---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think we have very good records…"
description: "\"I don't think we have very good records about what they were thinking except, as I pointed out earlier today, that they did invent our political system..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/david-r-brower-9665_invent_i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records_119216.jpg"
---

#  I don't think we have very good records about what they…

![“I don't think we have very good records about what they were thinking except, as I pointed out earlier today, that they did invent our political system.” quote by David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/david-r-brower-9665_invent_i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records_119216.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/david-r-brower-9665_invent_i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records_119216.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/david-r-brower-9665_invent_i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records_119216.jpg)

> “I don't think we have very good records about what they were thinking except, as I pointed out earlier today, that they did invent our political system.”

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

## About This Quote

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

Historical records are sparse, but they clearly shaped the political structures we inherit today.

**In simple terms:** Our system reflects past creators' choices.

Key Takeaway

History informs present governance.

Themes

history politics knowledge gaps

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

historical observation political commentary

When to use this quote

- studying constitutional origins
- analyzing corporate governance
- examining cultural traditions

Key Concepts

institutional legacy archival scarcity

Practical Applications

- Consult primary sources where possible
- Encourage transparent record‑keeping

Questions to Reflect On

- What assumptions do we make about our political foundations?
- How can we improve documentation for future generations?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-system/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/)

## Related quotes

> [There was no religion in my life growing up. Did God invent us or did we invent God?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/there-was-no-religion-in-my-life-growing-up-did-god-invent-us-or-did/)

[Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/)

> [Sigmund Freud was very much a creature of his time. He did not 'invent' the unconscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/sigmund-freud-was-very-much-a-creature-of-his-time-he-did-not-invent/)

[Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/)

> [Perhaps the challenge is to invent the political structure that will give conscience a better chance against authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/perhaps-the-challenge-is-to-invent-the-political-structure-that-will/)

[Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/)

> [Luckily, I'm setting records without even thinking about it, without having the pressure of having to do as well as the person who came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-zagunis/luckily-i-m-setting-records-without-even-thinking-about-it-without/)

[Mariel Zagunis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-zagunis/)

> [I hate it when bands change between records. They're thinking before they make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-scally/i-hate-it-when-bands-change-between-records-they-re-thinking-before/)

[Alex Scally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-scally/)

> [“Did we make love today, Slate?” “We fucked baby. That is what you and I do. We fuck. And today we did it damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-smith/did-we-make-love-today-slate-we-fucked-baby-that-is-what-you-and-i-do/)

[Andrea Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-smith/)

> [Nothing happened today. And if anything did, I’d rather not talk about it, because I didn’t understand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-bola-o/nothing-happened-today-and-if-anything-did-i-d-rather-not-talk-about/)

[Roberto Bolano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-bola-o/)

> [Today we did what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They counted wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-we-did-what-we-had-to-do-they-counted-on-america-to-be-passive/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [May posterity show mercy when it look back upon the work we do today. We did what we could with what we had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/may-posterity-show-mercy-when-it-look-back-upon-the-work-we-do-today/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [Give thanks today for those who did you wrong...they unknowingly made you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-thanks-today-for-those-who-did-you-wrong-they-unknowingly-made/)

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

> [“Did you have one of those days today, like a nail in the foot? Did the pterodactyl corpse dropped by the ghost of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-ellison/did-you-have-one-of-those-days-today-like-a-nail-in-the-foot-did-the/)

[Harlan Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-ellison/)

> [<3 Baby, I love you more today than I did yesterday.. But not as much as tomorrow.. <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilly/3-baby-i-love-you-more-today-than-i-did-yesterday-but-not-as-much-as/)

Tilly

> [You look great today. How did I know? Because you look great everyday!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-kisses/you-look-great-today-how-did-i-know-because-you-look-great-everyday/)

Butterfly\_Kisses

> [Honey, what is it? It it about today? I did one line. One lousy line, and that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gia-carangi/honey-what-is-it-it-it-about-today-i-did-one-line-one-lousy-line-and/)

[Gia Carangi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gia-carangi/)

> [“I did a lot today. That is, I did something. The only thing I have ever done. I pressed a button. It took the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-did-a-lot-today-that-is-i-did-something-the-only-thing-i-have-ever/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

