--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people who serve in Washington have…" description: "\"Most people who serve in Washington have been trained either as lawyers or as political operatives--professions that tend to place a premium on winning..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/barack-obama-17_argument_most-people-who-serve-in-washington-have_807724.jpg" --- # Most people who serve in Washington have been trained… ![“Most people who serve in Washington have been trained either as lawyers or as political operatives--professions that tend to place a premium on winning arguments rather than solving problems.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/barack-obama-17_argument_most-people-who-serve-in-washington-have_807724.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/barack-obama-17_argument_most-people-who-serve-in-washington-have_807724.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/barack-obama-17_argument_most-people-who-serve-in-washington-have_807724.jpg) > “Most people who serve in Washington have been trained either as lawyers or as political operatives--professions that tend to place a premium on winning arguments rather than solving problems.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## 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 highlights that many Washington officials are trained to win debates rather than solve real problems, implying a systemic focus on argumentation over practical solutions. **In simple terms:** Washington staff often prioritize winning arguments over solving issues. Key Takeaway Prioritize problem‑solving over winning debates. Themes politics government leadership Mood critical reflective Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - legislative negotiations - policy drafting - public hearings - team meetings Key Concepts critical thinking policy making conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How can we shift training toward collaborative problem solving? - What incentives could reward solutions over rhetoric? A Different Perspective Winning arguments may not lead to effective policies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Lawyers Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyers-political-4871493/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Operatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-operatives-1417117/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Premium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/premium/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problem solving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-solving/) [Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profession/) [Serve Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serve-washington-5715387/) [Solving problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solving-problems/) [Trained Lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trained-lawyers-6162864/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Washington Trained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-trained-6162863/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Winning an argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning-an-argument/) ## Related quotes > [“The stakes involved in Washington policy debates are often so high-- whether we send our young men and women to war; whether we allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-stakes-involved-in-washington-policy-debates-are-often-so-high/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It's a privilege to serve in Washington, D.C., but I never lose sight of what the Lord has called me to do in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/it-s-a-privilege-to-serve-in-washington-d-c-but-i-never-lose-sight-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [There is something discordant about a team of speechwriters and political operatives hammering away to create an image of the 'real, inner' candidate. And,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-greenfield/there-is-something-discordant-about-a-team-of-speechwriters-and/) [Jeff Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-greenfield/) > [Any suggestion that I'm writing about political operatives because I'm interested in political operatives misses the entire point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/any-suggestion-that-i-m-writing-about-political-operatives-because-i/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [Political operatives don't tend to be existentialists. They do know, however, that if a supporter doesn't vote, then his or her opinion does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/political-operatives-don-t-tend-to-be-existentialists-they-do-know/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [“Your salary is not love and your word is not love. Your clothes are not love and holding hands is not love. Sex is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pleasefindthis/your-salary-is-not-love-and-your-word-is-not-love-your-clothes-are/) [pleasefindthis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pleasefindthis/) > [“The two of us have no interest in the tired old debate that is still playing out on Capitol Hill. Our interest is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-bloomberg/the-two-of-us-have-no-interest-in-the-tired-old-debate-that-is-still/) [Michael R. Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-bloomberg/) > [Remind yourself that winning an argument or proving your point really gets you nowhere in the long run. Win through your actions, not your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/remind-yourself-that-winning-an-argument-or-proving-your-point-really/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Winning an argument with your wife is like winning the war with Iraq. Once you win, you're in even more trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/winning-an-argument-with-your-wife-is-like-winning-the-war-with-iraq/) [James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/) > [I began my career as a physicist. And in the White House, my buddies were the people from the White House office of science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/i-began-my-career-as-a-physicist-and-in-the-white-house-my-buddies/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [The definition of a Racist is anybody winning an argument with a liberal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-whittle/the-definition-of-a-racist-is-anybody-winning-an-argument-with-a/) [Bill Whittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-whittle/) > [Q: What is the next thing one should do after winning an argument with the wife? A: Apologize!!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/q-what-is-the-next-thing-one-should-do-after-winning-an-argument-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Winning an argument is of no value. What you want is to win a convert. And people who lose arguments are more likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/winning-an-argument-is-of-no-value-what-you-want-is-to-win-a-convert/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [“There is no point in winning an argument if you know or suspect you are wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/there-is-no-point-in-winning-an-argument-if-you-know-or-suspect-you/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [When you're winning an argument, the other person will bring up stuff from the past that you will lose at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/when-you-re-winning-an-argument-the-other-person-will-bring-up-stuff/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. 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Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Argument quotes > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. 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