--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The central conservative truth is that it…" description: "\"The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_change_the-central-conservative-truth-is-that-i_1223944.jpg" --- # The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not… ![“The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.” quote by Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_change_the-central-conservative-truth-is-that-i_1223944.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_change_the-central-conservative-truth-is-that-i_1223944.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_change_the-central-conservative-truth-is-that-i_1223944.jpg) > “The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.” [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Culture shapes societal success; politics can modify culture to rescue it from self‑destruction **In simple terms:** Culture determines success; politics can change culture Key Takeaway Recognize cultural foundations and use politics wisely Themes culture politics society change Mood analytical thoughtful Type sociopolitical philosophical When to use this quote - government reform - education policy - media influence - community programs Key Concepts sociology political science anthropology Questions to Reflect On - How can culture be positively influenced? - What limits does politics have? A Different Perspective Political change alone may not fix deep cultural issues ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [The truth is that this culture of political correctness has tied the hands of law enforcement around the USA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-truth-is-that-this-culture-of-political-correctness-has-tied-the/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [I find that through the study of women, you get to the heart - the truth - of the culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-neshat/i-find-that-through-the-study-of-women-you-get-to-the-heart-the-truth/) [Shirin Neshat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-neshat/) > [Mythology is a subjective truth. Every culture imagines life a certain way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/mythology-is-a-subjective-truth-every-culture-imagines-life-a-certain/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [If we don't change our culture, the politics is going to migrate more and more to statism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foster-friess/if-we-don-t-change-our-culture-the-politics-is-going-to-migrate-more/) [Foster Friess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foster-friess/) > [I think there's this great disconnect between youth culture and politics, which is a product of how our capitalist system works. I mean, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amandla-stenberg/i-think-there-s-this-great-disconnect-between-youth-culture-and/) [Amandla Stenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amandla-stenberg/) > [But what I'm very interested in, whether it's writing, whether it's hosting a show, whether it's cooking food, I'm just into the discussions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-huang/but-what-i-m-very-interested-in-whether-it-s-writing-whether-it-s/) [Eddie Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-huang/) > [Intersectionality is not easy. It's not as though the existing frameworks that we have - from our culture, our politics, or our law -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/intersectionality-is-not-easy-it-s-not-as-though-the-existing/) [Kimberle Williams Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/) > [Culture cannot be separated from politics. The arts, philosophy and metaphysics, religion and the sciences, constitute culture. Politics are the science or art of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/culture-cannot-be-separated-from-politics-the-arts-philosophy-and/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [It's been a concern of mine for years that the mainstream media coverage of culture and politics takes place in two nodes, Washington and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/it-s-been-a-concern-of-mine-for-years-that-the-mainstream-media/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [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/) > [For the most part, Americans speak of culture and politics as if they were two separate realms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-willis/for-the-most-part-americans-speak-of-culture-and-politics-as-if-they/) [Ellen Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-willis/) > [We must change the culture of politics first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/we-must-change-the-culture-of-politics-first/) [Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/) > [ Culture and politics were inseparable \[in the Sixties\], which gave a soundtrack to political awareness and activism. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/culture-and-politics-were-inseparable-in-the-sixties-which-gave-a/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [Culture is always about politics in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmina-khadra/culture-is-always-about-politics-in-the-end/) [Yasmina Khadra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmina-khadra/) > [As a composer, I believe that music has the power to inspire a renewal of human consciousness, culture, and politics. And yet I refuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-luther-adams/as-a-composer-i-believe-that-music-has-the-power-to-inspire-a-renewal/) [John Luther Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-luther-adams/) ## More by Daniel Patrick Moynihan > [I have no doubt that there will continue to be bumps, some serious crises indeed in our relationship with China… Neither membership in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/i-have-no-doubt-that-there-will-continue-to-be-bumps-some-serious/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [The US wished things to turn out as they did, and worked to bring this about. The department of state desired that the UN…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-us-wished-things-to-turn-out-as-they-did-and-worked-to-bring-this/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [People who pierce the veil of money rarely return with their faculties altogether intact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/people-who-pierce-the-veil-of-money-rarely-return-with-their/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [We have the right to our own opinions, but not our own facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/we-have-the-right-to-our-own-opinions-but-not-our-own-facts/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [A commonplace of political rhetoric has it that the quality of a civilization may be measured by how it cares for its elderly. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/a-commonplace-of-political-rhetoric-has-it-that-the-quality-of-a/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [It has proved politically wiser to set goals than to start programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/it-has-proved-politically-wiser-to-set-goals-than-to-start-programs/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [It is perhaps common in the world for individuals and nations to suffer for their noble qualities more than for their ignoble ones. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/it-is-perhaps-common-in-the-world-for-individuals-and-nations-to/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [“In the era of security clearances, to be an Irish Catholic became prima facie evidence of loyalty. Harvard men were to be checked; Fordham…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/in-the-era-of-security-clearances-to-be-an-irish-catholic-became/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [What the press never does say is who the leaker is and why he wants the story leaked. Yet, more often than not, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/what-the-press-never-does-say-is-who-the-leaker-is-and-why-he-wants/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [When a person goes to a country and finds their newspapers filled with nothing but good news, he can bet there are good men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/when-a-person-goes-to-a-country-and-finds-their-newspapers-filled/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [To be Irish is to know that in the end the world will break your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/to-be-irish-is-to-know-that-in-the-end-the-world-will-break-your-heart/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [I can live with the robber barons, but how do you live with these pathological radicals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/i-can-live-with-the-robber-barons-but-how-do-you-live-with-these/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [The world's largest debtor is a distinction of sorts, but not the one we like having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-world-s-largest-debtor-is-a-distinction-of-sorts-but-not-the-one/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [The institution of the family is decisive in determining not only if a person has the capacity to love another individual but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-institution-of-the-family-is-decisive-in-determining-not-only-if/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [The liberal left can be as rigid and destructive as any force in American life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-liberal-left-can-be-as-rigid-and-destructive-as-any-force-in/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) [Explore all 79 Daniel Patrick Moynihan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [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/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. 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