--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: True, most Americans give lip service to…" description: "\"True, most Americans give lip service to the proposition that even the most exalted among us have their flaws, but we are eager to believe that preside..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/robert-dallek-3456_above_true-most-americans-give-lip-service-to_3040466.png" --- # True, most Americans give lip service to the proposition… ![“True, most Americans give lip service to the proposition that even the most exalted among us have their flaws, but we are eager to believe that presidents manage to rise above the limitations that beset the rest of us.” quote by Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/robert-dallek-3456_above_true-most-americans-give-lip-service-to_3040466.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/robert-dallek-3456_above_true-most-americans-give-lip-service-to_3040466.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/robert-dallek-3456_above_true-most-americans-give-lip-service-to_3040466.png) > “True, most Americans give lip service to the proposition that even the most exalted among us have their flaws, but we are eager to believe that presidents manage to rise above the limitations that beset the rest of us.” [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Americans often claim leaders are flawless, yet they cling to the belief that presidents are above ordinary flaws. **In simple terms:** People think presidents are flawless, but they’re not. Key Takeaway Recognize leaders’ humanity. Themes politics public perception leadership Mood critical thoughtful Type political analytical When to use this quote - election analysis - policy critique - media literacy Key Concepts history political science Questions to Reflect On - How do you evaluate a leader’s flaws? - What standards should apply to presidents? A Different Perspective Idealizing leaders can blind voters to accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Above](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/above/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Among](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/among/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-presidents-3545769/) [Eager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eager/) [Eager Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eager-believe-616975/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Exalted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exalted/) [Flaws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flaws/) [Flaws Eager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flaws-eager-5008959/) [Give](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/give/) [Limitations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitations/) [Lip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lip/) [Lip service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lip-service/) [Manage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manage/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidents/) [Proposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proposition/) [Rest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest/) [Rise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise/) [Rise above](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise-above/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [True Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-americans-1106633/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that presidents up through and including George Bush have known that Americans were left alive and in violation of law, these high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-gritz/i-believe-that-presidents-up-through-and-including-george-bush-have/) [Bo Gritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-gritz/) > [I believe our Presidents work hard and it's the loneliest job in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-believe-our-presidents-work-hard-and-it-s-the-loneliest-job-in-the/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [We, as Americans, at least - I mean, I love my country - but we're so self-righteous sometimes, in terms of, like, our nationality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/we-as-americans-at-least-i-mean-i-love-my-country-but-we-re-so-self/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [...When we quietly go about our business as our rights are plundered, when we yield to passivity and switch on the wii and hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/when-we-quietly-go-about-our-business-as-our-rights-are-plundered/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [Since the masses are always eager to believe something, for their benefit nothing is so easy to arrange as facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/since-the-masses-are-always-eager-to-believe-something-for-their/) [Charles Maurice de Talleyrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/) > [I don't think the real America is in New York or on the Pacific Coast; personally, I like the Middle West much better, places…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-don-t-think-the-real-america-is-in-new-york-or-on-the-pacific-coast/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [We are eager to believe that others are flawed because we are eager to believe in what we wish for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are-flawed-because-we-are-eager/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“What is it in humans that makes us so eager to believe ill of one another? ... 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