union to the jeopardy of succes..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/alexander-hamilton-619_affair_i-should-esteem-it-the-extreme-of-imprud_183759.jpg" --- # I should esteem it the extreme of imprudence to prolong… ![“I should esteem it the extreme of imprudence to prolong the precarious state of our national affairs, and to expose the Union to the jeopardy of successive experiments, in the chimerical pursuit of a perfect plan. I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man. The result of the…” quote by Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/alexander-hamilton-619_affair_i-should-esteem-it-the-extreme-of-imprud_183759.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/alexander-hamilton-619_affair_i-should-esteem-it-the-extreme-of-imprud_183759.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/alexander-hamilton-619_affair_i-should-esteem-it-the-extreme-of-imprud_183759.jpg) > “I should esteem it the extreme of imprudence to prolong the precarious state of our national affairs, and to expose the Union to the jeopardy of successive experiments, in the chimerical pursuit of a perfect plan. I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man. The result of the deliberations of all collective bodies must necessarily be a compound, as well of the errors and prejudices, as of the good sense and wisdom, of the individuals of whom they are composed.” [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prolonging fragile national conditions for an ideal plan is reckless; collective decisions blend errors and wisdom. **In simple terms:** Avoid delaying action for perfect solutions; accept imperfect collective outcomes. Key Takeaway Act decisively despite imperfections. Themes politics decisionmaking imperfection Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - government reform - policy drafting - crisis management - legislative negotiations Key Concepts collective deliberation risk assessment idealism Questions to Reflect On - Can we balance ideal goals with practical constraints? - How do we mitigate collective bias? A Different Perspective Perfect solutions are unattainable; compromise is necessary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Deliberation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliberation/) [Esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Good sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-sense/) [Imperfect man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfect-man/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Jeopardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jeopardy/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Never expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-expect/) [Perfect man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-man/) [Perfect work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-work/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) ## Related quotes > [“I never expect a perfect work from an imperfect man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/i-never-expect-a-perfect-work-from-an-imperfect-man/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [I never expect to see a perfect work from an imperfect man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/i-never-expect-to-see-a-perfect-work-from-an-imperfect-man/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [It was interesting watching the Afghanistan war review deliberations, this three-month process where Barack Obama did the most thorough foreign policy review ever by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/it-was-interesting-watching-the-afghanistan-war-review-deliberations/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [In court, jurors are admonished by the judge at every recess not to discuss the case or form any opinions until the case is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shapiro/in-court-jurors-are-admonished-by-the-judge-at-every-recess-not-to/) [Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shapiro/) > [“The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-art-of-war-then-is-governed-by-five-constant-factors-to-be-taken/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [We are engaged in immediate conversations with the White House on deliberations over a successor whom we hope will continue in the general direction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/we-are-engaged-in-immediate-conversations-with-the-white-house-on/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [Too many critics mistake the deliberations of the Congress for its decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rayburn/too-many-critics-mistake-the-deliberations-of-the-congress-for-its/) [Sam Rayburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rayburn/) > [“He spoke as if procreation of children were an extraordinary fate to overtake anyone, consequence of imprudence, if not worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-powell/he-spoke-as-if-procreation-of-children-were-an-extraordinary-fate-to/) [Anthony Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-powell/) > [Politeness is not always a sign of wisdom; but the want of it always leaves room for a suspicion of folly, if folly and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/politeness-is-not-always-a-sign-of-wisdom-but-the-want-of-it-always/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [Add a sprinkling of folly to your long deliberations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/add-a-sprinkling-of-folly-to-your-long-deliberations/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“O young girl, throw yourself again into the water so that I might have a second time the chance to save the two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/o-young-girl-throw-yourself-again-into-the-water-so-that-i-might-have/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [It is an imprudence common to kings to listen to too much advice and to err in their choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-corneille/it-is-an-imprudence-common-to-kings-to-listen-to-too-much-advice-and/) [Pierre Corneille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-corneille/) > [Imprudence gets us into more trouble than actual misdeeds do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/imprudence-gets-us-into-more-trouble-than-actual-misdeeds-do/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I am sorry they began their deliberations by so abominable a precedent as that of tying up the tongues of their members. 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