--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When people in government [make…" description: "\"When people in government [make mistakes], they don't say, those people in the government. They say, we've got a problem to solve.\" — Dar Williams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/274/dar-williams-3902_failure_when-people-in-government-make-mistakes_2472092.jpg" --- # When people in government \[make mistakes\], they don't say… ![“When people in government [make mistakes], they don't say, those people in the government. They say, we've got a problem to solve.” quote by Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/274/dar-williams-3902_failure_when-people-in-government-make-mistakes_2472092.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/274/dar-williams-3902_failure_when-people-in-government-make-mistakes_2472092.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/274/dar-williams-3902_failure_when-people-in-government-make-mistakes_2472092.jpg) > “When people in government \[make mistakes\], they don't say, those people in the government. They say, we've got a problem to solve.” [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government errors are often framed as impersonal problems rather than attributing blame to specific officials. **In simple terms:** Officials hide behind vague language. Key Takeaway Hold leaders accountable for mistakes. Themes politics responsibility communication Mood critical thoughtful Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy debates - media analysis - civic engagement - public statements Key Concepts accountability public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape public perception? - What are effective ways to demand accountability? A Different Perspective Denial can impede solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Making mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-mistakes/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problem solving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-solving/) ## Related quotes > [Whether you were talking about Pillsbury, Burger King, Godfather's, the National Restaurant Association, in each one of those situations, I had a daunting problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-cain/whether-you-were-talking-about-pillsbury-burger-king-godfather-s-the/) [Herman Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-cain/) > [If you have a problem you can solve by throwing money at it, you don't have a very interesting problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/if-you-have-a-problem-you-can-solve-by-throwing-money-at-it-you-don-t/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [What is the user problem that once we solve users can't live without?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosain-rahman/what-is-the-user-problem-that-once-we-solve-users-can-t-live-without/) [Hosain Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hosain-rahman/) > [A good idea is something that does not solve just one single problem, but rather can solve multiple problems at once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-miyamoto/a-good-idea-is-something-that-does-not-solve-just-one-single-problem/) [Shigeru Miyamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-miyamoto/) > [Solve the race problem here, and once you solve the race problem here, you don't have to send these billions of dollars abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/solve-the-race-problem-here-and-once-you-solve-the-race-problem-here/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [We look at problems happening halfway across the world and we think, 'Well, that's their problem.' 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On the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-wemple/there-really-is-no-foolproof-or-even-optimal-way-of-dealing-with/) Erik Wemple > [I don't think that it's appropriate for the government to say, in effect, we're going to slow down the growth of housing or that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-deukmejian/i-don-t-think-that-it-s-appropriate-for-the-government-to-say-in/) [George Deukmejian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-deukmejian/) > [What's to be believed? Or does it matter at all? When mass murder's been answered with mass murder, rape with rape, hate with hate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/what-s-to-be-believed-or-does-it-matter-at-all-when-mass-murder-s-2/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [Every generation will be challenged morally once in their life about its government, and they will have to say where they stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nolte/every-generation-will-be-challenged-morally-once-in-their-life-about/) [Nick Nolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nolte/) ## More by Dar Williams > [“So I'll keep you wondering what time I'm arriving And you'll drive me crazy with your backseat driving And I'll talk in my sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/so-i-ll-keep-you-wondering-what-time-i-m-arriving-and-you-ll-drive-me/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [There's a marketing scheme that tells you that pregnancy and child rearing will make you into a moron, that your kids are only happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/there-s-a-marketing-scheme-that-tells-you-that-pregnancy-and-child/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [I remember doing "As Cool As I Am" and Steve Miller, the producer, saying "I really hear a drum loop here. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/i-remember-doing-as-cool-as-i-am-and-steve-miller-the-producer-saying/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [I went to Canada and played in this tiny bar where the windows were steaming up and everybody was so animated and singing along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/i-went-to-canada-and-played-in-this-tiny-bar-where-the-windows-were/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [The only word for love is everybody's name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/the-only-word-for-love-is-everybody-s-name/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [Everyone has to decide how they're going to appear in their lives, how they're going to put themselves out there to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/everyone-has-to-decide-how-they-re-going-to-appear-in-their-lives-how/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [ For my 50th birthday I just want to make it all make sense \[being exactly half introvert\], and then a couple of weeks later… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/for-my-50th-birthday-i-just-want-to-make-it-all-make-sense-being/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [All the things you treasure most will be the hardest won I will watch you struggle long before the answers come But I won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/all-the-things-you-treasure-most-will-be-the-hardest-won-i-will-watch/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [She who loves last loves best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/she-who-loves-last-loves-best/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [But I benefit from the taxes I pay because I know how to access the benefits of the taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/but-i-benefit-from-the-taxes-i-pay-because-i-know-how-to-access-the/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [The only I would say is a little different is when I know my parents are in the audience. 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Men were becoming much more comfortable with all the different facets and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/i-really-lucked-out-with-that-song-as-cool-as-i-am-men-were-becoming/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [“Well, my friends give me purple flowers and orange tea and goosedown spinning quilts and torquoise chairs we greet one another in a wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/well-my-friends-give-me-purple-flowers-and-orange-tea-and-goosedown/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [Every time you opt in to kindness Make one connection, used to divide us It echoes all over the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/every-time-you-opt-in-to-kindness-make-one-connection-used-to-divide/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) [Explore all 119 Dar Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) ## More Failure quotes > [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/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. 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