--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To pursue a so-called Third Way is…" description: "\"To pursue a so-called Third Way is foolish. We had our experience with this in the 1960s when we looked for a socialism with a human face. It did not w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/vaclav-klaus-12549_aiming_to-pursue-a-so-called-third-way-is-fooli_1765302.jpg" --- # To pursue a so-called Third Way is foolish. We had our… ![“To pursue a so-called Third Way is foolish. We had our experience with this in the 1960s when we looked for a socialism with a human face. It did not work, and we must be explicit that we are not aiming for a more efficient version of a system that has failed.” quote by Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/vaclav-klaus-12549_aiming_to-pursue-a-so-called-third-way-is-fooli_1765302.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/vaclav-klaus-12549_aiming_to-pursue-a-so-called-third-way-is-fooli_1765302.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/vaclav-klaus-12549_aiming_to-pursue-a-so-called-third-way-is-fooli_1765302.jpg) > “To pursue a so-called Third Way is foolish. We had our experience with this in the 1960s when we looked for a socialism with a human face. It did not work, and we must be explicit that we are not aiming for a more efficient version of a system that has failed.” [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Attempting to improve a failed system by making it more efficient repeats repeat its flaws. **In simple terms:** Reforming a broken system doesn’t fix it. Key Takeaway Seek new models, not tweaks. Themes politics economics reform Mood cautious critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy design - public debate - economic planning - social programs Key Concepts systemic failure ideological rigidity Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives exist beyond reform? - How to test new models? A Different Perspective Efficiency gains can mask deeper structural issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aiming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aiming/) [Called Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-way-833951/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Efficient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficient/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Explicit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explicit/) [Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face/) [Failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failed/) [Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-face/) [Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looked/) [Looked Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looked-socialism-1730519/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Must](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/must/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Pursue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursue/) [So-called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/so-called/) [Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism/) [Socialism Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism-human-1730518/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) [Third](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third/) [Version](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/version/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Socialism with a human face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-dubcek/socialism-with-a-human-face/) [Alexander Dubcek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-dubcek/) > [The idea of a socialism with a human face was something that I absolutely could support, because it was my idea from the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/the-idea-of-a-socialism-with-a-human-face-was-something-that-i/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [“It's called the Way of Water, Dexan. You tried to kill me, so now I get to keep your hat. - Kellen”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastien-de-castell/it-s-called-the-way-of-water-dexan-you-tried-to-kill-me-so-now-i-get/) [Sebastien de Castell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastien-de-castell/) > [Liberal democracy - as you know, in the old days, we were saying we want socialism with a human face. Today's left effectively offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/liberal-democracy-as-you-know-in-the-old-days-we-were-saying-we-want/) [Slavoj Zizek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [Ultimately, and I believe this is one of the fundamental problems with socialism, it's that human beings do have self-interest. It's very hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/ultimately-and-i-believe-this-is-one-of-the-fundamental-problems-with/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [German Marxian's coined the dictum: If socialism is against human nature, then human nature must be changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/german-marxian-s-coined-the-dictum-if-socialism-is-against-human/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [If we had had time and the occasion to develop a new socialism in the GDR, socialism with a human face, with democracy, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/if-we-had-had-time-and-the-occasion-to-develop-a-new-socialism-in-the/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [To make men Socialists is nothing, but to make Socialism human is a great thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-make-men-socialists-is-nothing-but-to-make-socialism-human-is-a/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [More was revealed in a human face than a human being can bear face to face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/more-was-revealed-in-a-human-face-than-a-human-being-can-bear-face-to/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [I long for another human face just as I fear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/i-long-for-another-human-face-just-as-i-fear-it/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“The horrible monsters in this world are the ones that wear human face”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/69rascal/the-horrible-monsters-in-this-world-are-the-ones-that-wear-human-face/) [69rascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/69rascal/) > [True worth is as inevitably discovered by the facial expression, as its opposite is sure to be clearly represented there. The human face is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/true-worth-is-as-inevitably-discovered-by-the-facial-expression-as/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [Our human face happens to be one of the most powerful channels that we all use to communicate social and emotional states: everything from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rana-el-kaliouby/our-human-face-happens-to-be-one-of-the-most-powerful-channels-that/) [Rana el Kaliouby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rana-el-kaliouby/) > [I wanted to put a human face on anxiety disorders. I thought people who suffer from anxiety might recognize themselves and gain some comfort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-wanted-to-put-a-human-face-on-anxiety-disorders-i-thought-people/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“I like the fact that she thinks. The human face is so legible that it sometimes seems possible to watch their thoughts, the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bradley-rede/i-like-the-fact-that-she-thinks-the-human-face-is-so-legible-that-it/) [Laura Bradley Rede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bradley-rede/) ## More by Vaclav Klaus > [My main concern is the political dimension of European integration. This is one of the most important issues of all, as far as I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/my-main-concern-is-the-political-dimension-of-european-integration/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [That means following a very restrictive fiscal and monetary policy which will squeeze the monopolies and cut their subsidies. On the micro level we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/that-means-following-a-very-restrictive-fiscal-and-monetary-policy/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [ EU didn't advance our \[Eastern Europe\] democracy by a single millimeter. