--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All policy is a matter of gains and…" description: "\"All policy is a matter of gains and losses, upsides and downsides.\" — Michael Mandelbaum" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/michael-mandelbaum-15229_gains_all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-loss_200778.png" --- # All policy is a matter of gains and losses, upsides and… ![“All policy is a matter of gains and losses, upsides and downsides.” quote by Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/michael-mandelbaum-15229_gains_all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-loss_200778.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/michael-mandelbaum-15229_gains_all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-loss_200778.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/michael-mandelbaum-15229_gains_all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-loss_200778.png) > “All policy is a matter of gains and losses, upsides and downsides.” [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Policies involve trade‑offs; every decision yields both benefits and costs. **In simple terms:** Policies have pros and cons. Key Takeaway Weigh benefits against drawbacks. Themes policy economics decision‑making Mood thoughtful balanced Type analytical strategic When to use this quote - budgeting - legislation - strategic planning Key Concepts cost‑benefit analysis risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What are the unseen consequences of this policy? - How can we balance competing interests? A Different Perspective Focus on one side can obscure hidden costs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gains and losses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains-and-losses/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Losses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losses/) ## Related quotes > [All stakeholders must participate in the gains and losses of any particular situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lagarde/all-stakeholders-must-participate-in-the-gains-and-losses-of-any/) [Christine Lagarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lagarde/) > [Price fixing does not represent simply windfall gains and losses to particular groups according to whether the price happens to be set higher or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/price-fixing-does-not-represent-simply-windfall-gains-and-losses-to/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“ Gains for all our losses There are gains for all our losses There are balms for all our pains But when youth the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-h-stoddard/gains-for-all-our-losses-there-are-gains-for-all-our-losses-there-are/) R.H. Stoddard > [Do not seek dishonest gains: dishonest gains are losses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/do-not-seek-dishonest-gains-dishonest-gains-are-losses/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [There are gains for all our losses, There are balms for all our pain: But when youth, the dream, departs, It takes something from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/there-are-gains-for-all-our-losses-there-are-balms-for-all-our-pain/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [It is harder to cut our gains than our losses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bibesco/it-is-harder-to-cut-our-gains-than-our-losses/) [Elizabeth Bibesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bibesco/) > [...foreign policy is a matter of costs and benefits, not theology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/foreign-policy-is-a-matter-of-costs-and-benefits-not-theology/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [How an individual's reputation is protected online is too important and subtle a policy matter to be legislated by a high court, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/how-an-individual-s-reputation-is-protected-online-is-too-important/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [Gain not base gains; base gains are the same as losses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/gain-not-base-gains-base-gains-are-the-same-as-losses/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Love is reckless; not reason. Reason seeks a profit. Loves comes on strong, consuming herself unabashed. Yet in the midst of suffering love proceeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/love-is-reckless-not-reason-reason-seeks-a-profit-loves-comes-on/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Whatever may be the immediate gains and losses, the dangers to our safety arising from political suppression are always greater than the dangers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-meiklejohn/whatever-may-be-the-immediate-gains-and-losses-the-dangers-to-our/) [Alexander Meiklejohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-meiklejohn/) > [Major fluctuations in weight gain and loss are detrimental to your health and embarrassing to explain to your friends and family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sunshine/major-fluctuations-in-weight-gain-and-loss-are-detrimental-to-your/) [Linda Sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sunshine/) > [When people think of the outcomes of their decisions, they think much more short term than that. They think in terms of gains and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/when-people-think-of-the-outcomes-of-their-decisions-they-think-much/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Through zeal, knowledge is gotten, through lack of zeal, knowledge is lost; let a man who knows this double path of gain and loss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/through-zeal-knowledge-is-gotten-through-lack-of-zeal-knowledge-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Treat gain and loss the same.' Don't be Intimidated. Don't make a Big Deal of anything - just accept things as they come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-hoff/treat-gain-and-loss-the-same-don-t-be-intimidated-don-t-make-a-big/) [Benjamin Hoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-hoff/) ## More by Michael Mandelbaum > [Certainly, protecting oppressed people, stopping ethnic conflict and promoting responsible governance are worthy goals. But none is as important for American security and prosperity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/certainly-protecting-oppressed-people-stopping-ethnic-conflict-and/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [In truth, every American administration since that of Franklin D. Roosevelt has maintained close ties with the Saudi rulers, and for a single, simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/in-truth-every-american-administration-since-that-of-franklin-d/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [In the past when a country became as powerful as the United States, other countries would band together to clip its wings. But that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/in-the-past-when-a-country-became-as-powerful-as-the-united-states/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [In my experience, it's not just that serious books get a hearing on comedy shows. But serious books get a serious hearing, as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/in-my-experience-it-s-not-just-that-serious-books-get-a-hearing-on/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [After all, the past is our only real guide to the future, and historical analogies are instruments for distilling and organizing the past and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/after-all-the-past-is-our-only-real-guide-to-the-future-and/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The American political system is so porous, it's so open, it's so frustrating for those who are trying to make policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-american-political-system-is-so-porous-it-s-so-open-it-s-so/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [Read the news section of the newspaper and there is confusion and uncertainty, a world buffeted by large forces people neither understand nor control.