--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: American laws don't work, but at least…" description: "\"American laws don't work, but at least the laws of physics might work.\" — Gore Vidal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/gore-vidal-466_american-law_american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-th_344465.jpg" --- # American laws don't work, but at least the laws of physics… ![“American laws don't work, but at least the laws of physics might work.” quote by Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/gore-vidal-466_american-law_american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-th_344465.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/gore-vidal-466_american-law_american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-th_344465.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/gore-vidal-466_american-law_american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-th_344465.jpg) > “American laws don't work, but at least the laws of physics might work.” [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote humorously contrasts human legal systems with immutable natural laws, suggesting that while human laws may fail, physics remains reliable. **In simple terms:** Human laws can fail, physics stays reliable. Key Takeaway Rely on immutable truths. Themes law physics human nature Mood wry thoughtful Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - political debate - science education - personal reflection Key Concepts philosophy skepticism humor Questions to Reflect On - How can we design laws that reflect natural consistency? - What limits do we face in aligning human systems with physics? A Different Perspective Humans can create better laws through understanding physics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-law/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws of physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-of-physics/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) ## Related quotes > [One thing they don't tell you about doing experimental physics is that sometimes you must work under adverse conditions... like a state of sheer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kenneth-hartmann/one-thing-they-don-t-tell-you-about-doing-experimental-physics-is/) William Kenneth Hartmann > [Although important nuclear physics work was to go on in laboratories such as ours had become - and we had to cut down to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-carver/although-important-nuclear-physics-work-was-to-go-on-in-laboratories/) [John Henry Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-carver/) > [Forget the laws. If the laws don't make sense, if they run contrary to your conscience, you have to disobey them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/forget-the-laws-if-the-laws-don-t-make-sense-if-they-run-contrary-to/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“My country again! Mr. Wilson, you have a country; but what country have I, or any one like me, born of slave mothers? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/my-country-again-mr-wilson-you-have-a-country-but-what-country-have-i-2/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [“My country again! Mr. Wilson, you have a country; but what country have I, or any one like me, born of slave mothers? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/my-country-again-mr-wilson-you-have-a-country-but-what-country-have-i/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [I was a senior research scientist that changed the accepted view of the structure of the universe. I disproved one of the then widely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chien-shiung-wu/i-was-a-senior-research-scientist-that-changed-the-accepted-view-of/) Chien-Shiung Wu > [The laws of physics that we regard as 'sacred,' as immutable, are anything but.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-archibald-wheeler/the-laws-of-physics-that-we-regard-as-sacred-as-immutable-are/) [John Archibald Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-archibald-wheeler/) > [The laws of physics have already been violated. What happens if they decide to press charges?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-laws-of-physics-have-already-been-violated-what-happens-if-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is rather fantastic to realize that the laws of physics can describe how everything was created in a random quantum fluctuation out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-guth/it-is-rather-fantastic-to-realize-that-the-laws-of-physics-can/) [Alan Guth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-guth/) > [There are two worlds we live in: a material world, bound by the laws of physics, and the world inside our mind, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/there-are-two-worlds-we-live-in-a-material-world-bound-by-the-laws-of/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [The physicist is like someone who's watching people playing chess and, after watching a few games, he may have worked out what the moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-physicist-is-like-someone-who-s-watching-people-playing-chess-and/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [When I began my career as a cosmologist some twenty years ago, I was a convinced atheist. I never in my wildest dreams imagined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-j-tipler/when-i-began-my-career-as-a-cosmologist-some-twenty-years-ago-i-was-a/) [Frank J. Tipler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-j-tipler/) > [The smallest thought could not exist unless the entire universe and the laws of physics were in some way encouraging it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/the-smallest-thought-could-not-exist-unless-the-entire-universe-and/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [The laws of physics should allow us to arrange things molecule by molecule and even atom by atom, and at some point it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-merkle/the-laws-of-physics-should-allow-us-to-arrange-things-molecule-by/) [Ralph Merkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-merkle/) > [Anyone who believes that the laws of physics are mere social conventions is invited to try transgressing those conventions from the windows of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sokal/anyone-who-believes-that-the-laws-of-physics-are-mere-social/) [Alan Sokal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sokal/) ## More by Gore Vidal > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Many people in the United States happen to believe that United States policy is wrong in Vietnam and the Vietcong are correct in wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/many-people-in-the-united-states-happen-to-believe-that-united-states/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“It is curious how little interested we are in the sexual desires of those who do not attract us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-little-interested-we-are-in-the-sexual-desires-of/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/style-is-knowing-who-you-are-what-you-want-to-say-and-not-giving-a/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The oligarchs think that the people are both dangerous and stupid. Their point is moot. But we do know that the oligarchs are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-oligarchs-think-that-the-people-are-both-dangerous-and-stupid/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [It is curious how often one prefers his enemies to his friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-often-one-prefers-his-enemies-to-his-friends/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/as-societies-grow-decadent-the-language-grows-decadent-too-words-are/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Rome ... at its most decadent, had never thought of hiring an actor to go through the motions of being an emperor while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/rome-at-its-most-decadent-had-never-thought-of-hiring-an-actor-to-go/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [History is nothing but gossip about the past, with the hope that it might be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/history-is-nothing-but-gossip-about-the-past-with-the-hope-that-it/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. The good artist, like the wise man, addresses himself to life and invests with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-malady-of-civilized-man-is-his-knowledge-of-death-the-good-artist/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Sex is a continuum. You go through different phases along life's way... and if you don't, you've been sort of cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/sex-is-a-continuum-you-go-through-different-phases-along-life-s-way/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [All I want is that Americans still be able to read the alphabet in a hundred years. I am not very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/all-i-want-is-that-americans-still-be-able-to-read-the-alphabet-in-a/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I do not admire 'the people,' as such. No one really does. Their folk wisdom is usually false, their instincts predatory. Even their sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/i-do-not-admire-the-people-as-such-no-one-really-does-their-folk/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“One of the problems of a society as tightly controlled as ours is that we get so little information about what those of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/one-of-the-problems-of-a-society-as-tightly-controlled-as-ours-is/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) [Explore all 539 Gore Vidal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) ## More American law quotes > [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/) > [“Start with the observation that American law is not designed to catch and punish every instance of illegal conduct. Nothing short of a totalitarian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carpenter/start-with-the-observation-that-american-law-is-not-designed-to-catch/) [Dale Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carpenter/) > [American law needs to reflect gods law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-klingenschmitt/american-law-needs-to-reflect-gods-law/) [Gordon Klingenschmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-klingenschmitt/) > [Some may remember, if you have good memories, that there used to be a concept in Anglo-American law called a presumption of innocence, innocent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/some-may-remember-if-you-have-good-memories-that-there-used-to-be-a/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I think the archaic idea is actually winner take all, because the principle of "one person, one vote" is a principle that was introduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/i-think-the-archaic-idea-is-actually-winner-take-all-because-the/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [“Indeed, they embraced a tradition that was notorious for its incompatibility with American law and liberty. The connection between absolute and administrative power was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hamburger/indeed-they-embraced-a-tradition-that-was-notorious-for-its/) [Philip Hamburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hamburger/) > [All students, members of the faculty, and public officials in both Mississippi and the Nation will be able, it is hoped, to return to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/all-students-members-of-the-faculty-and-public-officials-in-both/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [It is the fundamental theory of all the more recent American law...that the average citizen is half-witted, and hence not to be trusted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/it-is-the-fundamental-theory-of-all-the-more-recent-american-law-that/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Law is a process. If there is equality of process for everybody, then that's our definition of justice. Whether or not what is done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/law-is-a-process-if-there-is-equality-of-process-for-everybody-then/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [It's important to every American that the law protect his or her basic liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/it-s-important-to-every-american-that-the-law-protect-his-or-her/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Expedience, not justice, is the rule of contemporary American law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/expedience-not-justice-is-the-rule-of-contemporary-american-law/) [Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/) > [Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation… Notwithstanding the military establishments in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/besides-the-advantage-of-being-armed-which-the-americans-possess-over/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom of Europe. The supreme power in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/before-a-standing-army-can-rule-the-people-must-be-disarmed-as-they/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [Educating Lawyers succeeds admirably in describing the educational programs at virtually every American law school. The call for the integration of the three apprenticeships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-wizner/educating-lawyers-succeeds-admirably-in-describing-the-educational/) Stephen Wizner > [The fact is, American law encourages whistleblowers and, often, they go down in history as courageous people of principle who made their country better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macdonald/the-fact-is-american-law-encourages-whistleblowers-and-often-they-go/) [Neil Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macdonald/) [Browse all 25 American law quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-law/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "American laws don't work, but at least the laws of physics might work.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gore Vidal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-the-laws-of-physics-might-work/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American law" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-the-laws-of-physics-might-work/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/gore-vidal-466_american-law_american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-th_344465.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/gore-vidal-466_american-law_american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-th_344465.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/gore-vidal-466_american-law_american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-th_344465.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“American laws don't work, but at least the laws of physics might work.” — Gore Vidal", "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": "Gore Vidal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "American laws don't work, but at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-the-laws-of-physics-might-work/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-the-laws-of-physics-might-work/#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 } } ] } ```