Greater good Quote by Walter Williams
““I respect ordinary thieves much more than I respect politicians. Ordinary thieves take my money without pretense. Unlike typical politicians, these thieves don’t bore me with silly explanations of why their thievery is for the greater good. Nor do ordinary thieves insult my intelligence by proclaiming that they’ll use the money that they steal from me to make my life better than I would have made my life had my money not been swiped from me.””
About This Quote
Ordinary thieves are more honest than politicians who hide self motives behind rhetoric.
In simple terms: Thieves are straightforward; politicians are deceptive.
Key Takeaway
Question authority.
Themes
politics
honesty
trust
disillusionment
Mood
skeptical
critical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- elections
- policy debates
- media consumption
- activism
Key Concepts
ethics
political theory
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you differentiate between individual and systemic corruption?
- How can citizens hold leaders accountable?
A Different Perspective
Not all politicians are corrupt; some genuinely serve.
![“[...] the kind of healer who knows that sometimes one must inflict terrible agony - rebreak a bone, carve off a limb, kill the weak - in order to make the whole stronger.” quote by N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b79/n-k-jemisin-1466_difficult-decisions_the-kind-of-healer-who-knows-that-someti_50107.jpg)