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/read-the-news-section-of-the-newspaper-and-there-is-confusion-and/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The United States doesn't do what it does in the world for altruistic reasons. Nobody set out to be the world's government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-united-states-doesn-t-do-what-it-does-in-the-world-for-altruistic/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The United States plays, for the most part, a constructive global role, and to the extent that that role shrinks, other countries, even those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-united-states-plays-for-the-most-part-a-constructive-global-role/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [American foreign policy, for all its shortcomings, has underpinned political stability around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/american-foreign-policy-for-all-its-shortcomings-has-underpinned/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [In the past, a blow to the international system's strongest power would have been welcomed by its rivals. In the wake of September 11,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/in-the-past-a-blow-to-the-international-system-s-strongest-power/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The attacks of September 11, 2001, were spectacular, riveting, grim, costly and searing. The shock that they caused reverberated throughout the world. What happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-attacks-of-september-11-2001-were-spectacular-riveting-grim/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [To call the American role in the world imperial was, for many who did so, a way of asserting that the United States was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/to-call-the-american-role-in-the-world-imperial-was-for-many-who-did/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The United States will continue to be number one, and I do not see any country or group of countries taking the United States'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-united-states-will-continue-to-be-number-one-and-i-do-not-see-any/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The government can give citizens opportunity and it's their responsibility to take advantage of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-government-can-give-citizens-opportunity-and-it-s-their/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) [Explore all 43 Michael Mandelbaum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) ## More Gains quotes > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Europe is creating the flight of refugees that's tearing it apart politically, and leading rightwing nationalist parties to gain power to withdraw from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/europe-is-creating-the-flight-of-refugees-that-s-tearing-it-apart/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [The poet reminds men of their uniqueness and it is not necessary to possess the ultimate definition of this uniqueness. Even to speculate is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-poet-reminds-men-of-their-uniqueness-and-it-is-not-necessary-to/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [Change your attitude and gain some altitude. Believe me, you'll love it up here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/change-your-attitude-and-gain-some-altitude-believe-me-you-ll-love-it/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [If China someday gains a more fair, just, and accountable system of government, it will be due to the hard work and efforts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-china-someday-gains-a-more-fair-just-and-accountable-system-of/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [There's little in taking or giving, There's little in water or wine: This living, this living, this living, Was never a project of mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/there-s-little-in-taking-or-giving-there-s-little-in-water-or-wine/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Some lose yet gain, others gain and yet lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-lose-yet-gain-others-gain-and-yet-lose/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some people enjoy taking a light stroll in the morning and that gives them relief and that sort of feeling. That is what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ichiro-suzuki/some-people-enjoy-taking-a-light-stroll-in-the-morning-and-that-gives/) [Ichiro Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ichiro-suzuki/) > [Importunity is a condition of prayer. We are to press the matter, not with vain repetitions, but with urgent repetitions. We repeat, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/importunity-is-a-condition-of-prayer-we-are-to-press-the-matter-not/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [How you educate the people around you, what steps you take toward making it better, what sacrifices you make. The equation of life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-hawkins/how-you-educate-the-people-around-you-what-steps-you-take-toward/) [Andrew Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-hawkins/) Browse all 3,001 Gains quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All policy is a matter of gains and losses, upsides and downsides.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Mandelbaum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-losses-upsides-and-downsides/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gains" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-losses-upsides-and-downsides/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/michael-mandelbaum-15229_gains_all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-loss_200778.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/michael-mandelbaum-15229_gains_all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-loss_200778.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/michael-mandelbaum-15229_gains_all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-loss_200778.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All policy is a matter of gains and losses, upsides and downsides.” — Michael Mandelbaum", "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": "Michael Mandelbaum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "All policy is a matter of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-losses-upsides-and-downsides/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-losses-upsides-and-downsides/#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 } } ] } ```