Agendas Quote by George Will
“The progressive agenda is actually legitimated by the incomprehension and anger it elicits: If the people do not resent and resist what is being done on their behalf, what is being done is not properly ambitious. If it is comprehensible to its intended beneficiaries, it is the work of insufficiently advanced thinkers.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Political Commentary, 2020
The quote suggests that a political agenda must provoke confusion and anger to be considered truly ambitious; if people accept it, it lacks depth.
In simple terms: Ambitious policies provoke discomfort; acceptance signals mediocrity.
Key Takeaway
Embrace challenging ideas, not complacency.
Themes
politics
ambition
public perception
Mood
provocative
critical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- activism
- legislative reform
- public debate
- grassroots organizing
Key Concepts
social psychology
policy design
Questions to Reflect On
- Is discomfort always a sign of progress?
- How can we balance ambition with public trust?
A Different Perspective
Critics argue that provoking anger can be manipulative and alienating.
![“Everyone was at Martin Freeman’s house, and Martin was there and his wife was sat at his feet and Amanda [Abbington, Freeman’s wife] was crying and so was I and I tried to laugh it off but that turned into this enormous sob in front of everyone and I just thought, oh brilliant. I just found it…” quote by Louise Brealey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b12/louise-brealey-63754_amanda_everyone-was-at-martin-freeman-s-house-a_371356.jpg)
![“[A certain class of explanations in science are] analgesics that dull the ache of incomprehension without removing the cause.” quote by Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fbb/peter-medawar-9996_ache_a-certain-class-of-explanations-in-scien_299816.jpg)