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/eu-didn-t-advance-our-eastern-europe-democracy-by-a-single-millimeter/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > ["not a scientific body capable of accurately assessing the facts about global warming".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/not-a-scientific-body-capable-of-accurately-assessing-the-facts-about/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [Nevertheless, there is another threat on the horizon. I see this threat in environmentalism which is becoming a new dominant ideology, if not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/nevertheless-there-is-another-threat-on-the-horizon-i-see-this-threat/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [Human relations tend to be more difficult when you're dealing with someone who weighs 30 kilograms more than you do. That's when you worry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/human-relations-tend-to-be-more-difficult-when-you-re-dealing-with/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [The climate change debate is basically not about science; it is about ideology. It is not about global temperature; it is about the concept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/the-climate-change-debate-is-basically-not-about-science-it-is-about/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [I am afraid there are people who want to stop the economic growth, the rise in the standard of living (though not their own)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/i-am-afraid-there-are-people-who-want-to-stop-the-economic-growth-the/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [Communism was replaced by the threat of ambitious environmentalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/communism-was-replaced-by-the-threat-of-ambitious-environmentalism/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [I do not consider the Lisbon Treaty to be a good thing for Europe, for the freedom of Europe, or for the Czech Republic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/i-do-not-consider-the-lisbon-treaty-to-be-a-good-thing-for-europe-for/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [And finally, there is another danger: the emergence of nonideological but very aggressive 'isms,' which are really quite new. Let me at least name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/and-finally-there-is-another-danger-the-emergence-of-nonideological/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [To reduce the interpretation of the causality of all kinds of climate changes and of global warming to one variable, CO2, or to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/to-reduce-the-interpretation-of-the-causality-of-all-kinds-of-climate/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [I was 25 years old and pursuing my doctorate in economics when I was allowed to spend six months of postgraduate studies in Naples,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/i-was-25-years-old-and-pursuing-my-doctorate-in-economics-when-i-was/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [Common foreign policy is completely unnecessary. The various European countries have widely differing priorities, goals and prejudices. It would be wrong to force them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/common-foreign-policy-is-completely-unnecessary-the-various-european/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) > [I don't think there is any global warming. I don't see the statistical data for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/i-don-t-think-there-is-any-global-warming-i-don-t-see-the-statistical/) [Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) [Explore all 54 Vaclav Klaus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/) ## More Aiming quotes > [I'm never aiming to make a movie like someone else's movie, but in order to describe a movie to someone else who hasn't seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-zombie/i-m-never-aiming-to-make-a-movie-like-someone-else-s-movie-but-in/) [Rob Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-zombie/) > [Whatever you're aiming for, God's better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/whatever-you-re-aiming-for-god-s-better/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [“A place in the sun, that's what I am aiming for... and who could ever ask for more?' -Columbine to Pierrot”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-claudia-antunes/a-place-in-the-sun-that-s-what-i-am-aiming-for-and-who-could-ever-ask/) [Ana Claudia Antunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-claudia-antunes/) > [If you don't start out aiming for the big game, you almost never can get there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/if-you-don-t-start-out-aiming-for-the-big-game-you-almost-never-can/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [A president aiming for 'Great' or 'Near Great' status must do more. He must give lots of interviews, make records accessible, and heap the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-frank/a-president-aiming-for-great-or-near-great-status-must-do-more-he/) [Thomas Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-frank/) > [Aiming at brevity, I become obscure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/aiming-at-brevity-i-become-obscure/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“Aim at a high mark and you'll hit it. No, not the first time, nor the second time. Maybe not the third. But keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-oakley/aim-at-a-high-mark-and-you-ll-hit-it-no-not-the-first-time-nor-the/) [Annie Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-oakley/) > [I will commit not the terrible crime of aiming too low. I will do the work that a failure will not do. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-will-commit-not-the-terrible-crime-of-aiming-too-low-i-will-do-the/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [Aiming a gun at your head and pulling the trigger. Mind = Blown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/aiming-a-gun-at-your-head-and-pulling-the-trigger-mind-blown/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm aiming to become the white Oprah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-dickinson/i-m-aiming-to-become-the-white-oprah/) [Janice Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-dickinson/) > [Acting without thinking is like shooting without aiming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/acting-without-thinking-is-like-shooting-without-aiming/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [To talk without thinking is to shoot without aiming. --](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-clarke/to-talk-without-thinking-is-to-shoot-without-aiming/) [Greg Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-clarke/) > [There is a shortage of doctors, and the American Medical Association is aiming to keep it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/there-is-a-shortage-of-doctors-and-the-american-medical-association/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [I don't like narrowing my readers down - there's not a particular age or gender or nationality. I suppose I'm aiming at the child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-browne/i-don-t-like-narrowing-my-readers-down-there-s-not-a-particular-age/) [Anthony Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-browne/) > [“Are you aiming for our make-up to be the shortest in history or what?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/are-you-aiming-for-our-make-up-to-be-the-shortest-in-history-or-what/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) [Browse all 90 Aiming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aiming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To pursue a so-called Third Way is foolish. We had our experience with this in the 1960s when we looked for a socialism with a human face. 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