--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wisdom is essential in a president, the…" description: "\"Wisdom is essential in a president, the appearance of wisdom will do in a candidate.\" — Eric Sevareid" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/eric-sevareid-18932_appearance_wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-a_2787698.jpg" --- # Wisdom is essential in a president, the appearance of… ![“Wisdom is essential in a president, the appearance of wisdom will do in a candidate.” quote by Eric Sevareid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/eric-sevareid-18932_appearance_wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-a_2787698.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/eric-sevareid-18932_appearance_wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-a_2787698.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/eric-sevareid-18932_appearance_wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-a_2787698.jpg) > “Wisdom is essential in a president, the appearance of wisdom will do in a candidate.” [Eric Sevareid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-sevareid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A president must possess true wisdom, while a candidate only needs to appear wise to win public favor. **In simple terms:** True wisdom vs. image in leadership. Key Takeaway Seek substance over appearance in leaders. Themes leadership authenticity politics perception Mood critical inquisitive Type analytical political When to use this quote - voting decisions - leadership evaluation - public discourse Key Concepts wisdom image management electoral strategy Questions to Reflect On - How can voters discern genuine wisdom? - What role does media play in shaping perceptions? A Different Perspective Voters may be swayed by charisma alone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [The more often a stupidity is repeated, the more it gets the appearance of wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-more-often-a-stupidity-is-repeated-the-more-it-gets-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It's essential for a president to show strength from the very beginning, to make it very clear what is acceptable and not acceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/it-s-essential-for-a-president-to-show-strength-from-the-very/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [“God’s wisdom, true wisdom, is essential to living the life we were designed to live. Apart from God and his wisdom, we can spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-feinberg/god-s-wisdom-true-wisdom-is-essential-to-living-the-life-we-were/) [Margaret Feinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-feinberg/) > [Knowledge without wisdom is adequate for the powerful, but wisdom is essential to the survival of the subordinate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-hill-collins/knowledge-without-wisdom-is-adequate-for-the-powerful-but-wisdom-is/) [Patricia Hill Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-hill-collins/) > [Wisdom is the essential basis of greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/wisdom-is-the-essential-basis-of-greatness/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [I like candidates who tell me something that is going to make a difference to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-richards/i-like-candidates-who-tell-me-something-that-is-going-to-make-a/) [Ann Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-richards/) > [It is time Britain put its trust back into the Labour Party. I believe I am the candidate that can make this happen precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/it-is-time-britain-put-its-trust-back-into-the-labour-party-i-believe/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... 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But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) ## More by Eric Sevareid > [The bigger the information media, the less courage and freedom they follow. Bigness means weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-sevareid/the-bigger-the-information-media-the-less-courage-and-freedom-they/) [Eric Sevareid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-sevareid/) > [The chief cause of problems is solutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-sevareid/the-chief-cause-of-problems-is-solutions/) [Eric Sevareid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-sevareid/) > [It is perfectly clear that people, given no alternative, will choose tyranny over anarchy, because anarchy is the worst tyranny of all... 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Boys want power in order to be something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-sevareid/men-want-power-in-order-to-do-something-boys-want-power-in-order-to/) [Eric Sevareid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-sevareid/) > [“Never underestimate your listener's intelligence, or overestimate you listener's information.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-sevareid/never-underestimate-your-listener-s-intelligence-or-overestimate-you/) [Eric Sevareid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-sevareid/) [Explore all 33 Eric Sevareid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-sevareid/) ## More Appearance quotes > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [The essence of worldliness is exclusion of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jacobsen/the-essence-of-worldliness-is-exclusion-of-god/) [Henry Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jacobsen/) > [We must, however, note that what are usually called the high religions made their appearance within about twenty-five hundred years - most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-scott-latourette/we-must-however-note-that-what-are-usually-called-the-high-religions/) [Kenneth Scott Latourette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-scott-latourette/) > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. 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Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [So may the outward shows be least themselves; The world is still deceived with ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-may-the-outward-shows-be-least-themselves-the-world-is-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are one of many appearances of the thing called Life; we are not its perfect image, for it has no perfect image except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/we-are-one-of-many-appearances-of-the-thing-called-life-we-are-not/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [I'm OK with my appearance. I have made my peace with it after a long and frankly exhausting battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-ok-with-my-appearance-i-have-made-my-peace-with-it-after-a-long/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/there-is-no-society-or-conversation-to-be-kept-up-in-the-world/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Appearance records are pretty special. Mine means a lot to me, not only because I love stats, but because it shows that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james/appearance-records-are-pretty-special-mine-means-a-lot-to-me-not-only/) [David James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james/) > [Every man would fall in love with their voice, their lovely appearance, but no man would ever get past that. They'd never really know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/every-man-would-fall-in-love-with-their-voice-their-lovely-appearance/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [I already know what things look like - I don't want description. People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) Browse all 2,446 Appearance quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Wisdom is essential in a president, the appearance of wisdom will do in a candidate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric Sevareid" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-sevareid/wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-appearance-of-wisdom-will-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appearance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-sevareid/wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-appearance-of-wisdom-will-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/eric-sevareid-18932_appearance_wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-a_2787698.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/eric-sevareid-18932_appearance_wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-a_2787698.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/eric-sevareid-18932_appearance_wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-a_2787698.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wisdom is essential in a president, the appearance of wisdom will do in a candidate.” — Eric Sevareid", "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": "Eric Sevareid", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-sevareid/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Wisdom is essential in a president,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-sevareid/wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-appearance-of-wisdom-will-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-sevareid/wisdom-is-essential-in-a-president-the-appearance-of-wisdom-will-do/#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 } } ] } ```