--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No one should be allowed to work in the…" description: "\"“No one should be allowed to work in the West Wing of the White House who has not suffered a major disappointment in life... the responsibility of work..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/charles-murray-6573_life_no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the_2347831.jpg" --- # No one should be allowed to work in the West Wing of the… ![“No one should be allowed to work in the West Wing of the White House who has not suffered a major disappointment in life... the responsibility of working there was too great... to be entrusted to people who weren't painfully aware of how badly things can go wrong.” quote by Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/charles-murray-6573_life_no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the_2347831.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/charles-murray-6573_life_no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the_2347831.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/charles-murray-6573_life_no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the_2347831.jpg) > ““No one should be allowed to work in the West Wing of the White House who has not suffered a major disappointment in life... the responsibility of working there was too great... to be entrusted to people who weren't painfully aware of how badly things can go wrong.”” [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Only those who have faced deep personal setbacks truly grasp the gravity of high‑stakes responsibilities. **In simple terms:** Disappointment builds humility for big jobs. Key Takeaway Hire those who know failure. Themes humility responsibility leadership Mood serious reflective Type political advice When to use this quote - government hiring - high‑pressure roles - leadership selection Key Concepts political science psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does personal failure shape decision‑making? - Can competence be measured without hardship? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on personal hardship may overlook other essential skills. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [West wing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west-wing/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) ## Related quotes > [Security matters should not be entrusted to people who make decisions without weighing things up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-maiziere/security-matters-should-not-be-entrusted-to-people-who-make-decisions/) [Thomas de Maiziere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-maiziere/) > [Every one of us in Congress has a responsibility to keep working together and stay focused on what matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-lamb/every-one-of-us-in-congress-has-a-responsibility-to-keep-working/) [Conor Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-lamb/) > [I was always told that disappointment in life is a sign from GOD that he has something better for your future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christianna-grice/i-was-always-told-that-disappointment-in-life-is-a-sign-from-god-that/) Christianna Grice > [We must learn to accept disappointment in life but we should never lose hope and keep trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/we-must-learn-to-accept-disappointment-in-life-but-we-should-never/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“The first was to expect crushing disappointment in life, the second was the absolute reliability of loss, and finally, the utter futility of faith”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domingo-martinez/the-first-was-to-expect-crushing-disappointment-in-life-the-second/) Domingo Martinez > [It's impossible to protect your kids against disappointment in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/it-s-impossible-to-protect-your-kids-against-disappointment-in-life/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [If disappointment in life puts you down,enlighten your hope with the flame of enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/if-disappointment-in-life-puts-you-down-enlighten-your-hope-with-the/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [The definition of disappointment in life is expectations minus reality equals disappointment. The only two solutions you have to get over disappointment is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-carlson/the-definition-of-disappointment-in-life-is-expectations-minus/) Randy Carlson > [When we refuse to work with our disappointment, we break the Precepts: rather than experience the disappointment, we resort to anger, greed, gossip, criticism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-we-refuse-to-work-with-our-disappointment-we-break-the-precepts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Monica Lewinsky scandal was happening at the very time I was writing the West Wing pilot and it was hard, at least for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/the-monica-lewinsky-scandal-was-happening-at-the-very-time-i-was/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [If you go to the real West Wing in the White House it looks like a boring law office; there's really not a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/if-you-go-to-the-real-west-wing-in-the-white-house-it-looks-like-a/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [“The face-off quickly escalated into an existential confrontation between the two sides of the White House—two sides on a total war footing. “You don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-face-off-quickly-escalated-into-an-existential-confrontation/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [I'm contractually not allowed to work in comics in the United States other than for Marvel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-claremont/i-m-contractually-not-allowed-to-work-in-comics-in-the-united-states/) [Chris Claremont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-claremont/) > [“one condition: that she be allowed to work from home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fagone/one-condition-that-she-be-allowed-to-work-from-home/) [Jason Fagone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fagone/) > [I think that would be great, if I could be in a city and wasn't even allowed to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemaine-clement/i-think-that-would-be-great-if-i-could-be-in-a-city-and-wasn-t-even/) [Jemaine Clement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemaine-clement/) ## More by Charles Murray > [People are starting to notice the great divide. The Tea party sees the aloofness in a political elite that thinks it knows best and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/people-are-starting-to-notice-the-great-divide-the-tea-party-sees-the/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [You can learn a lot about good management by working under someone who is a bad manager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/you-can-learn-a-lot-about-good-management-by-working-under-someone/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [I want to keep the government out of the business of giving incentives to have or not have kids, or incentives to marry or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/i-want-to-keep-the-government-out-of-the-business-of-giving/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [You know, there is an image of me out there for which advocacy of a universal basic income is inconsistent. It doesn't fit the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/you-know-there-is-an-image-of-me-out-there-for-which-advocacy-of-a/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [White supremacist? Let's see: if you have a guy who was married for 13 years to an Asian woman and who has two lovely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/white-supremacist-let-s-see-if-you-have-a-guy-who-was-married-for-13/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [When America installs a minimum income, it's going to be doing it in a very different historical context than Switzerland or Sweden or Germany,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/when-america-installs-a-minimum-income-it-s-going-to-be-doing-it-in-a/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [It takes a lot of courage, self-confidence, and stubbornness to be an openly committed Christian - or openly committed to any of the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/it-takes-a-lot-of-courage-self-confidence-and-stubbornness-to-be-an/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [By the end of writing 'Losing Ground,' I realized I was a libertarian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/by-the-end-of-writing-losing-ground-i-realized-i-was-a-libertarian/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [Don't argue that you can't find a job that pays enough to support yourself. You can. You just can't find a job that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/don-t-argue-that-you-can-t-find-a-job-that-pays-enough-to-support/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [Trumpism' is the expression by the white working class of a lot of legitimate grievances that it has with the ruling class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/trumpism-is-the-expression-by-the-white-working-class-of-a-lot-of/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [“Joan played den mother to the rebirth of American individualism. That she filled that role for so many is why I am grateful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/joan-played-den-mother-to-the-rebirth-of-american-individualism-that/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [No woman has been a significant original thinker in any of the world's great philosophical traditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/no-woman-has-been-a-significant-original-thinker-in-any-of-the-world/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [“Four American traits were central to the evolution of that culture: industriousness, egalitarianism, religiosity, and an amalgam of philanthropy and volunteerism that was uniquely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/four-american-traits-were-central-to-the-evolution-of-that-culture/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [“A free society is most threatened not by uses of government that are obviously bad, but by uses of government that seem obviously good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/a-free-society-is-most-threatened-not-by-uses-of-government-that-are/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [The people who run the country have enormous influence over the culture, politics, and the economics of the country. And increasingly, they haven't a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/the-people-who-run-the-country-have-enormous-influence-over-the/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) [Explore all 98 Charles Murray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [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/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“No one should be allowed to work in the West Wing of the White House who has not suffered a major disappointment in life... the responsibility of working there was too great... to be entrusted to people who weren't painfully aware of how badly things can go wrong.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Murray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the-west-wing-of-the-white-house/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the-west-wing-of-the-white-house/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/charles-murray-6573_life_no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the_2347831.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/charles-murray-6573_life_no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the_2347831.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/charles-murray-6573_life_no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the_2347831.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No one should be allowed to work in the West Wing of the White House who has not suffered a major…” — Charles Murray", "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 Murray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“No one should be allowed to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the-west-wing-of-the-white-house/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/no-one-should-be-allowed-to-work-in-the-west-wing-of-the-white-house/#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 } } ] } ```