---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever it was that had drawn him to…"
description: "\"“Whatever it was that had drawn him to police work, that had wed him to the job for so many years, it surely wasn't the appeal of a gun or the deceptiv..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/john-verdon-14688_police_whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-po_49315.jpg"
---

#  Whatever it was that had drawn him to police work, that…

![“Whatever it was that had drawn him to police work, that had wed him to the job for so many years, it surely wasn't the appeal of a gun or the deceptively simple solution it offers.” quote by John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/john-verdon-14688_police_whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-po_49315.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/john-verdon-14688_police_whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-po_49315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/john-verdon-14688_police_whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-po_49315.jpg)

> ““Whatever it was that had drawn him to police work, that had wed him to the job for so many years, it surely wasn't the appeal of a gun or the deceptively simple solution it offers.””

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

## 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 suggests that a deep, intrinsic motivation—not the superficial allure of power or easy answers—keeps someone committed to police work over decades.

**In simple terms:** Intrinsic drive over superficial appeal

Key Takeaway

True commitment stems from deeper purpose

Themes

motivation career longevity law enforcement identity purpose

Mood

reflective thoughtful serious

Type

philosophical observational

When to use this quote

- career counseling
- law enforcement recruitment
- personal reflection on job choice

Key Concepts

intrinsic motivation career satisfaction ethical commitment

Practical Applications

- career coaching
- organizational culture analysis

Questions to Reflect On

- What deeper values sustain long-term dedication?
- How can organizations nurture intrinsic motivation?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Police work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-work/)

## Related quotes

> [I immersed myself in the police work and I guess drumming wasn't even a hobby, just something my body naturally wanted to do, tapping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hernandez/i-immersed-myself-in-the-police-work-and-i-guess-drumming-wasn-t-even/)

[Eric Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hernandez/)

> [Well, intuition isn't much help in police work. Facts are what we need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crane-wilbur/well-intuition-isn-t-much-help-in-police-work-facts-are-what-we-need/)

[Crane Wilbur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crane-wilbur/)

> [In liberal societies we don't typically require citizens to rearrange their activities, their lives, the way they go about their business, to make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/in-liberal-societies-we-don-t-typically-require-citizens-to-rearrange/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [Police do not work at the immediate direction of the communities they serve, but through their institutional connections. Police departments may develop structures, modi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kleinig/police-do-not-work-at-the-immediate-direction-of-the-communities-they/)

[John Kleinig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kleinig/)

> [Not every officer is a bad police. I work with police officers. I know first responders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-reed/not-every-officer-is-a-bad-police-i-work-with-police-officers-i-know/)

[Ed Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-reed/)

> [Most teachers have little control over school policy or curriculum or choice of texts or special placement of students, but most have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-kidder/most-teachers-have-little-control-over-school-policy-or-curriculum-or/)

[Tracy Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-kidder/)

> [Unquestionably, it was going to be highly dangerous. Yet I felt it was quite natural to jump at the task. After all, if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-ness/unquestionably-it-was-going-to-be-highly-dangerous-yet-i-felt-it-was/)

Eliot Ness

> [“I prodded him in the chest with a finger and said, “Look here, smart mouth, I’m getting pretty sick of you already. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-rourke/i-prodded-him-in-the-chest-with-a-finger-and-said-look-here-smart/)

[Tim O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-rourke/)

> [If there was special interests affecting police work, I believe that would be called corruption. So, if it has do with donating money versus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-mccarthy/if-there-was-special-interests-affecting-police-work-i-believe-that/)

Garry McCarthy

> [“We can't have your people fighting each other," I said. The 'royal we' is very important in police work; it reminds the person you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/we-can-t-have-your-people-fighting-each-other-i-said-the-royal-we-is/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“I’m trying to figure the rules. This isn’t yin and yang, it’s more like yin and yank. The past few days I’ve been going,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-castle/i-m-trying-to-figure-the-rules-this-isn-t-yin-and-yang-it-s-more-like/)

[Richard Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-castle/)

> [The appropriate response to terrorist crimes is police work, which has been successful worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-appropriate-response-to-terrorist-crimes-is-police-work-which-has/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Police work wouldn't be possible without coffee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/police-work-wouldn-t-be-possible-without-coffee/)

[Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/)

> [“It's not that I'm complaining,' said Angua, 'but when we were assigned this job I thought it was me who was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-not-that-i-m-complaining-said-angua-but-when-we-were-assigned/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“I used to be a Catholic, and when I first started police work, I worried about that. I saw a lot of people dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sandford/i-used-to-be-a-catholic-and-when-i-first-started-police-work-i/)

[John Sandford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sandford/)

