--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's lawmakers know better than anyone…" description: "\"“It's lawmakers know better than anyone that laws are more a matter of practical compromise than any kind of moral imperative.”\" — Kim Stanley Robinson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_compromise_it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-t_2457744.png" --- # It's lawmakers know better than anyone that laws are more… ![“It's lawmakers know better than anyone that laws are more a matter of practical compromise than any kind of moral imperative.” quote by Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_compromise_it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-t_2457744.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_compromise_it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-t_2457744.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_compromise_it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-t_2457744.png) > ““It's lawmakers know better than anyone that laws are more a matter of practical compromise than any kind of moral imperative.”” [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Laws are pragmatic compromises, not moral absolutes; legislators prioritize practicality over ideology. **In simple terms:** Laws are practical compromises. Key Takeaway Accept law as compromise. Themes law politics pragmatism ethics Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical political When to use this quote - government - legal reform - public debate - policy analysis Key Concepts legislative process policy making Questions to Reflect On - How should laws balance morality and practicality? - What compromises are acceptable? A Different Perspective Moral ideals may clash with practical needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-laws-624359/) [Compromise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compromise/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Law and order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-and-order/) [Lawmakers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawmakers/) [Lawmakers Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawmakers-know-624358/) [Laws Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-matter-624360/) [Moral Imperative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-imperative-444772/) ## Related quotes > [There is something servile in the habit of seeking after a law which we may obey. We may study the laws of matter at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-is-something-servile-in-the-habit-of-seeking-after-a-law-which-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Laws matter. With effective implementation and enforcement, good laws can nudge forward positive changes in social and cultural mores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arancha-gonzalez/laws-matter-with-effective-implementation-and-enforcement-good-laws/) [Arancha Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arancha-gonzalez/) > [Laws matter, but typically changing the law by itself accomplishes little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof/laws-matter-but-typically-changing-the-law-by-itself-accomplishes/) [Nicholas D. Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-kristof/) > [The civil liberties types who are fighting this issue have to fight it, owing to the nature of the laws, as a matter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/the-civil-liberties-types-who-are-fighting-this-issue-have-to-fight/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Our leaders will serve the common good with better laws and better actions only when we serve it first, by casting better votes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/our-leaders-will-serve-the-common-good-with-better-laws-and-better/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [I was a crown attorney in my home town in Nova Scotia, and I learned that victims of crime needed better laws to better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mackay/i-was-a-crown-attorney-in-my-home-town-in-nova-scotia-and-i-learned/) [Peter MacKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mackay/) > [Which is better--to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/which-is-better-to-have-laws-and-agree-or-to-hunt-and-kill/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [A man would have to be an idiot to write a book of laws for an apple tree telling it to bear apples and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/a-man-would-have-to-be-an-idiot-to-write-a-book-of-laws-for-an-apple/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Moral values, and a culture and a religion, maintaining these values are far better than laws and regulations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/moral-values-and-a-culture-and-a-religion-maintaining-these-values/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It would be better to have no laws at all, than to have too many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/it-would-be-better-to-have-no-laws-at-all-than-to-have-too-many/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [ I am further of opinion that it would be better for us to have \[no laws\] at all than to have them in so… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/i-am-further-of-opinion-that-it-would-be-better-for-us-to-have-no/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Essential to the attainment of these national goals is the moral imperative of ensuring social justice and respect for human dignity. The great biblical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/essential-to-the-attainment-of-these-national-goals-is-the-moral/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven. When lost, they will find another way. The moral imperative of humanism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/if-those-committed-to-the-quest-fail-they-will-be-forgiven-when-lost/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [All the reasons which made the initiation of physical force evil, make the retaliatory use of physical force a moral imperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/all-the-reasons-which-made-the-initiation-of-physical-force-evil-make/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Protecting our planet is a moral imperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/protecting-our-planet-is-a-moral-imperative/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) ## More by Kim Stanley Robinson > [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 the love of right lures men to wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/it-s-the-love-of-right-lures-men-to-wrong/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“You can’t make love to your fame. Even though some people try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/you-can-t-make-love-to-your-fame-even-though-some-people-try/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Memory is a haunting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/memory-is-a-haunting/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“No one cares about books, that’s why you can write anything you want in them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/no-one-cares-about-books-that-s-why-you-can-write-anything-you-want/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Sometimes I think it's only post-scarcity that evil exists. Before that, it could always be put down to want or fear. It was possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/sometimes-i-think-it-s-only-post-scarcity-that-evil-exists-before/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [Science fiction rarely is about scientists doing real science, in its slowness, its vagueness, the sort of tedious quality of getting out there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/science-fiction-rarely-is-about-scientists-doing-real-science-in-its/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [Anyway that's a large part of what economics is - people arbitrarily, or as a matter of taste, assigning numerical values to non-numerical things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/anyway-that-s-a-large-part-of-what-economics-is-people-arbitrarily-or/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“The Earth is bathed in a flood of sunlight. A fierce inundation of photons—on average, 342 joules per second per square meter. 