--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The persistence of public officials…" description: "\"“The persistence of public officials varies inversely with the importance of the matter on which they are persisting.”\" — Bernard Levin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/bernard-levin-31024_persistence_the-persistence-of-public-officials-vari_1798990.jpg" --- # The persistence of public officials varies inversely with… ![“The persistence of public officials varies inversely with the importance of the matter on which they are persisting.” quote by Bernard Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/bernard-levin-31024_persistence_the-persistence-of-public-officials-vari_1798990.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/bernard-levin-31024_persistence_the-persistence-of-public-officials-vari_1798990.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/bernard-levin-31024_persistence_the-persistence-of-public-officials-vari_1798990.jpg) > ““The persistence of public officials varies inversely with the importance of the matter on which they are persisting.”” [Bernard Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-levin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Officials care less about important issues, persisting on trivial matters. **In simple terms:** Officials focus on trivial matters, neglecting important ones. Key Takeaway Prioritize substance over persistence in public service. Themes politics priorities public service Mood critical insightful Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - policy making - community activism - leadership roles Key Concepts bureaucracy accountability Questions to Reflect On - Why do officials cling to minor issues? - How can we shift focus to important matters? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex motivations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Persistence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persistence/) [Public officials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-officials/) ## Related quotes > [The degree of one's emotions varies inversely with one's knowledge of the facts - the less you know the hotter you get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-degree-of-one-s-emotions-varies-inversely-with-one-s-knowledge-of-2/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Creativity varies inversely with the number of cooks involved in the broth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-fitz-gibbon/creativity-varies-inversely-with-the-number-of-cooks-involved-in-the/) [Bernice Fitz-Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-fitz-gibbon/) > [The degree of one's emotions varies inversely with one's knowledge of the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-degree-of-one-s-emotions-varies-inversely-with-one-s-knowledge-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Risk varies inversely with knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moulin-rouge/risk-varies-inversely-with-knowledge/) Moulin Rouge > [A reckoning is coming on the state of the internet journalism, because right now, the way it's set up, there is so much room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-lurie/a-reckoning-is-coming-on-the-state-of-the-internet-journalism-because/) [Rod Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-lurie/) > [This Civil Rights Act is a challenge to all of us to go to work in our communities and our states, in our homes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/this-civil-rights-act-is-a-challenge-to-all-of-us-to-go-to-work-in/) [Lyndon B. 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We talked regularly through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-johnson/i-had-developed-a-relationship-with-one-of-the-anti-abortion-sidewalk/) [Abby Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-johnson/) > [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [Character never quits; and with patience and persistence; Dreams do come true!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-maravich/character-never-quits-and-with-patience-and-persistence-dreams-do/) [Pete Maravich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-maravich/) > [“I've written about persistence and perseverance and yet for those of us with patchwork lives (projects, earnings, caretaking, home-tending, playing, friending, loving, celebrating, hurting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shellen-lubin/i-ve-written-about-persistence-and-perseverance-and-yet-for-those-of/) [Shellen Lubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shellen-lubin/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. 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No matter what happens, you have to be wiling to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeet-banerjee/to-be-an-entrepreneur-it-just-takes-a-lot-of-persistence-dedication/) [Jeet Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeet-banerjee/) > [Our modern conception of the universe is so foreign to what even scientists generally believed a mere century ago that it is a tribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/our-modern-conception-of-the-universe-is-so-foreign-to-what-even/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [Never, ever, ever give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/never-ever-ever-give-up/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [Money grows on the tree of persistence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/japanese-proverb/money-grows-on-the-tree-of-persistence/) Japanese Proverb > [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/first-forget-inspiration-habit-is-more-dependable-habit-will-sustain/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [There are so many different kinds of writing and so many ways to work that the only rule is this: do what works. 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The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/failure-is-only-postponed-success-as-long-as-courage-coaches-ambition/) [Herbert Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-kaufman/) [Browse all 1,177 Persistence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persistence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The persistence of public officials varies inversely with the importance of the matter on which they are persisting.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bernard Levin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-levin/the-persistence-of-public-officials-varies-inversely-with-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Persistence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-levin/the-persistence-of-public-officials-varies-inversely-with-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/bernard-levin-31024_persistence_the-persistence-of-public-officials-vari_1798990.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/bernard-levin-31024_persistence_the-persistence-of-public-officials-vari_1798990.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/bernard-levin-31024_persistence_the-persistence-of-public-officials-vari_1798990.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The persistence of public officials varies inversely with the importance of the matter on which they are…” — Bernard Levin", "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": "Bernard Levin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-levin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The persistence of public officials varies...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-levin/the-persistence-of-public-officials-varies-inversely-with-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-levin/the-persistence-of-public-officials-varies-inversely-with-the/#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 } } ] } ```