--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need to seek wise leaders who will…" description: "\"We need to seek wise leaders who will seek common ground among Americans instead of dividing us further for political gain. As citizens, we must embrac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/james-mcgreevey-15663_citizens_we-need-to-seek-wise-leaders-who-will-se_1300132.jpg" --- # We need to seek wise leaders who will seek common ground… ![“We need to seek wise leaders who will seek common ground among Americans instead of dividing us further for political gain. As citizens, we must embrace those who embrace ideas, thoughtfulness, civility and kindness to others no matter what their political beliefs.” quote by James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/james-mcgreevey-15663_citizens_we-need-to-seek-wise-leaders-who-will-se_1300132.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/james-mcgreevey-15663_citizens_we-need-to-seek-wise-leaders-who-will-se_1300132.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/james-mcgreevey-15663_citizens_we-need-to-seek-wise-leaders-who-will-se_1300132.jpg) > “We need to seek wise leaders who will seek common ground among Americans instead of dividing us further for political gain. As citizens, we must embrace those who embrace ideas, thoughtfulness, civility and kindness to others no matter what their political beliefs.” [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective leadership requires seeking common ground, civility, and kindness across political divides. **In simple terms:** Leaders should promote unity and respect. Key Takeaway Support leaders who value dialogue and empathy. Themes politics leadership civility unity kindness Mood hopeful concerned Type motivational political When to use this quote - community town halls - legislative committees - social media discussions Key Concepts common ground empathetic governance bipartisan cooperation Questions to Reflect On - What actions can individuals take to foster respectful political dialogue? - How can leaders balance conviction with openness? A Different Perspective Political polarization can hinder sincere collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Civility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civility/) [Civility Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civility-kindness-314914/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Common ground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-ground/) [Dividing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dividing/) [Dividing Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dividing-political-4266367/) [Embrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embrace/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Kindness to others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness-to-others/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Matter Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter-political-643540/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-beliefs/) [Thoughtfulness Civility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughtfulness-civility-4266366/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [I think we need leadership that can gently and with affection remind us of what we Americans mostly agree upon: civility, kindness, tolerance, humour,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-think-we-need-leadership-that-can-gently-and-with-affection-remind/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“...the apartment is an oasis - of civility, kindness, and elegance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-schwalbe/the-apartment-is-an-oasis-of-civility-kindness-and-elegance/) [Will Schwalbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-schwalbe/) > [I know no religion that destroys courtesy, civility, and kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/i-know-no-religion-that-destroys-courtesy-civility-and-kindness/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [We have to stop all of the fighting and talking without listening and find a sense of compromise. 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It is the key to growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/inclusion-is-not-a-matter-of-political-correctness-it-is-the-key-to/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [No matter what political cause compels us, we should always feel as though it's being threatened. We should use these causes, whatever they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-schlossberg/no-matter-what-political-cause-compels-us-we-should-always-feel-as/) [Jack Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-schlossberg/) > [No matter what political reasons are given for war, the underlying reason is always economic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-p-taylor/no-matter-what-political-reasons-are-given-for-war-the-underlying/) [A. J. P. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-p-taylor/) > [Diversity is very, very important. I talk about it frequently. And my efforts there should never be challenged no matter what my political view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-france/diversity-is-very-very-important-i-talk-about-it-frequently-and-my/) [Brian France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-france/) > [A campaign ought to demonstrate the basic human decency of the candidate. That means your First Amendment rights end at the tip of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/a-campaign-ought-to-demonstrate-the-basic-human-decency-of-the/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Treat everyone with the same respect that you want to be treated with. That's going to take a collective group of people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hill/treat-everyone-with-the-same-respect-that-you-want-to-be-treated-with/) [George Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hill/) > [“money has no essence. It's not "really" anything; therefore, its nature has always been and presumably always will be a matter of political conten­tion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/money-has-no-essence-it-s-not-really-anything-therefore-its-nature/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [“Mine said I'd be good as new if I did something for someone else... (she) swore that showing kindness to others was the cure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-macomber/mine-said-i-d-be-good-as-new-if-i-did-something-for-someone-else-she/) [Debbie Macomber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-macomber/) > [“We often want our enemies’ next step to be repentance because we want them to admit what they did to hurt us or how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-stevens/we-often-want-our-enemies-next-step-to-be-repentance-because-we-want/) [Todd Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-stevens/) ## More by James McGreevey > [Civil union is less than marriage. Marriage is a sacred and valued institution and ought to be afforded equal protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/civil-union-is-less-than-marriage-marriage-is-a-sacred-and-valued/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [You