--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I left the Treasury, there was a…" description: "\"When I left the Treasury, there was a poll that showed - and I don't remember the numbers exactly right - something like 90% of the people were against..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/henry-paulson-2282_disaster_when-i-left-the-treasury-there-was-a-pol_1219958.png" --- # When I left the Treasury, there was a poll that showed… ![“When I left the Treasury, there was a poll that showed - and I don't remember the numbers exactly right - something like 90% of the people were against TARP. It prevented a disaster, but you don't get credit for a disaster that people don't see.” quote by Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/henry-paulson-2282_disaster_when-i-left-the-treasury-there-was-a-pol_1219958.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/henry-paulson-2282_disaster_when-i-left-the-treasury-there-was-a-pol_1219958.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/henry-paulson-2282_disaster_when-i-left-the-treasury-there-was-a-pol_1219958.png) > “When I left the Treasury, there was a poll that showed - and I don't remember the numbers exactly right - something like 90% of the people were against TARP. It prevented a disaster, but you don't get credit for a disaster that people don't see.” [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Successful crisis interventions often go unnoticed, leaving the public unaware of prevented disasters. **In simple terms:** Good deeds can be invisible. Key Takeaway Recognize unseen efforts. Themes crisis management public perception policy impact media coverage accountability Mood analytical reflective Type political economic When to use this quote - government response - corporate risk - public relations Key Concepts economics risk management communication Questions to Reflect On - How can we better acknowledge hidden successes? - What mechanisms ensure transparency in crisis response? A Different Perspective Credit may be delayed or absent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) ## Related quotes > [After I left Treasury, I think in some ways it was harder to sit there and be writing my book... listening to all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/after-i-left-treasury-i-think-in-some-ways-it-was-harder-to-sit-there/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [On March 8 a poll showed Hart 9 points ahead of Reagan. So perhaps 60 million Americans, 55 million of whom had not heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/on-march-8-a-poll-showed-hart-9-points-ahead-of-reagan-so-perhaps-60/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [A 1940 Gallup poll showed 83 percent of the public was against intervention. A good pretext was needed to gain support from an intransigent public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-marrs/a-1940-gallup-poll-showed-83-percent-of-the-public-was-against/) [Jim Marrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-marrs/) > [One poll showed that Americans have a higher opinion of witches, the IRS and hemorrhoids than Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/one-poll-showed-that-americans-have-a-higher-opinion-of-witches-the/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [A new poll showed that 66% of Americans think President Bush is doing a poor job handling the war in Iraq and the remaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/a-new-poll-showed-that-66-of-americans-think-president-bush-is-doing/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Yes, life in Chechnya so far looks more like a life after a natural disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/yes-life-in-chechnya-so-far-looks-more-like-a-life-after-a-natural/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Obviously, it's my goal to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga, but it wouldn't be a disaster if I didn't achieve that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-gomez/obviously-it-s-my-goal-to-be-the-top-scorer-in-the-bundesliga-but-it/) [Mario Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-gomez/) > [“She was—of course—perfectly normal— quiet and polite and reasonably intelligent and...normal and self destructive and lonely and terrified of every thing And she loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tah-the-trickster/she-was-of-course-perfectly-normal-quiet-and-polite-and-reasonably/) Tah the Trickster > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [My mind shrank from the menace sweeping down on us, as children's do from belief in death and misfortune, vainly clinging to the fancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-pankhurst/my-mind-shrank-from-the-menace-sweeping-down-on-us-as-children-s-do/) [Sylvia Pankhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-pankhurst/) > [You know, we can't beat ISIS. We can't do anything. We can't take care of our vets. We can't have good health care. "Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-know-we-can-t-beat-isis-we-can-t-do-anything-we-can-t-take-care/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [One of the undervalued contributors to Trump's stunning 2016 victory was the masterful performance Pence had in his debate against Hillary Clinton running mate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-undervalued-contributors-to-trump-s-stunning-2016-victory/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) ## More by Henry Paulson > [If a financial institution has business operations in the United States, hires people in the United States, if they are clogged with illiquid assets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/if-a-financial-institution-has-business-operations-in-the-united/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [It is the policy of the federal government to use all resources at its disposal to make our financial system stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/it-is-the-policy-of-the-federal-government-to-use-all-resources-at/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [A state-based regulatory system is quite burdensome. It allows price controls to create market distortions. It can hinder development of national products and can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/a-state-based-regulatory-system-is-quite-burdensome-it-allows-price/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [Well, as you know, we're working through a difficult period in our financial markets right now as we work off some