--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Political judgment is the ability to hear…" description: "\"“Political judgment is the ability to hear the distant hoofbeats of the horse of history.”\" — Otto von Bismarck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/otto-von-bismarck-3444_history_political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hea_2367485.jpg" --- # Political judgment is the ability to hear the distant… ![“Political judgment is the ability to hear the distant hoofbeats of the horse of history.” quote by Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/otto-von-bismarck-3444_history_political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hea_2367485.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/otto-von-bismarck-3444_history_political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hea_2367485.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/otto-von-bismarck-3444_history_political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hea_2367485.jpg) > ““Political judgment is the ability to hear the distant hoofbeats of the horse of history.”” [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political insight means perceiving early signs of historical change before they become obvious. **In simple terms:** Seeing early signs of change is key to good judgment. Key Takeaway Cultivate listening for subtle historical cues. Themes politics foresight history Mood cautious analytical Type historical strategic When to use this quote - business - policy - education Key Concepts strategic thinking trend analysis leadership Questions to Reflect On - What current events might be early indicators of larger shifts? - How do you differentiate signal from noise in politics? A Different Perspective Early signs can be misinterpreted as noise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [I don't believe any person looking for work is fearful of political judgment. Government is a large institution, and if they believe that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/i-don-t-believe-any-person-looking-for-work-is-fearful-of-political/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [Make no mistake about it: the labeling of someone's language as 'sexist' involves a political judgment and implies the desirability of a particular sociological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/make-no-mistake-about-it-the-labeling-of-someone-s-language-as-sexist/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [There was a time when conservative intellectuals raised the level of American public debate and helped to keep it sober. Those days are gone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lilla/there-was-a-time-when-conservative-intellectuals-raised-the-level-of/) [Mark Lilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lilla/) > [Power-worship blurs political judgment because it leads, almost unavoidably, to the belief that present trends will continue. Whoever is winning at the moment will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/power-worship-blurs-political-judgment-because-it-leads-almost/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [When you are in local government, you are on the ground, and you are looking into the eyes and hearts of the people you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/when-you-are-in-local-government-you-are-on-the-ground-and-you-are/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [I would love to believe that my political judgment is impeccable, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/i-would-love-to-believe-that-my-political-judgment-is-impeccable-but/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [“Philip Tetlock, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, explored these so-called expert predictions in a landmark twenty-year study, which he published in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/philip-tetlock-a-psychologist-at-the-university-of-pennsylvania/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Why then should we form our political judgment on the basis of zero investment? We get what we pay for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/why-then-should-we-form-our-political-judgment-on-the-basis-of-zero/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [Any single man must judge for himself whether circumstances warrant obedience or resistance to the commands of the civil magistrate; we are all qualified,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/any-single-man-must-judge-for-himself-whether-circumstances-warrant/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [At bottom, the decision to pardon Nixon was a political judgment properly within the bounds of Ford's constitutional authority. The specter of a former…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-was-a-political-judgment/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [I don't think we have all the words in a single vocabulary to explain what we are or why we are. I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-fuller/i-don-t-think-we-have-all-the-words-in-a-single-vocabulary-to-explain/) [Alexandra Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-fuller/) > [It is exactly in the repetition of the exercises that the education of the senses exists; not that the child shall know colors, forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-exactly-in-the-repetition-of-the-exercises-that-the-education/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [“The absence of judgment becomes a catalyst and an enabler for greater injustice. Contrary to popular thought, judgment is a GOOD thing when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-chace-gordon/the-absence-of-judgment-becomes-a-catalyst-and-an-enabler-for-greater/) [J. Chace Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-chace-gordon/) > [Pain results from a judgment you have made about a thing. Remove the judgment and the pain disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/pain-results-from-a-judgment-you-have-made-about-a-thing-remove-the/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Humans are, as Sartre put it, 'condemned to be free'. To insist that science, or God, objectively defines moral values is to abandon our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-malik/humans-are-as-sartre-put-it-condemned-to-be-free-to-insist-that/) Kenan Malik ## More by Otto von Bismarck > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/fools-learn-from-experience-i-prefer-to-learn-from-the-experience-of/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Earthly majesty is always akin to the fallen angel, who is proud and unhappy, beautiful but troubled, and whose plans and efforts, though vast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/earthly-majesty-is-always-akin-to-the-fallen-angel-who-is-proud-and/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [“The Balkans aren't worth the life of a single Pomeranian grenadier.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-balkans-aren-t-worth-the-life-of-a-single-pomeranian-grenadier/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/never-believe-anything-in-politics-until-it-has-been-officially-denied/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [The government should cultivate the view also among the propertyless classes of the population, those who are the most numerous and the least educated,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-government-should-cultivate-the-view-also-among-the-propertyless/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/be-polite-write-diplomatically-even-in-a-declaration-of-war-one/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn't the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/when-a-man-says-he-approves-of-something-in-principle-it-means-he/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Preventive war is like committing suicide out of fear of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/preventive-war-is-like-committing-suicide-out-of-fear-of-death/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Fools you are who say you like to learn from your mistakes. I prefer to learn from the mistakes of others, and avoid the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/fools-you-are-who-say-you-like-to-learn-from-your-mistakes-i-prefer/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [“Verfallen wir nicht in den Fehler, bei jedem Andersmeinenden entweder an seinem Verständnis oder an seinem guten Willen zu zweifeln.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/verfallen-wir-nicht-in-den-fehler-bei-jedem-andersmeinenden-entweder/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [I am accustomed to pay men back in their own coin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/i-am-accustomed-to-pay-men-back-in-their-own-coin/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [I have often regretted what I have eaten, but never what I have drunk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/i-have-often-regretted-what-i-have-eaten-but-never-what-i-have-drunk/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [The nation that has the schools has the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-nation-that-has-the-schools-has-the-future/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Vanity is a mortgage that must be deducted from the value of a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/vanity-is-a-mortgage-that-must-be-deducted-from-the-value-of-a-man/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) [Explore all 130 Otto von Bismarck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) ## More History quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [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/) > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The NBA is my history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-hardaway/the-nba-is-my-history/) [Penny Hardaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-hardaway/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [History is a certain way, but you just change the point of view a little bit, and you discover a whole new side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/history-is-a-certain-way-but-you-just-change-the-point-of-view-a/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-re-at-a-point-in-history-were-we-have-to-become-a-part-of-the/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Today is a reality, tomorrow's a promise, and yesterday's history!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blanks/today-is-a-reality-tomorrow-s-a-promise-and-yesterday-s-history/) [Billy Blanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blanks/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) C-DASH > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 27,263 History quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Political judgment is the ability to hear the distant hoofbeats of the horse of history.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Otto von Bismarck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hear-the-distant-hoofbeats-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "History" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hear-the-distant-hoofbeats-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/otto-von-bismarck-3444_history_political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hea_2367485.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/otto-von-bismarck-3444_history_political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hea_2367485.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/otto-von-bismarck-3444_history_political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hea_2367485.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Political judgment is the ability to hear the distant hoofbeats of the horse of history.” — Otto von Bismarck", "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": "Otto von Bismarck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Political judgment is the ability to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hear-the-distant-hoofbeats-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hear-the-distant-hoofbeats-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 } } ] } ```