know for many elected officials they all started in the same place. You know marriage is between a man and a woman, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/you-know-for-many-elected-officials-they-all-started-in-the-same/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [At different points in my life, I had grappled with the idea of going into the priesthood - in high school or law school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/at-different-points-in-my-life-i-had-grappled-with-the-idea-of-going/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [I am resigning because my secret leaves the governor's office vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/i-am-resigning-because-my-secret-leaves-the-governor-s-office/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [The history of America is to expand civil liberties in a responsible and civil manner. We need to remember that our wonderful Democracy with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/the-history-of-america-is-to-expand-civil-liberties-in-a-responsible/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [No relief was forthcoming from my then-Catholic faith, which said the practice of homosexuality was a 'mortal sin' subject to damnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/no-relief-was-forthcoming-from-my-then-catholic-faith-which-said-the/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [I do not believe that God tortures any person simply for its own sake. I believe that God enables all things to work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/i-do-not-believe-that-god-tortures-any-person-simply-for-its-own-sake/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [More than anything else I recall being, or trying very deliberately to be, a perfect child. Not a Goody Two-shoes, but a kid who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/more-than-anything-else-i-recall-being-or-trying-very-deliberately-to/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [Being gay is a fundamental part of my being - the core of who I've always been, and the thing that I had repressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/being-gay-is-a-fundamental-part-of-my-being-the-core-of-who-i-ve/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [For me, living in the closet corroded my ability to have an honest, open relationship with my God, my loved ones, my constituency and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/for-me-living-in-the-closet-corroded-my-ability-to-have-an-honest/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [When I came out publicly, some photo editors had a field day searching for pictures of me with a limp wrist or some other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/when-i-came-out-publicly-some-photo-editors-had-a-field-day-searching/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [As I climbed the electoral ladder - from state assemblyman to mayor of Woodbridge and finally to governor of New Jersey - political compromises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-state-assemblyman-to-mayor-of/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [We are losing sight of civility in government and politics. Debate and dialogue is taking a back seat to the politics of destruction and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/we-are-losing-sight-of-civility-in-government-and-politics-debate-and/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [I kept a steel wall around my moral and sexual instincts - protecting them, I thought, from the threats of the real world. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/i-kept-a-steel-wall-around-my-moral-and-sexual-instincts-protecting/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [I knew I was different when I was about six years of age but I just knew that I wasn't like everybody else. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/i-knew-i-was-different-when-i-was-about-six-years-of-age-but-i-just/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) [Explore all 42 James McGreevey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) ## More Citizens quotes > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [I will be a model prisoner, as I have been a model citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-edwards/i-will-be-a-model-prisoner-as-i-have-been-a-model-citizen/) [Edwin Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-edwards/) > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [“The police ultimately pay the price for poor customer service when citizens become fearful of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-police-ultimately-pay-the-price-for-poor-customer-service-when/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Worship isn't destructive, Martin. I know that. I don't. I only know it's the core of his life. What else has he got? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/worship-isn-t-destructive-martin-i-know-that-i-don-t-i-only-know-it-s/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [No greater victory can be won by citizens or soldiers than to transform temporary foes into permanent friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/no-greater-victory-can-be-won-by-citizens-or-soldiers-than-to/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in bonds of fraternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/let-us-at-all-times-remember-that-all-american-citizens-are-brothers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-cox/a-free-society-depends-upon-a-high-degree-of-mutual-trust-the-public/) [Archibald Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-cox/) > [My dreams were always small and puny. All I ever needed was a little house with a little picket fence by the sea. Little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imelda-marcos/my-dreams-were-always-small-and-puny-all-i-ever-needed-was-a-little/) [Imelda Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imelda-marcos/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. We waste so much time making decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-think-most-of-us-are-raised-with-preconceived-notions-of-the/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) > [Without the ability to talk about government power, there's no way for citizens to make sure this power isn't being misused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/without-the-ability-to-talk-about-government-power-there-s-no-way-for/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What I will stand up for is what I think is right and for the best interests of the citizens of the state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-judge/what-i-will-stand-up-for-is-what-i-think-is-right-and-for-the-best/) [Patty Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-judge/) [Browse all 4,189 Citizens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We need to seek wise leaders who will seek common ground among Americans instead of dividing us further for political gain. 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