---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When people go to the post office or any…"
description: "\"When people go to the post office or any federal building, they expect to see pictures of their government leaders displayed.\" — Dan Donovan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/dan-donovan-14931_building_when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any_809587.jpg"
---

#  When people go to the post office or any federal building…

![“When people go to the post office or any federal building, they expect to see pictures of their government leaders displayed.” quote by Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/dan-donovan-14931_building_when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any_809587.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/dan-donovan-14931_building_when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any_809587.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/dan-donovan-14931_building_when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any_809587.jpg)

> “When people go to the post office or any federal building, they expect to see pictures of their government leaders displayed.”

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People expect government symbols in public buildings, reflecting authority and identity.

**In simple terms:** People look for government images in federal places.

Key Takeaway

Recognize expectations of civic representation.

Themes

authority identity public spaces

Mood

neutral observational

Type

descriptive observational

When to use this quote

- government offices
- schools
- courthouses

Key Concepts

civic symbolism expectations

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do people seek visual authority?
- How does this expectation affect trust?

A Different Perspective

Not all buildings display leaders; some avoid political imagery.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Post office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/post-office/)

## Related quotes

> [Do not expect pictures to say the expected; some of the best will have surprises for you, which will, at first, shock you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-henri/do-not-expect-pictures-to-say-the-expected-some-of-the-best-will-have/)

[Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-henri/)

> [Government leaders are amazing. So often it seems they are the last to know what the people want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/government-leaders-are-amazing-so-often-it-seems-they-are-the-last-to/)

[Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/)

> [I don't know of any government leaders that are killers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/i-don-t-know-of-any-government-leaders-that-are-killers/)

[Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/)

> [Government leaders need to ask themselves if they are positioning their country to reap the full potential of the digital economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-t-chambers/government-leaders-need-to-ask-themselves-if-they-are-positioning/)

[John T. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-t-chambers/)

> [It is a great privilege, as well as our responsibility, to pray for our government leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/it-is-a-great-privilege-as-well-as-our-responsibility-to-pray-for-our/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [We have moved from an age in which government leaders sought to do what was best for the people to one in which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-peters/we-have-moved-from-an-age-in-which-government-leaders-sought-to-do/)

[Ralph Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-peters/)

> [It is vital that government leaders and financial leaders take heed and broaden their horizons, working to ensure that all citizens have dignified work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/it-is-vital-that-government-leaders-and-financial-leaders-take-heed/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [Our government leaders... have made many mistakes in the past when they have lost sight of the sacred American values rooted in the Declaration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-dash/our-government-leaders-have-made-many-mistakes-in-the-past-when-they/)

[Samuel Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-dash/)

> [Government leaders should get up to speed on the blockchain by understanding it first and committing to exploring its potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mougayar/government-leaders-should-get-up-to-speed-on-the-blockchain-by/)

[William Mougayar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mougayar/)

> [When you see government leaders really bullying business, you know that government's economic policy is failing. They get angry and they get desperate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/when-you-see-government-leaders-really-bullying-business-you-know/)

[Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/)

> [We have to get back to a government where leaders are willing to talk across party lines and do not have absolute politics as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-judge/we-have-to-get-back-to-a-government-where-leaders-are-willing-to-talk-2/)

[Patty Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-judge/)

> [We have to get back to a government where leaders are willing to talk across party lines and do not have absolute politics as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-judge/we-have-to-get-back-to-a-government-where-leaders-are-willing-to-talk/)

[Patty Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-judge/)

> [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/)

[Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/)

> [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

## More by Dan Donovan

> [One of the criticism I had about the Affordable Care Act is it made insurance so expensive that people who had it didn't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/one-of-the-criticism-i-had-about-the-affordable-care-act-is-it-made/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [Our laws are very clear on a woman's reproductive health care. I will not only enforce those laws as attorney general, I will take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/our-laws-are-very-clear-on-a-woman-s-reproductive-health-care-i-will/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [Our families are overburdened with taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/our-families-are-overburdened-with-taxes/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [Through the Internet, ISIS and other terrorist groups reach people they wouldn't ordinarily be able to reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/through-the-internet-isis-and-other-terrorist-groups-reach-people/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [My mother's Polish; my dad was Irish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/my-mother-s-polish-my-dad-was-irish/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [I happen to be unique. I'm a Republican that represents an urban area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/i-happen-to-be-unique-i-m-a-republican-that-represents-an-urban-area/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [The rest of the world sees America as weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/the-rest-of-the-world-sees-america-as-weak/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [Sleeping in my office isn't very comfortable, but it's my choice to save for my daughter's college instead of spending money on a D.C.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/sleeping-in-my-office-isn-t-very-comfortable-but-it-s-my-choice-to/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [Washington is too expensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/washington-is-too-expensive/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [I'm so old... when I was a kid, in order for someone to bully, they had to be bigger and stronger and more intimidating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/i-m-so-old-when-i-was-a-kid-in-order-for-someone-to-bully-they-had-to/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [It's so much more difficult to get police officers to testify against other police officers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/it-s-so-much-more-difficult-to-get-police-officers-to-testify-against/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [I represent 740,000 people who live in Brooklyn and in Staten Island. And I have to vote the way I see is in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/i-represent-740-000-people-who-live-in-brooklyn-and-in-staten-island/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [People get Washington-ized a lot of times, being down there for awhile, and forget that we're called members of the House of Representatives because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/people-get-washington-ized-a-lot-of-times-being-down-there-for-awhile/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [I was Guy Molinari's chief of staff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/i-was-guy-molinari-s-chief-of-staff/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

> [It's unacceptable for any past or present service member to lose access or go through increased hurdles to get the medical services they rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/it-s-unacceptable-for-any-past-or-present-service-member-to-lose/)

[Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

[Explore all 44 Dan Donovan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/)

## More Building quotes

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/)

[Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/)

[David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/)

> [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/)

[Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/)

> [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/)

[Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/)

> [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/)

[Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/)

> [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/)

[Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/)

> [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/)

[Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/)

> [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/)

[Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/)

> [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/)

[Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/)

> [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/)

[Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/)

Browse all 5,974 Building quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When people go to the post office or any federal building, they expect to see pictures of their government leaders displayed.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dan Donovan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any-federal-building-they-expect/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Building"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any-federal-building-they-expect/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/dan-donovan-14931_building_when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any_809587.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/dan-donovan-14931_building_when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any_809587.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/dan-donovan-14931_building_when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any_809587.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When people go to the post office or any federal building, they expect to see pictures of their government…” — Dan Donovan",
                "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": "Dan Donovan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When people go to the post...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any-federal-building-they-expect/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/when-people-go-to-the-post-office-or-any-federal-building-they-expect/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
