--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need a government, not politics…" description: "\"We need a government, not politics. Because there's too much politics. Of course there should be debate. But there seems to be so much pettiness and no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/daphne-guinness-9233_agree_we-need-a-government-not-politics-becaus_1084639.jpg" --- # We need a government, not politics. Because there's too… ![“We need a government, not politics. Because there's too much politics. Of course there should be debate. But there seems to be so much pettiness and not enough good faith. It is civilized to agree to disagree, and this idea is slowly disintegrating. The great statesmen of the past knew this, and I…” quote by Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/daphne-guinness-9233_agree_we-need-a-government-not-politics-becaus_1084639.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/daphne-guinness-9233_agree_we-need-a-government-not-politics-becaus_1084639.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/daphne-guinness-9233_agree_we-need-a-government-not-politics-becaus_1084639.jpg) > “We need a government, not politics. Because there's too much politics. Of course there should be debate. But there seems to be so much pettiness and not enough good faith. It is civilized to agree to disagree, and this idea is slowly disintegrating. The great statesmen of the past knew this, and I think it helps drive civilization.” [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive partisan pettiness erodes civil discourse; true progress needs good‑faith debate and agreement to disagree. **In simple terms:** Too much politics harms civil discussion. Key Takeaway Foster respectful dialogue. Themes politics civil discourse good faith Mood concerned hopeful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - parliamentary debates - online forums - community meetings Key Concepts democratic theory conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - Can societies revive civil disagreement? - What structures support good‑faith debate? A Different Perspective Political realities often limit genuine agreement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agree to disagree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree-to-disagree/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Good faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-faith/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-politics/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Pettiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pettiness/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Statesmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statesmen/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I think now it's a very odd time in politics. It should be mostly about good governing. We need a government, not politics. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/i-think-now-it-s-a-very-odd-time-in-politics-it-should-be-mostly/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [Nobody has the right to shield any idea as so sacred it can’t be challenged. ... Almost all human progress is driven by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/nobody-has-the-right-to-shield-any-idea-as-so-sacred-it-can-t-be/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Never presume that just because you disagree with an idea that you must be correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/never-presume-that-just-because-you-disagree-with-an-idea-that-you/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I disagree with the idea that everything happens for a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-holmes/i-disagree-with-the-idea-that-everything-happens-for-a-reason/) [Pete Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-holmes/) > [“If people don’t follow the agreed-upon paths, they don’t have the right to complain about either the people they disagree with or the idea-meritocratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/if-people-don-t-follow-the-agreed-upon-paths-they-don-t-have-the/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Too often we decide very early whether we agree or disagree with someone or with an idea, without making an effort to truly understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-ryan/too-often-we-decide-very-early-whether-we-agree-or-disagree-with/) James E. 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Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/people-who-have-been-in-and-around-government-and-politics-for-their/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [Anything government or politics is always exciting for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jacobson/anything-government-or-politics-is-always-exciting-for-me/) [Peter Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jacobson/) > [Government or politics in America today is big business. 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Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The more women we elect to public office, the more wholesome the whole process will be, whether it's government, politics, whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/the-more-women-we-elect-to-public-office-the-more-wholesome-the-whole/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/a-prohibition-law-strikes-a-blow-at-the-very-principles-upon-which/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-will-be-of-little-avail-to-the-people-that-the-laws-are-made-by/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) ## More by Daphne Guinness > [I don't like to look at myself in the mirror, which is why my eye makeup is always crooked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/i-don-t-like-to-look-at-myself-in-the-mirror-which-is-why-my-eye/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [Eccentric is a difficult word because it's come to mean crazy. 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I've only ever been able watch about 30 seconds of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/switch-off-reality-tv-i-ve-only-ever-been-able-watch-about-30-seconds/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [Love is agony, isn't it? I've been involved with someone for some time now, but it's all so complicated. It's never straightforward is it?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/love-is-agony-isn-t-it-i-ve-been-involved-with-someone-for-some-time/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [If you go into a relationship when you're 16, you've got no baggage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/if-you-go-into-a-relationship-when-you-re-16-you-ve-got-no-baggage/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [But things don't necessarily have to be that expensive to be good. 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