--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No policy is worth anything outside of…" description: "\"No policy is worth anything outside of reality.\" — Charles de Gaulle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/charles-de-gaulle-2714_inspirational_no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-r_867512.jpg" --- # No policy is worth anything outside of reality. ![“No policy is worth anything outside of reality.” quote by Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/charles-de-gaulle-2714_inspirational_no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-r_867512.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/charles-de-gaulle-2714_inspirational_no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-r_867512.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/charles-de-gaulle-2714_inspirational_no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-r_867512.jpg) > “No policy is worth anything outside of reality.” [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Policies must be grounded in practical reality to be effective; abstract ideas fail without real-world application. **In simple terms:** Ideas need real-world grounding. Key Takeaway Ensure policies match reality. Themes politics pragmatism policy realism Mood critical serious Type advisory reflective When to use this quote - legislation drafting - business strategy - academic theory - public administration Key Concepts Governance practicality implementation Questions to Reflect On - How do you test a policy’s real-world impact? - What mechanisms ensure policies stay grounded? A Different Perspective Policies may be idealistic but impractical in complex societies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Outside Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-reality-916448/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [Policy Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy-worth-916447/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Worth Outside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth-outside-916449/) ## Related quotes > [War should only be used for a policy worth its sacrifices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/war-should-only-be-used-for-a-policy-worth-its-sacrifices/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Honesty may not be the best policy, but it is worth trying once in a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/honesty-may-not-be-the-best-policy-but-it-is-worth-trying-once-in-a/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [Hopefully, my tears are worth something to the outside world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-yamagata/hopefully-my-tears-are-worth-something-to-the-outside-world/) [Rachael Yamagata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-yamagata/) > [“You have a worth outside of a job, outside the "jacket" imposed on you since birth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-j-rodr-guez/you-have-a-worth-outside-of-a-job-outside-the-jacket-imposed-on-you/) [Luis J. Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-j-rodr-guez/) > [No one seemed able to look at themselves, coolly, from the outside. Their reality was all that could be seen in the light cast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/no-one-seemed-able-to-look-at-themselves-coolly-from-the-outside/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There's no reality except the one contained within us. That's why so many people live an unreal life. 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There is no reality except the one contained within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-things-we-see-pistorius-said-softly-are-the-same-things-that-are/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [wrongness always seems to come at us from left field - that is, from outside ourselves. But the reality could hardly be more different.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/wrongness-always-seems-to-come-at-us-from-left-field-that-is-from/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) ## More by Charles de Gaulle > [Don't ask who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/don-t-ask-who-s-influenced-me-a-lion-is-made-up-of-the-lambs-he-s/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [“Have you ever seen a dictator on a run-off ballot? \[Responding to the charges of a dictatorial bent, after being forced into a run-off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/have-you-ever-seen-a-dictator-on-a-run-off-ballot-responding-to-the/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [The future does not belong to men...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/the-future-does-not-belong-to-men/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [We are not here to laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/we-are-not-here-to-laugh/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [France cannot be France without greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/france-cannot-be-france-without-greatness/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/i-have-come-to-the-conclusion-that-politics-are-too-serious-a-matter/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Authority doesn't work without prestige, or prestige without distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/authority-doesn-t-work-without-prestige-or-prestige-without-distance/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Today we are crushed by the sheer weight of the mechanized forces hurled against us, but we can still look to the future in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/today-we-are-crushed-by-the-sheer-weight-of-the-mechanized-forces/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Difficulty attracts the man of character because it is in embracing it that he realizes himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/difficulty-attracts-the-man-of-character-because-it-is-in-embracing/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Only by coming to grips with difficulty can you realize your full potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/only-by-coming-to-grips-with-difficulty-can-you-realize-your-full/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/how-can-you-govern-a-country-which-has-246-varieties-of-cheese/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/how-can-anyone-govern-a-nation-that-has-two-hundred-and-forty-six/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Silence is the ultimate weapon of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/silence-is-the-ultimate-weapon-of-power/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Nothing builds authority up like silence, splendor of the strong and shelter of the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/nothing-builds-authority-up-like-silence-splendor-of-the-strong-and/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [As an adolescent I was convinced that France would have to go through gigantic trials, that the interest of life consisted in one day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/as-an-adolescent-i-was-convinced-that-france-would-have-to-go-through/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) [Explore all 153 Charles de Gaulle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) ## More Inspirational quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) [Browse all 114,561 Inspirational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No policy is worth anything outside of reality.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles de Gaulle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-reality/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inspirational" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-reality/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/charles-de-gaulle-2714_inspirational_no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-r_867512.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/charles-de-gaulle-2714_inspirational_no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-r_867512.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/charles-de-gaulle-2714_inspirational_no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-r_867512.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No policy is worth anything outside of reality.” — Charles de Gaulle", "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": "Charles de Gaulle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No policy is worth anything outside...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-reality/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/no-policy-is-worth-anything-outside-of-reality/#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 } } ] } ```