--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In politics nothing matters very much…" description: "\"In politics nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.\" — Arthur Balfour" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/arthur-balfour-15770_awareness_in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-an_85090.png" --- # In politics nothing matters very much, and few things… ![“In politics nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.” quote by Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/arthur-balfour-15770_awareness_in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-an_85090.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/arthur-balfour-15770_awareness_in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-an_85090.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/arthur-balfour-15770_awareness_in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-an_85090.png) > “In politics nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.” [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political decisions often have limited real impact, and many issues are overstated in importance. **In simple terms:** Politics is often inconsequential. Key Takeaway Assess true significance before acting. Themes political cynicism relativism skepticism power dynamics decisionmaking Mood cynical skeptical reflective Type aphorism observation political commentary When to use this quote - voting - policy debates - campaign strategies - legislative negotiations Key Concepts impact importance political processes Practical Applications - policy analysis - public communication Questions to Reflect On - How do we differentiate between consequential and trivial political issues? - What criteria should guide our attention to political matters? A Different Perspective Some argue that politics shapes societal structures and can have profound effects on individuals' lives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Finding peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-peace/) [Inner peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-peace/) [Nothing matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing-matters/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/nothing-matters-very-much-and-few-things-matter-at-all/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [“Nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all. When the earth falls into the sun...when the Taj Mahal, Mozart and the Mona…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-redding/nothing-matters-very-much-and-few-things-matter-at-all-when-the-earth/) Robert E Redding > [Many things in your life matter, but only one thing matters absolutely.It matters whether you succeed or fail in the eyes of the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/many-things-in-your-life-matter-but-only-one-thing-matters-absolutely-2/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“Nothing matters very much and most things don't matter at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/nothing-matters-very-much-and-most-things-don-t-matter-at-all/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Local politics matters a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/local-politics-matters-a-lot/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [In no relationship at the top of any walk of life is it always easy, least of all in politics which matters so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/in-no-relationship-at-the-top-of-any-walk-of-life-is-it-always-easy/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Politics matters. Ideas matter. Democracy matters, because all of us need to be able to make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-layton/politics-matters-ideas-matter-democracy-matters-because-all-of-us/) [Jack Layton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-layton/) > [Despite the insanity of using whether you would want to have a beer with someone as a legitimate reason for voting for or against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/despite-the-insanity-of-using-whether-you-would-want-to-have-a-beer/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [An emerging market is a country where politics matters at least as much as economics to the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bremmer/an-emerging-market-is-a-country-where-politics-matters-at-least-as/) [Ian Bremmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bremmer/) > [Nothing matters so much that we should throw ourselves into a state of panic about it. No happening is so important that we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/nothing-matters-so-much-that-we-should-throw-ourselves-into-a-state/) [Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/) > [The poor long for riches, the rich long for heaven, but the wise long for a state of tranquility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rama-swami/the-poor-long-for-riches-the-rich-long-for-heaven-but-the-wise-long/) [Rama Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rama-swami/) > [If there is peace in your mind you will find peace with everybody. If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-l-poonja/if-there-is-peace-in-your-mind-you-will-find-peace-with-everybody-if/) [H. W. L. Poonja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-l-poonja/) > [My inner peace remains in spite of any outward thing. Only insofar as I remain in harmony can I draw others into harmony, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/my-inner-peace-remains-in-spite-of-any-outward-thing-only-insofar-as/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [“Finding Peace- Poem Excerpt: Peace is finding your bliss Without any condition, situation, or person attached to it, Peace is the tenacity to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-evangelou/finding-peace-poem-excerpt-peace-is-finding-your-bliss-without-any/) [Christine Evangelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-evangelou/) > [We need to take action to develop compassion, to create inner peace within ourselves and to share that inner peace with our family and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/we-need-to-take-action-to-develop-compassion-to-create-inner-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) ## More by Arthur Balfour > [Our Scottish theory ... is that every country has need of Scotchmen, but that Scotland has no need of the citizens of any other country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/our-scottish-theory-is-that-every-country-has-need-of-scotchmen-but/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [ He \[A. J. Balfour\] was eminently one of the Cole Porter school of famous men, who only fell to rise again. Picking himself up… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/he-a-j-balfour-was-eminently-one-of-the-cole-porter-school-of-famous/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [The General Strike has taught the working class more in four days than years of talking could have done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/the-general-strike-has-taught-the-working-class-more-in-four-days/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [The power of authority is never more subtle and effective than when it produces a psychological atmosphere or climate favorable to the life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/the-power-of-authority-is-never-more-subtle-and-effective-than-when/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Kant, as we all know, compared moral law to the starry heavens, and found them both sublime. On the naturalistic hypothesis we should rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/kant-as-we-all-know-compared-moral-law-to-the-starry-heavens-and/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [“We survey the past, and see that its history is of blood and tears, of helpless blundering, of wild revolt, of stupid acquiescence, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/we-survey-the-past-and-see-that-its-history-is-of-blood-and-tears-of/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [I never forgive, but I always forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/i-never-forgive-but-i-always-forget/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [“Nothing matters very much and most things don't matter at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/nothing-matters-very-much-and-most-things-don-t-matter-at-all/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Biography should be written by an acute enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/biography-should-be-written-by-an-acute-enemy/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [I do not stare at a gentleman in distress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/i-do-not-stare-at-a-gentleman-in-distress/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/nothing-matters-very-much-and-few-things-matter-at-all/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [In effort Happiness idleness life pleasure superstition support trouble work The superstition that all our hours of work are a minus quantity in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/in-effort-happiness-idleness-life-pleasure-superstition-support/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Science preceded the theory of science, and is independent of it. Science preceded naturalism, and will survive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/science-preceded-the-theory-of-science-and-is-independent-of-it/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Ask with urgency and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/ask-with-urgency-and-passion/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [I'd rather take advice from my valet than from the Conservative Party Conference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/i-d-rather-take-advice-from-my-valet-than-from-the-conservative-party/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) [Explore all 42 Arthur Balfour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) ## More Awareness quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-intoxication-of-the-ego-of-i-am/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [I know the importance of highly trained awareness of the “moment” and the immediate and intuitive response of the photographer. It should be obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/i-know-the-importance-of-highly-trained-awareness-of-the-moment-and/) [Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/) > [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) > [I'm part of a team that raises millions of dollars and raises awareness of HIV and AIDS all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-evangelista/i-m-part-of-a-team-that-raises-millions-of-dollars-and-raises/) [Linda Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-evangelista/) > [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vashti-quiroz-vega/don-t-turn-your-face-away-once-you-ve-seen-you-can-no-longer-act-like/) Vashti Quiroz-Vega > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [Sometimes I am a collector of data, and only a collector, and am likely to be gross and miserly, piling up notes, pleased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/sometimes-i-am-a-collector-of-data-and-only-a-collector-and-am-likely/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/the-bird-with-the-thorn-in-its-breast-it-follows-an-immutable-law-it/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeking-means-to-have-a-goal-but-finding-means-to-be-free-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) [Browse all 4,768 Awareness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In politics nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Balfour" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-and-few-things-matter-at-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Awareness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-and-few-things-matter-at-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/arthur-balfour-15770_awareness_in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-an_85090.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/arthur-balfour-15770_awareness_in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-an_85090.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/arthur-balfour-15770_awareness_in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-an_85090.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In politics nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.” — Arthur Balfour", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arthur Balfour", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In politics nothing matters very much,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-and-few-things-matter-at-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-and-few-things-matter-at-all/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```