## More by David R. Brower

> [Is the minor convenience of allowing the present generation the luxury of doubling its energy consumption every 10 years worth the major hazard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/is-the-minor-convenience-of-allowing-the-present-generation-the/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [While the death of young men in war is unfortunate, it is no more serious than the touching of mountains and wilderness areas by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/while-the-death-of-young-men-in-war-is-unfortunate-it-is-no-more/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [Keep your rivers flowing as they will, and you will continue to know the most important of all freedoms-the boundless scope of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/keep-your-rivers-flowing-as-they-will-and-you-will-continue-to-know/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [We still need conservationists who will attempt the impossible, achieving it because they aren't aware how impossible it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/we-still-need-conservationists-who-will-attempt-the-impossible/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [A great deal of pressure was then built up to remove me from the club and my resignation was, finally, a forced one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/a-great-deal-of-pressure-was-then-built-up-to-remove-me-from-the-club/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [For how many people do you think might yet stand on this planet before the sun grows cold? That's the responsibility we hold in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/for-how-many-people-do-you-think-might-yet-stand-on-this-planet/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [All I know about thermal pollution is that if we continue our present rate of growth in electrical energy consumption it will simply take,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/all-i-know-about-thermal-pollution-is-that-if-we-continue-our-present/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [It's very hard for me to know what to say about fusion right now, inasmuch as it is not yet scientifically feasible. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/it-s-very-hard-for-me-to-know-what-to-say-about-fusion-right-now/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [Once we open the door to the plutonium economy, we expose ourselves to absolutely terrible, horrifying risks from these people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/once-we-open-the-door-to-the-plutonium-economy-we-expose-ourselves-to/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [You don't need it, but will you take some advice from a Californian who's been around for a while? Cherish these rivers. Witness for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/you-don-t-need-it-but-will-you-take-some-advice-from-a-californian/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [There is no place where we can safely store worn-out reactors or their garbage. No place!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/there-is-no-place-where-we-can-safely-store-worn-out-reactors-or/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [Politicians are like weather vanes. Our job is to make the wind blow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/politicians-are-like-weather-vanes-our-job-is-to-make-the-wind-blow/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [True wilderness is where you keep it, and real wilderness experience cannot be a sedentary one; you have to seek it out not seated,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/true-wilderness-is-where-you-keep-it-and-real-wilderness-experience/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [The goal now is a socialist, redistributionist society, which is nature's proper steward and society's only hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/the-goal-now-is-a-socialist-redistributionist-society-which-is-nature/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [I was actually telling people that - by harnessing the atom - we could enter a new era of unlimited power that would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/i-was-actually-telling-people-that-by-harnessing-the-atom-we-could/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

[Explore all 71 David R. Brower quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

## More Invent quotes

> [My wish for humanity is to invent a way to communicate between us and whatever comes next. And in the end that we the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/my-wish-for-humanity-is-to-invent-a-way-to-communicate-between-us-and/)

[Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/)

> [When you have a large amount of the workforce being laid off, some of them have no other choice but to go out there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daymond-john/when-you-have-a-large-amount-of-the-workforce-being-laid-off-some-of/)

[Daymond John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daymond-john/)

> [“Being a pioneer can be damn lonely, too early, no money, tough, endless, stupid,” Samwer said. “And that healed us. Since then, we basically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sennett/being-a-pioneer-can-be-damn-lonely-too-early-no-money-tough-endless/)

Frank Sennett

> [You can't invent something you have no epistemological access to. In a way, it's all recombination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-batuman/you-can-t-invent-something-you-have-no-epistemological-access-to-in-a/)

[Elif Batuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-batuman/)

> ['The New Yorker' didn't invent the magazine cartoon, but it did really establish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-new-yorker-didn-t-invent-the-magazine-cartoon-but-it-did-really/)

[Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/)

> [The function of the artist is to invent, not to chronicle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-function-of-the-artist-is-to-invent-not-to-chronicle/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-will-never-win-fame-and-fortune-unless-you-invent-big-ideas/)

[David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/)

> [“China it! Why invent the wheel when it has already been invented!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/china-it-why-invent-the-wheel-when-it-has-already-been-invented/)

[Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/)

> [It gives me confidence to know that what I'm writing has a veracity of its own without me having to invent it. When I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/it-gives-me-confidence-to-know-that-what-i-m-writing-has-a-veracity/)

[Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/)

> [What you dont see with your eyes, dont invent with your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-you-dont-see-with-your-eyes-dont-invent-with-your-mouth/)

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

> [The answer, The answer, my friend, is not yours to invent or create. It will be decided for you. It is outside you. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-answer-the-answer-my-friend-is-not-yours-to-invent-or-create-it/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [You can only really invent something if you connect yourself to the real world - whatever that means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lindbergh/you-can-only-really-invent-something-if-you-connect-yourself-to-the/)

[Peter Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lindbergh/)

> [Remove what is unfitting in your life, keep the rest and invent something new for that which you remove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/remove-what-is-unfitting-in-your-life-keep-the-rest-and-invent/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [You young people yourselves are capable of performing anything. Our inventors can invent in a high level. Our innovators can innovate in a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruhollah-khomeini/you-young-people-yourselves-are-capable-of-performing-anything-our/)

[Ruhollah Khomeini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruhollah-khomeini/)

> [If you're trying to invent something new, you're going to reach a lot of discouraging points, and most people give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lacy/if-you-re-trying-to-invent-something-new-you-re-going-to-reach-a-lot/)

[Steve Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lacy/)

Browse all 393 Invent quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't think we have very good records about what they were thinking except, as I pointed out earlier today, that they did invent our political system.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David R. Brower"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records-about-what-they-were-thinking/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Invent"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records-about-what-they-were-thinking/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/david-r-brower-9665_invent_i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records_119216.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/david-r-brower-9665_invent_i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records_119216.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/david-r-brower-9665_invent_i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records_119216.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't think we have very good records about what they were thinking except, as I pointed out earlier…” — David R. Brower",
                "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": "David R. Brower",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't think we have very...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records-about-what-they-were-thinking/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records-about-what-they-were-thinking/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```