## More by John Verdon

> [“The truth was that a complex murder case attracted his attention and curiosity like nothing else on earth. He could make up reasons for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/the-truth-was-that-a-complex-murder-case-attracted-his-attention-and/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“He knew how isolated he could become and hardly notice it was happening. How relationships could slip away like smoke in the breeze. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/he-knew-how-isolated-he-could-become-and-hardly-notice-it-was/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“It was a curious thing about the past--how it lay in wait for you, quietly, invisibly, almost as though it weren't there. You might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/it-was-a-curious-thing-about-the-past-how-it-lay-in-wait-for-you/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“It's not the victim who wakes up to a half-empty bed, a half-empty house.He isn't the one who dreams that he's stiilla live, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/it-s-not-the-victim-who-wakes-up-to-a-half-empty-bed-a-half-empty/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“The person I think I am is terrified of the person I really am, terrified of what others would think of that person. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/the-person-i-think-i-am-is-terrified-of-the-person-i-really-am/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [The purpose of life is to get as close as we can to other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/the-purpose-of-life-is-to-get-as-close-as-we-can-to-other-people/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [The stories people tell you about themselves seem to retain the possibility of being false. But what you discover about them by yourself seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/the-stories-people-tell-you-about-themselves-seem-to-retain-the/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“...but grief, he'd discovered, was not an experience you went through once and then 'moved on' (as the idiotic popular phrase would have it).…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/but-grief-he-d-discovered-was-not-an-experience-you-went-through-once/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“Hardwick was showing the frustration of a man trying to hold his groceries inside a ripped bag.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/hardwick-was-showing-the-frustration-of-a-man-trying-to-hold-his/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“He was all too aware of how one's perceptions can start lining up to support a particular conclusion. Once a pattern begins to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/he-was-all-too-aware-of-how-one-s-perceptions-can-start-lining-up-to/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [The worst pain in our lives comes from the mistakes we refuse to acknowledge--the things we've done that are so our of harmony with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/the-worst-pain-in-our-lives-comes-from-the-mistakes-we-refuse-to/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“But how could he stop being what he was? However much he cared for her, however much he wanted to be with her, however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/but-how-could-he-stop-being-what-he-was-however-much-he-cared-for-her/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“This case is complex. It's got layers to it, Davey. It's a fucking onion... You're a natural-born onion peeler -- the best that ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/this-case-is-complex-it-s-got-layers-to-it-davey-it-s-a-fucking-onion/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“Sexual energy in general has tremendous power, the power to concentrate one's attention like nothing else, to become the sole reality, to warp judgement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/sexual-energy-in-general-has-tremendous-power-the-power-to/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

> [“The fact that no one was dead persuaded him that he was on the right track”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/the-fact-that-no-one-was-dead-persuaded-him-that-he-was-on-the-right/)

[John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

[Explore all 22 John Verdon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/)

## More Police quotes

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [The minimum that most minimalists want leaves in place just the institutions who protect their interests. That's libertarians for you - anarchists who want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-minimum-that-most-minimalists-want-leaves-in-place-just-the/)

[Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/)

> [It's very hard to be a kid, especially in a predominantly white school or white town where other people want to police your body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in-a-predominantly-white-school/)

[A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/)

> [“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/)

> [In France they spend six months training policemen, then they give them a gun and put them on the streets, and I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-kassovitz/in-france-they-spend-six-months-training-policemen-then-they-give/)

[Mathieu Kassovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-kassovitz/)

> [When I get bored I say fck the police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-get-bored-i-say-fck-the-police/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [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/)

> [If legislators come to believe that police power is an ever-present constitutional trump card they can play whenever it suits them, overreaching is inexorable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-willett/if-legislators-come-to-believe-that-police-power-is-an-ever-present/)

[Don Willett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-willett/)

> [I think the only thing that's really going to make a change in terms of how we feel as citizens in terms of safety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chance-the-rapper/i-think-the-only-thing-that-s-really-going-to-make-a-change-in-terms/)

[Chance The Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chance-the-rapper/)

> [“police cars, but since he was driving”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-cole/police-cars-but-since-he-was-driving/)

[Bobby Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-cole/)

> [You build the bonds through the community and police force, build bonds of understanding, and then when people feel comfortable in their communities, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/you-build-the-bonds-through-the-community-and-police-force-build/)

[Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/)

> [“Sam’s eyes wandered up to the camera again. “Are we being recorded?” “Yes.” “Who’s watching us right now?” The detective sighed. “A couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hillier/sam-s-eyes-wandered-up-to-the-camera-again-are-we-being-recorded-yes/)

[Jennifer Hillier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hillier/)

> [Being a woman, we talk about equal pay all the time. We're not talking about if you're black or if you are Latina. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-rapinoe/being-a-woman-we-talk-about-equal-pay-all-the-time-we-re-not-talking/)

[Megan Rapinoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-rapinoe/)

[Browse all 3,520 Police quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Whatever it was that had drawn him to police work, that had wed him to the job for so many years, it surely wasn't the appeal of a gun or the deceptively simple solution it offers.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Verdon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-police-work-that-had-wed-him-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Police"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-police-work-that-had-wed-him-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/john-verdon-14688_police_whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-po_49315.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/john-verdon-14688_police_whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-po_49315.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/john-verdon-14688_police_whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-po_49315.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Whatever it was that had drawn him to police work, that had wed him to the job for so many years, it surely…” — John Verdon",
                "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 Verdon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Whatever it was that had drawn...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-police-work-that-had-wed-him-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-police-work-that-had-wed-him-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
