--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Policy is about real people and real…" description: "\"Policy is about real people and real stories, and sometimes we forget that.\" — Pramila Jayapal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/pramila-jayapal-5245_forget_policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-sto_697425.jpg" --- # Policy is about real people and real stories, and… ![“Policy is about real people and real stories, and sometimes we forget that.” quote by Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/pramila-jayapal-5245_forget_policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-sto_697425.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/pramila-jayapal-5245_forget_policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-sto_697425.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/pramila-jayapal-5245_forget_policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-sto_697425.jpg) > “Policy is about real people and real stories, and sometimes we forget that.” [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Policy should reflect lived experiences and narratives of individuals, not just abstract data. **In simple terms:** Policy must honor real stories. Key Takeaway Center people in policy. Themes policy empathy storytelling Mood compassionate urgent Type political inspirational When to use this quote - legislation - community organizing - advocacy Key Concepts social justice human-centered design Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance data with personal narratives? - Whose stories are missing from policy debates? A Different Perspective Stories can be anecdotal, not representative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Understanding government can be a complex business. 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The part of their brain that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/earthborn-animals-do-this-thing-inside-their-brains-a-sort-of-firing/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Some people are REAL some people are GOOD some people are FAKE but most of them are REAL GOOD at being FAKE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/some-people-are-real-some-people-are-good-some-people-are-fake-but/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [Real people are never fake, and fake people are never real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/real-people-are-never-fake-and-fake-people-are-never-real/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As I look around me I see 2 Kinds of people. Fake People and Real People.I surround Myself with real people But fake people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syoung/as-i-look-around-me-i-see-2-kinds-of-people-fake-people-and-real/) Syoung > [Real people are actively trying to live like fake people, so real people are no less fake. Every comparison becomes impractical. This is why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/real-people-are-actively-trying-to-live-like-fake-people-so-real/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [In Dorchester, there were a lot of immigrants, a lot of working-class Irish people, and the vibes were, like, 'We're real people with real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayo-edebiri/in-dorchester-there-were-a-lot-of-immigrants-a-lot-of-working-class/) [Ayo Edebiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayo-edebiri/) > [Some people are real, some people are good, and some people are fake, some people are real,good at being fake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/some-people-are-real-some-people-are-good-and-some-people-are-fake/) [Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/) > [“But there was another class of people, the real people. To this class they all belonged, and in it the great thing was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/but-there-was-another-class-of-people-the-real-people-to-this-class/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [You know what matters? Touching people. Being a real person. Because when you're in front of real people, they gon' give you a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/partynextdoor/you-know-what-matters-touching-people-being-a-real-person-because/) PartyNextDoor > [“Sometimes these spirits have been more real to me than people, more real than God. They fill silence with their weight, dense and warm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baker-kline/sometimes-these-spirits-have-been-more-real-to-me-than-people-more/) [Christina Baker Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baker-kline/) > [Yeah I'm telling real stories, but if you pick up a documentary on strippers, you're going to want to see some stripping, so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/method-man/yeah-i-m-telling-real-stories-but-if-you-pick-up-a-documentary-on/) [Method Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/method-man/) > [I am more prolific when I have something to respond to. I get my juice from people and real stories and things that seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-wright/i-am-more-prolific-when-i-have-something-to-respond-to-i-get-my-juice/) [Lizz Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-wright/) ## More by Pramila Jayapal > [The fact that the immigration issue was the first thing Trump took aim at was a good thing for me, because it's what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/the-fact-that-the-immigration-issue-was-the-first-thing-trump-took/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [Some people have called me the anti-Trump, and I'm so proud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/some-people-have-called-me-the-anti-trump-and-i-m-so-proud/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [We don't get a more responsive government unless we start to systematically run organizing campaigns to change the way government works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/we-don-t-get-a-more-responsive-government-unless-we-start-to/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [I would attend a State of the Union by a president with whom I disagree if I felt she or he was otherwise respectful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-would-attend-a-state-of-the-union-by-a-president-with-whom-i/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [I've always believed that immigration is really about who we are as a country and what we're willing to stand up for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is-really-about-who-we-are-as-a/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [Individuals whose asylum claims have been accepted have gone on to become professors, soldiers in our military, artists, and more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/individuals-whose-asylum-claims-have-been-accepted-have-gone-on-to/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [I feel like young people, more than anyone in the country, always have their moral compass on perfectly straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-feel-like-young-people-more-than-anyone-in-the-country-always-have/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [Trump has hated Amazon for a long time, and I think that that came out in many interviews that he's done with 'Vanity Fair'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/trump-has-hated-amazon-for-a-long-time-and-i-think-that-that-came-out/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [I am on the side of the working person across the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-am-on-the-side-of-the-working-person-across-the-country/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [It took me 17 years to become a U.S. citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/it-took-me-17-years-to-become-a-u-s-citizen/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [When I was a little girl, my dad always said to me that I was going to be this great businesswoman, that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/when-i-was-a-little-girl-my-dad-always-said-to-me-that-i-was-going-to/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [When women are told that sexual harassment is 'part of the job' or when assistants of both sexes enable harassing behavior, they have bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/when-women-are-told-that-sexual-harassment-is-part-of-the-job-or-when/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [I'm not a complainer. I'm a doer. So if I see something is wrong, then I feel like I have to get in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-m-not-a-complainer-i-m-a-doer-so-if-i-see-something-is-wrong-then-i/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [As we say we fight for working people, we have to make sure our policies reflect that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/as-we-say-we-fight-for-working-people-we-have-to-make-sure-our/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [The vast majority of immigrants - regardless of the conditions of war and poverty that may wrack their home countries - come and contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/the-vast-majority-of-immigrants-regardless-of-the-conditions-of-war/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) [Explore all 102 Pramila Jayapal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) ## More Forget quotes > [I Never met her,i never talked to her,but in my whole day I am either thinking about her or trying to forget her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhananda/i-never-met-her-i-never-talked-to-her-but-in-my-whole-day-i-am-either/) [Subhananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhananda/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Once upon a time. Ah forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-upon-a-time-ah-forget-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Which people take the time to care for their souls, these days? I reckon not many. But...hear this: I think that maybe in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fletcher/which-people-take-the-time-to-care-for-their-souls-these-days-i/) [Susan Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fletcher/) > [The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/the-problem-with-people-is-they-forget-that-most-of-the-time-it-s-the/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [Remind a man of what he remembers, and you will make him forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/remind-a-man-of-what-he-remembers-and-you-will-make-him-forget-it/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [“So you try, and try, to move past it and forget about them, but it's like they're stuck in your head -- you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/so-you-try-and-try-to-move-past-it-and-forget-about-them-but-it-s/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [If God knows me I will never forget him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trunxbeats/if-god-knows-me-i-will-never-forget-him/) Trunxbeats > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) Browse all 11,315 Forget quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Policy is about real people and real stories, and sometimes we forget that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pramila Jayapal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-stories-and-sometimes-we-forget/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Forget" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-stories-and-sometimes-we-forget/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/pramila-jayapal-5245_forget_policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-sto_697425.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/pramila-jayapal-5245_forget_policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-sto_697425.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/pramila-jayapal-5245_forget_policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-sto_697425.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Policy is about real people and real stories, and sometimes we forget that.” — Pramila Jayapal", "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": "Pramila Jayapal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Policy is about real people and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-stories-and-sometimes-we-forget/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/policy-is-about-real-people-and-real-stories-and-sometimes-we-forget/#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 } } ] } ```