---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I understand that I have become a…"
description: "\"I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career and, indeed, my entire adult life..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/john-kitzhaber-55015_adult-life_i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liabil_589136.jpg"
---

#  I understand that I have become a liability to the very…

![“I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career and, indeed, my entire adult life.” quote by John Kitzhaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/john-kitzhaber-55015_adult-life_i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liabil_589136.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/john-kitzhaber-55015_adult-life_i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liabil_589136.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/john-kitzhaber-55015_adult-life_i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liabil_589136.jpg)

> “I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career and, indeed, my entire adult life.”

[John Kitzhaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kitzhaber/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker feels they have become a burden to the institutions they served.

**In simple terms:** Feeling like a liability to one’s career.

Key Takeaway

Assess personal impact honestly.

Themes

leadership responsibility self‑reflection

Mood

somber reflective

Type

apologetic thoughtful

When to use this quote

- political office
- non‑profit work
- career transition

Key Concepts

public service career ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- What contributions have you made?
- How can you support change from outside?

A Different Perspective

Self‑critique may overlook systemic issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adult life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adult-life/) [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Dedicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dedicated/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm the kind of person that believes that I would like to be evaluated by my entire career and my entire life, not two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-cameron/i-m-the-kind-of-person-that-believes-that-i-would-like-to-be/)

[Kirk Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-cameron/)

> [My entire high school career - my entire school career - I've been like three feet taller than everyone in my grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karlie-kloss/my-entire-high-school-career-my-entire-school-career-i-ve-been-like/)

[Karlie Kloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karlie-kloss/)

> [A man of true honor protects the unwritten word which binds his conscience more scrupulously, if possible, than he does the bond a breach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/a-man-of-true-honor-protects-the-unwritten-word-which-binds-his/)

[Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/)

> [Theoretically, I grant you, there is no possibility of error in necessary reasoning. But to speak thus "theoretically," is to uselanguage in a Pickwickian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/theoretically-i-grant-you-there-is-no-possibility-of-error-in/)

[Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/)

> [“For every liability you have, you are somebody else’s asset. If a home loan is a liability for you, it is an asset for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manoj-arora/for-every-liability-you-have-you-are-somebody-else-s-asset-if-a-home/)

[Manoj Arora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manoj-arora/)

> [I do not think there should be a limit on the rig's liability, because they are sitting on top of unlimited amounts of oil,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-chafee/i-do-not-think-there-should-be-a-limit-on-the-rig-s-liability-because/)

John Chafee

> [Experts said public companies worry about the loss of customer confidence and the legal liability to shareholders or security vendors when they report flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/experts-said-public-companies-worry-about-the-loss-of-customer/)

[Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/)

> [Yet a personal God can become a grave liability. He can be a mere idol carved in our own image, a projection of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/yet-a-personal-god-can-become-a-grave-liability-he-can-be-a-mere-idol/)

[Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/)

> [The world keeps moving, the world keeps turning, and people get older, and young people become older and more important and cooler and interesting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hamm/the-world-keeps-moving-the-world-keeps-turning-and-people-get-older/)

[Jon Hamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hamm/)

> [Liability is being assessed against companies who inadvertently have shipped a virus to another company. Rather than risk the incredibly bad PR, these companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcafee/liability-is-being-assessed-against-companies-who-inadvertently-have/)

[John McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcafee/)

> [A static hero is a public liability. Progress grows out of motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-byrd/a-static-hero-is-a-public-liability-progress-grows-out-of-motion/)

[Richard E. Byrd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-e-byrd/)

> [Civilization is in no immediate danger of running out of energy or even just out of oil. But we are running out of environment-that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-v-vaitheeswaran/civilization-is-in-no-immediate-danger-of-running-out-of-energy-or/)

Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran

> [If you're a poor worker - this is for new workers coming into the workplace - your benefits will increase at the current rate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-re-a-poor-worker-this-is-for-new-workers-coming-into-the/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [Cops must be unleashed, and allowed to administer instant punishment, subject of course to liability when they are in error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/cops-must-be-unleashed-and-allowed-to-administer-instant-punishment/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [Corporations are created by the people, acting through their governments. We grant them corporate charters that confer certain legal rights and privileges, like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mcgovern/corporations-are-created-by-the-people-acting-through-their/)

[Jim McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mcgovern/)

## More by John Kitzhaber

> [States, virtually all of them, have a constitutional requirement to operate on a balanced budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kitzhaber/states-virtually-all-of-them-have-a-constitutional-requirement-to/)

[John Kitzhaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kitzhaber/)

> [First of all, pharmaceutical costs are the single fastest-growing part of our health care budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kitzhaber/first-of-all-pharmaceutical-costs-are-the-single-fastest-growing-part/)

[John Kitzhaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kitzhaber/)