of the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/well-as-you-know-we-re-working-through-a-difficult-period-in-our/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [I look forward to the day when China has a truly market-determined solution... To get there, you need to have a currency that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/i-look-forward-to-the-day-when-china-has-a-truly-market-determined/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [Indian-Americans are physicians, engineers, CEOs, professors, teachers, entrepreneurs. They are a vital part of the United States' economic and social fabric. Because of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/indian-americans-are-physicians-engineers-ceos-professors-teachers/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [When it comes to the presidency, I will not vote for Donald Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/when-it-comes-to-the-presidency-i-will-not-vote-for-donald-trump/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [America is the land of opportunity. We need to be vigilant in ensuring that each and every American has the opportunity to acquire the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/america-is-the-land-of-opportunity-we-need-to-be-vigilant-in-ensuring/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [An open, competitive, and liberalized financial market can effectively allocate scarce resources in a manner that promotes stability and prosperity far better than governmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/an-open-competitive-and-liberalized-financial-market-can-effectively/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [I do not believe the United States and the Americans are going to let Donald Trump become president... I think the challenge is Donald…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/i-do-not-believe-the-united-states-and-the-americans-are-going-to-let/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [Too often, we restrict trade that would create U.S. jobs and is in our national interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/too-often-we-restrict-trade-that-would-create-u-s-jobs-and-is-in-our/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [Our overriding goal in restructuring our financial architecture should be that taxpayers never again have to save a failing financial institution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/our-overriding-goal-in-restructuring-our-financial-architecture/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [I think history shows that countries have to have some kind of a threshold level of economic success before they begin to have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/i-think-history-shows-that-countries-have-to-have-some-kind-of-a/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [We don't have the necessary laws or powers to deal with failing non-bank institutions. If they're a big bank, the depositor has deposit insurance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/we-don-t-have-the-necessary-laws-or-powers-to-deal-with-failing-non/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [U.S. exports to China have more than quintupled since China entered the WTO and have grown more quickly than imports. In fact, China is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/u-s-exports-to-china-have-more-than-quintupled-since-china-entered/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) [Explore all 174 Henry Paulson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) ## More Disaster quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [One of the undervalued contributors to Trump's stunning 2016 victory was the masterful performance Pence had in his debate against Hillary Clinton running mate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-undervalued-contributors-to-trump-s-stunning-2016-victory/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [You know, we can't beat ISIS. We can't do anything. We can't take care of our vets. We can't have good health care. "Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-know-we-can-t-beat-isis-we-can-t-do-anything-we-can-t-take-care/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [My mind shrank from the menace sweeping down on us, as children's do from belief in death and misfortune, vainly clinging to the fancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-pankhurst/my-mind-shrank-from-the-menace-sweeping-down-on-us-as-children-s-do/) [Sylvia Pankhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-pankhurst/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“She was—of course—perfectly normal— quiet and polite and reasonably intelligent and...normal and self destructive and lonely and terrified of every thing And she loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tah-the-trickster/she-was-of-course-perfectly-normal-quiet-and-polite-and-reasonably/) Tah the Trickster > [Obviously, it's my goal to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga, but it wouldn't be a disaster if I didn't achieve that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-gomez/obviously-it-s-my-goal-to-be-the-top-scorer-in-the-bundesliga-but-it/) [Mario Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-gomez/) > [Yes, life in Chechnya so far looks more like a life after a natural disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/yes-life-in-chechnya-so-far-looks-more-like-a-life-after-a-natural/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Even disasters -- there are always disasters when you travel -- can be turned into adventures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/even-disasters-there-are-always-disasters-when-you-travel-can-be/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [We are always just one successful terrorist attack away from a nuclear disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/we-are-always-just-one-successful-terrorist-attack-away-from-a/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [The only aspect of our travels that is interesting to others is disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellmanmartha-gellman/the-only-aspect-of-our-travels-that-is-interesting-to-others-is/) Martha GellmanMartha Gellman [Browse all 2,239 Disaster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I left the Treasury, there was a poll that showed - and I don't remember the numbers exactly right - something like 90% of the people were against TARP. 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