--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We want to lead by our values and out…" description: "\"We want to lead by our values and out interests in ways that, regardless of the trajectory over the next decade, people will know the United States was..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/hillary-clinton-51_decades_we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-in_2499792.jpg" --- # We want to lead by our values and out interests in ways… ![“We want to lead by our values and out interests in ways that, regardless of the trajectory over the next decade, people will know the United States was on the side of democracy, on the side of the rule of law.” quote by Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/hillary-clinton-51_decades_we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-in_2499792.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/hillary-clinton-51_decades_we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-in_2499792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/hillary-clinton-51_decades_we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-in_2499792.jpg) > “We want to lead by our values and out interests in ways that, regardless of the trajectory over the next decade, people will know the United States was on the side of democracy, on the side of the rule of law.” [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She emphasizes that U.S. foreign policy should be guided by democratic values and rule of law, regardless of future changes. **In simple terms:** U.S. must stand for democracy and law. Key Takeaway Act on principles, not just politics. Themes democracy rule of law leadership Mood determined principled Type political inspirational When to use this quote - diplomacy - policy making - public speeches - international relations Key Concepts foreign policy ethical governance national identity Questions to Reflect On - How can values be balanced with real‑world constraints? - What risks arise when ideals dominate policy? A Different Perspective Values may clash with strategic interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decades/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-rule-921197/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rule of law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-of-law/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [States Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states-democracy-1050128/) [Trajectory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trajectory/) [Trajectory Decade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trajectory-decade-1050129/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Values Interests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values-interests-592989/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [In a free Europe... the system of power lies on three pillars. These are democracy, rule of law, and human rights. It's impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-timmermans/in-a-free-europe-the-system-of-power-lies-on-three-pillars-these-are/) [Frans Timmermans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-timmermans/) > [We desire and thirst for freedom, democracy and the rule of law just like anyone else. And we are prepared to fight tooth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/we-desire-and-thirst-for-freedom-democracy-and-the-rule-of-law-just/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-kennedy/the-bedrock-of-our-democracy-is-the-rule-of-law-and-that-means-we/) [Caroline Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-kennedy/) > [My parents brought my sister and me to the United States to escape the communist takeover of Cuba. They sought to build their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-mayorkas/my-parents-brought-my-sister-and-me-to-the-united-states-to-escape/) [Alejandro Mayorkas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-mayorkas/) > [Turkey shares Europe's fundamental values of democracy and the rule of law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-babacan/turkey-shares-europe-s-fundamental-values-of-democracy-and-the-rule/) [Ali Babacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-babacan/) > [China recognizes and also respects the universality of human rights. We will continue our efforts to promote democracy and the rule of law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hu-jintao/china-recognizes-and-also-respects-the-universality-of-human-rights/) [Hu Jintao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hu-jintao/) > [Norway will be recognized as an open democracy with the rule of law, with the universal human rights, and with the broad international engagement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-gahr-store/norway-will-be-recognized-as-an-open-democracy-with-the-rule-of-law/) [Jonas Gahr Store](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-gahr-store/) > [At no time, at no place in solemn convention assembled, through no chosen agents, had the American people officially proclaimed the United States to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-beard/at-no-time-at-no-place-in-solemn-convention-assembled-through-no/) [Charles A. Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-beard/) > [I think that my general feeling about the United States is that democracy works, and I've believed that my whole life, and my experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/i-think-that-my-general-feeling-about-the-united-states-is-that/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [For America, our interests are our values, and our values are our interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/for-america-our-interests-are-our-values-and-our-values-are-our/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [On the basis of both values and interests, the natural relationship between Islam and the United States is one of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/on-the-basis-of-both-values-and-interests-the-natural-relationship/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [The first and most important is to emphasize the enduring nature of the alliance relationship particularly with Europe which does share our values and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-first-and-most-important-is-to-emphasize-the-enduring-nature-of/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [Relations between countries are built on values and interests and many other things, but at the end of the day, leaders are also only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tzipi-livni/relations-between-countries-are-built-on-values-and-interests-and/) [Tzipi Livni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tzipi-livni/) > [In the South, prior to the Civil Rights movement and the 1964 Civil Rights Act, democracy was the rule. The majority of people were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/in-the-south-prior-to-the-civil-rights-movement-and-the-1964-civil/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [Democracy -- rule by the people -- sounds like a fine thing; we should try it sometime in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/democracy-rule-by-the-people-sounds-like-a-fine-thing-we-should-try/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) ## More by Hillary Clinton > [When it comes to bullying small businesses, Donald Trump is the poster boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-it-comes-to-bullying-small-businesses-donald-trump-is-the-poster/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I'm going to do everything I can to get myself elected, but that's not enough. I'm going to try to help move the Senate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-m-going-to-do-everything-i-can-to-get-myself-elected-but-that-s-not/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I think we have to take a look at corporate law. We have to take a look at the incentives that we can perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-think-we-have-to-take-a-look-at-corporate-law-we-have-to-take-a/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I am somewhat influenced by the years that I've spent trying to actually get things done, whether it was reforming education in Arkansas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-somewhat-influenced-by-the-years-that-i-ve-spent-trying-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We