4185 joules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-earth-is-bathed-in-a-flood-of-sunlight-a-fierce-inundation-of/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“And so sometimes when you feel strange, when a pang tugs at your heart or it seems like the moment has already happened- or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/and-so-sometimes-when-you-feel-strange-when-a-pang-tugs-at-your-heart/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“...what has mattered are the moments of exposure to every life, when habit is no longer enough, and choices have to be made. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/what-has-mattered-are-the-moments-of-exposure-to-every-life-when/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“There remained a main melody, or a path through a maze—a maze that was like the delta of the Po. He seemed to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/there-remained-a-main-melody-or-a-path-through-a-maze-a-maze-that-was/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Must redefine utopia. It isn't the perfect end-product of our wishes, define it so and it deserves the scorn of those who sneer when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/must-redefine-utopia-it-isn-t-the-perfect-end-product-of-our-wishes/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Of course there was no such thing as a true repetition of anything; ever since the pre-Socratics that had been clear, Heraclitus and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/of-course-there-was-no-such-thing-as-a-true-repetition-of-anything/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [But lies were what people wanted; that was politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/but-lies-were-what-people-wanted-that-was-politics/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) [Explore all 183 Kim Stanley Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) ## More Compromise quotes > [Leaders need to compromise, negotiate with members of both parties and ideologies, and reform health care the right way - by developing a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/leaders-need-to-compromise-negotiate-with-members-of-both-parties-and/) [Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/) > [A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-erhard/a-compromise-is-the-art-of-dividing-a-cake-in-such-a-way-that/) [Ludwig Erhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-erhard/) > [Real love is not based upon romance,candle light,dinner and walk along beach.Infact,It's based on care,compromise,respect and trust..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/real-love-is-not-based-upon-romance-candle-light-dinner-and-walk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Simple answers, reductionist politics, are the most prone to compromise, to saying we’re addressing the essential issue and all that other stuff can slide.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/simple-answers-reductionist-politics-are-the-most-prone-to-compromise/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“I’m not sure sex qualifies as R and R, but it’s a compromise I can live with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-morgen/i-m-not-sure-sex-qualifies-as-r-and-r-but-it-s-a-compromise-i-can/) [Shelby Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-morgen/) > [You know what the Englishman's idea of compromise is? He says, Some people say there is a God. Some people say there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/you-know-what-the-englishman-s-idea-of-compromise-is-he-says-some/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [But if you get chronically, psychosocially stressed, you're going to compromise your health. So, essentially, we've evolved to be smart enough to make ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/but-if-you-get-chronically-psychosocially-stressed-you-re-going-to/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [The human spirit will not invest itself in a compromise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fritz/the-human-spirit-will-not-invest-itself-in-a-compromise/) [Robert Fritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fritz/) > [No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/no-relationship-is-perfect-ever-there-are-always-some-ways-you-have/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“And what would you like, Sharie?" asked Miss Mush. "What do you have?" asked Sharie. "Potato salad". "What else is there?" asked Sharie. "Nothing"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-sachar/and-what-would-you-like-sharie-asked-miss-mush-what-do-you-have-asked/) [Louis Sachar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-sachar/) > [A lasting relationship consists of the 3 C's: Commitment. Communication. Compromise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/a-lasting-relationship-consists-of-the-3-c-s-commitment-communication/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [As a politician - particularly as a politician in a coalition - you quickly realise that compromise is a part of the game. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-davey/as-a-politician-particularly-as-a-politician-in-a-coalition-you/) [Edward Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-davey/) > [“The fact that I can get away with something is the very reason why I shouldn’t do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-fact-that-i-can-get-away-with-something-is-the-very-reason-why-i/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [There could be some compromise, but I think we have to stick to the provisions of the treaty, and the provisions of the treaty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-santer/there-could-be-some-compromise-but-i-think-we-have-to-stick-to-the/) [Jacques Santer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-santer/) > [Love is not only about romance, candle-lit dinners and walking hand in hand. In fact, real love is about a lifetime of compromise, commitment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aarti-khurana/love-is-not-only-about-romance-candle-lit-dinners-and-walking-hand-in/) [Aarti Khurana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aarti-khurana/) [Browse all 2,076 Compromise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compromise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's lawmakers know better than anyone that laws are more a matter of practical compromise than any kind of moral imperative.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kim Stanley Robinson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-that-laws-are-more-a-matter-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Compromise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-that-laws-are-more-a-matter-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_compromise_it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-t_2457744.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_compromise_it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-t_2457744.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_compromise_it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-t_2457744.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's lawmakers know better than anyone that laws are more a matter of practical compromise than any kind of…” — Kim Stanley Robinson", "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": "Kim Stanley Robinson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It's lawmakers know better than anyone...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-that-laws-are-more-a-matter-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/it-s-lawmakers-know-better-than-anyone-that-laws-are-more-a-matter-of/#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 } } ] } ```