> [I don't want to suggest that controlling pharmaceutical costs is the answer to what ails the U.S. health care system. It isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kitzhaber/i-don-t-want-to-suggest-that-controlling-pharmaceutical-costs-is-the/)

[John Kitzhaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kitzhaber/)

> [The reason prescription drugs are so important at the state level is because they're eating up the Medicaid budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kitzhaber/the-reason-prescription-drugs-are-so-important-at-the-state-level-is/)

[John Kitzhaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kitzhaber/)

> [If our salmon are not healthy, then our watersheds are not healthy-and if our watersheds our not healthy, then we have truly squandered our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kitzhaber/if-our-salmon-are-not-healthy-then-our-watersheds-are-not-healthy-and/)

[John Kitzhaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kitzhaber/)

[Explore all 6 John Kitzhaber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kitzhaber/)

## More Adult life quotes

> [“Not very long ago I was driving with my husband on the back roads of Grey County, which is to the north and east…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/not-very-long-ago-i-was-driving-with-my-husband-on-the-back-roads-of/)

[Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/)

> [I have spent my entire adult life trying to make Liberty University the world-class Christian university that was envisioned at its founding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-falwell-jr/i-have-spent-my-entire-adult-life-trying-to-make-liberty-university/)

[Jerry Falwell, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-falwell-jr/)

> [I spent close to a decade as an undercover officer in the CIA and have spent most of my adult life collecting intelligence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/i-spent-close-to-a-decade-as-an-undercover-officer-in-the-cia-and/)

[Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/)

> [I have been in relatively high-risk businesses all of my adult life. Few of the others, however, had the possibility of direct gains in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-armstrong/i-have-been-in-relatively-high-risk-businesses-all-of-my-adult-life/)

[Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-armstrong/)

> [“I have spent most of my adult life in a ghetto among countless other outsiders who have also learned how to talk through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamake-highwater/i-have-spent-most-of-my-adult-life-in-a-ghetto-among-countless-other/)

[Jamake Highwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamake-highwater/)

> [Mike Bloomberg may be a Republican these days. But he has been a Democrat for most of his adult life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randi-weingarten/mike-bloomberg-may-be-a-republican-these-days-but-he-has-been-a/)

[Randi Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randi-weingarten/)

> [“She could not remember ever being truly happy in her adult life; her years with her mother had been built up devotedly around small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/she-could-not-remember-ever-being-truly-happy-in-her-adult-life-her/)

[Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/)

> [“So, I begin each day with a gesture of cynicism, and close it with a gesture of faith; or, if you prefer, begin it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/so-i-begin-each-day-with-a-gesture-of-cynicism-and-close-it-with-a/)

[John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/)

> [I was pretty poor for a long time. Not \*poor\* poor. But college student poor. I lived for most of my adult life living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-pretty-poor-for-a-long-time-not-poor-poor-but-college-student/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [Hillary Clinton is tough, clever, and formidably well briefed, and has been politically ambitious all her adult life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/hillary-clinton-is-tough-clever-and-formidably-well-briefed-and-has/)

[Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/)

> [I was really poor for most of my adult life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-leonard/i-was-really-poor-for-most-of-my-adult-life/)

[Zoe Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-leonard/)

> [“When I heard Zizek’s statement, I have to admit that I reacted strongly against it. For the first twenty-five years of my adult life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaddhaka-linn/when-i-heard-zizek-s-statement-i-have-to-admit-that-i-reacted/)

[Vaddhaka Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaddhaka-linn/)

> [“Someone once asked Gandhi for a sermon, and his reply was, “My life is my sermon.” In the same way, we see how Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-l-corey/someone-once-asked-gandhi-for-a-sermon-and-his-reply-was-my-life-is/)

[Benjamin L. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-l-corey/)

> [“In his commencement address at Kenyon College, the novelist and social critic David Foster Wallace eloquently said, “In the day-to-day trenches of adult life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mark-comer/in-his-commencement-address-at-kenyon-college-the-novelist-and-social/)

[John Mark Comer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mark-comer/)

> [“We are all, of course, wayfaring strangers on this earth. But coming out of the rainbow tunnel, the liminal portal between Marin and San…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hutchins/we-are-all-of-course-wayfaring-strangers-on-this-earth-but-coming-out/)

[Scott Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hutchins/)

[Browse all 431 Adult life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adult-life/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career and, indeed, my entire adult life.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Kitzhaber"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kitzhaber/i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liability-to-the-very-institutions/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adult life"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kitzhaber/i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liability-to-the-very-institutions/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/john-kitzhaber-55015_adult-life_i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liabil_589136.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/john-kitzhaber-55015_adult-life_i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liabil_589136.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/john-kitzhaber-55015_adult-life_i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liabil_589136.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated…” — John Kitzhaber",
                "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": "John Kitzhaber",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kitzhaber/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I understand that I have become...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kitzhaber/i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liability-to-the-very-institutions/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kitzhaber/i-understand-that-i-have-become-a-liability-to-the-very-institutions/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