know in New York we have several million at any one time who are in New York illegally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-know-in-new-york-we-have-several-million-at-any-one-time-who-are/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I have always believed that women are not victims, we are agents of change, we are drivers of progress, we are makers of peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-always-believed-that-women-are-not-victims-we-are-agents-of/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [If I had lost the popular vote but won the electoral college and in my first day as president the intelligence community came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-i-had-lost-the-popular-vote-but-won-the-electoral-college-and-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We now have power under the Dodd-Frank legislation to break up banks. And I've said I will use that power if they pose a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-now-have-power-under-the-dodd-frank-legislation-to-break-up-banks/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I am not going to make promises I can't keep. I am not going to talk about big ideas like single-payer and then not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-not-going-to-make-promises-i-can-t-keep-i-am-not-going-to-talk/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [It's important to recognize that expanding the circle of opportunity and increasing the democratic potential of our own society, as well as those across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-s-important-to-recognize-that-expanding-the-circle-of-opportunity/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We're living in a technological world. You cannot tell me we can't do a better job getting that information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-re-living-in-a-technological-world-you-cannot-tell-me-we-can-t-do/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I do not think homosexuality is immoral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-do-not-think-homosexuality-is-immoral/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We need to have more second chance programs. I'm glad that we're ending private prisons in the federal system; I want to see them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-need-to-have-more-second-chance-programs-i-m-glad-that-we-re/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [A nuclear-weapons armed Iran is not in anyone's human-rights interests. That is a direct threat to the lives and the livelihoods and the stability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/a-nuclear-weapons-armed-iran-is-not-in-anyone-s-human-rights/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) [Explore all 1,911 Hillary Clinton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) ## More Decades quotes > [Nature will eventually do what nature has always done. It will respond in a self-stabilizing manner over the long term with moderate variability over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-sununu/nature-will-eventually-do-what-nature-has-always-done-it-will-respond/) [John H. Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-sununu/) > [Music's free and music's for everyone to enjoy and express and interpret. It transcends countries and times and decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bat-for-lashes/music-s-free-and-music-s-for-everyone-to-enjoy-and-express-and/) [Bat for Lashes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bat-for-lashes/) > [I should have liked to get married, but over many decades I have lived essentially alone. I go to sleep when I'm tired, get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/i-should-have-liked-to-get-married-but-over-many-decades-i-have-lived/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [In a couple of decades you have half of the wells that are drilled right now, and you're talking about numbers in the millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/in-a-couple-of-decades-you-have-half-of-the-wells-that-are-drilled/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [Among the many factors that make a return to halcyon days of the first decades of the postwar era virtually impossible is the decline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gilpin/among-the-many-factors-that-make-a-return-to-halcyon-days-of-the/) [Robert Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gilpin/) > [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [It's funny, I used to say on 'That 70's Show', you could really put us in any decade, and it was about the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/it-s-funny-i-used-to-say-on-that-70-s-show-you-could-really-put-us-in/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [So a truthful assessment of how America is doing in the war on terror as a result of President Bush's war on Iraq is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olver/so-a-truthful-assessment-of-how-america-is-doing-in-the-war-on-terror/) [John Olver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olver/) > [... many folks take them seriously because they just 'know' that evolution can never be seen in the immediate here and now. In fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/many-folks-take-them-seriously-because-they-just-know-that-evolution/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Nothing evades our attention as persistently as that which we take for granted... the decades roll on without even a suggestion that perhaps the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-brady/nothing-evades-our-attention-as-persistently-as-that-which-we-take/) [Marion Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-brady/) > [My dad was a bartender. My mom was a cashier, a maid and a stock clerk at K-Mart. They never made it big. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-my-mom-was-a-cashier-a-maid-and-a-stock-clerk/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [This bill would allow an employee to bring a claim against an employer decades after the alleged initial act of discrimination occurred. Trial lawyers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-mckeon/this-bill-would-allow-an-employee-to-bring-a-claim-against-an/) [Buck McKeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-mckeon/) > [The greatest problem in Japanese politics over the last two decades is that we put off what needed to be done. We have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshihiko-noda/the-greatest-problem-in-japanese-politics-over-the-last-two-decades/) [Yoshihiko Noda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoshihiko-noda/) [Browse all 1,717 Decades quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decades/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We want to lead by our values and out interests in ways that, regardless of the trajectory over the next decade, people will know the United States was on the side of democracy, on the side of the rule of law.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hillary Clinton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-interests-in-ways-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decades" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-interests-in-ways-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/hillary-clinton-51_decades_we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-in_2499792.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/hillary-clinton-51_decades_we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-in_2499792.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/hillary-clinton-51_decades_we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-in_2499792.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We want to lead by our values and out interests in ways that, regardless of the trajectory over the next…” — Hillary Clinton", "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": "Hillary Clinton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We want to lead by our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-interests-in-ways-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-want-to-lead-by-our-values-and-out-interests-in-ways-that/#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 } } ] } ```