--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Probably the most useful thing I can do…" description: "\"Probably the most useful thing I can do as secretary of state is to assist the president in adapting and renewing the transnational institutions that w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/warren-christopher-15978_adapting_probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do_2893525.jpg" --- # Probably the most useful thing I can do as secretary of… ![“Probably the most useful thing I can do as secretary of state is to assist the president in adapting and renewing the transnational institutions that were created after World War II.” quote by Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/warren-christopher-15978_adapting_probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do_2893525.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/warren-christopher-15978_adapting_probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do_2893525.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/warren-christopher-15978_adapting_probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do_2893525.jpg) > “Probably the most useful thing I can do as secretary of state is to assist the president in adapting and renewing the transnational institutions that were created after World War II.” [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Secretary of State should help the President modernize post‑WWII transnational institutions to keep them effective and relevant. **In simple terms:** Update old global institutions for today. Key Takeaway Support adaptation of international bodies. Themes diplomacy institutional reform global governance history Mood strategic optimistic Type policy analytical When to use this quote - UN reforms - trade agreements - climate accords Key Concepts international law policy analysis strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - Which institutions need urgent reform? - How can leaders balance tradition and innovation? A Different Perspective Institutional inertia resists change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Useful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useful-things/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/) ## Related quotes > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Tradition is a fine thing. Nothing comes out of the blue, except perhaps thunderbolts and they are not really very useful things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-aumonier/tradition-is-a-fine-thing-nothing-comes-out-of-the-blue-except/) [Stacy Aumonier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-aumonier/) > [The US patent system adds the fuel of interest to the fire of genius in the discovery and production of new and useful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-us-patent-system-adds-the-fuel-of-interest-to-the-fire-of-genius/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Instead of the primitive raw material economy, we will create a smart economy generating unique knowledge, new useful things and technologies. Instead of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitry-medvedev/instead-of-the-primitive-raw-material-economy-we-will-create-a-smart/) [Dmitry Medvedev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitry-medvedev/) > [We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-can-forgive-a-man-for-making-a-useful-thing-as-long-as-he-does-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the first obligations of art is to make all useful things beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/one-of-the-first-obligations-of-art-is-to-make-all-useful-things/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [Diogenes said once to a person who was showing him a dial, "It is a very useful thing to save a man from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes-laertius/diogenes-said-once-to-a-person-who-was-showing-him-a-dial-it-is-a/) [Diogenes Laertius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes-laertius/) > [“The role of useless ideas is to help us see the useful ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/the-role-of-useless-ideas-is-to-help-us-see-the-useful-ones/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [Sadness is one of the best universities in life! Though bad things take good things from us, they do give us useful things as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/sadness-is-one-of-the-best-universities-in-life-though-bad-things/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Bart! With $10,000, we'd be millionaires! We could buy all kinds of useful things like love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-simpson/bart-with-10-000-we-d-be-millionaires-we-could-buy-all-kinds-of/) [Homer Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-simpson/) > [To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-do-the-useful-thing-to-say-the-courageous-thing-to-contemplate-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How did you find me anyway." "For all that I must keep reminding you that I am not a bloodhound, it's true that on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-did-you-find-me-anyway-for-all-that-i-must-keep-reminding-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The steadily inward look leads us all to death, nations as well as persons, and is equally infantile in them all. Perhaps the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margery-wilson/the-steadily-inward-look-leads-us-all-to-death-nations-as-well-as/) [Margery Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margery-wilson/) > [Politics has rough manners, but it is a very useful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-crick/politics-has-rough-manners-but-it-is-a-very-useful-thing/) [Bernard Crick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-crick/) > [A studio is an absolute labyrinth of possibilities - this is why records take so long to make because there are millions of permutations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/a-studio-is-an-absolute-labyrinth-of-possibilities-this-is-why/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) ## More by Warren Christopher > [When I was a very young lawyer, I had a senior partner who advised me never to get mad, except on purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/when-i-was-a-very-young-lawyer-i-had-a-senior-partner-who-advised-me/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [Environmental degradation, overpopulation, refugees, narcotics, terrorism, world crime movements, and organized crime are worldwide problems that don't stop at a nation's borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/environmental-degradation-overpopulation-refugees-narcotics-terrorism/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [I had all of one nanosecond to savor the news before we had to move on to other problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/i-had-all-of-one-nanosecond-to-savor-the-news-before-we-had-to-move/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [I've got many close friends, but there's an awful lot about friendship that is not demonstrative in my case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/i-ve-got-many-close-friends-but-there-s-an-awful-lot-about-friendship/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [Hamas, the opponents of Arafat, the opponents of peace, urged a boycott of the election, and yet there was an 85 percent turnout where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/hamas-the-opponents-of-arafat-the-opponents-of-peace-urged-a-boycott/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [We have a human rights interest. Then there is the immigration problem. The human-rights violations have caused people to take to boats and flood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/we-have-a-human-rights-interest-then-there-is-the-immigration-problem/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [I'm very skeptical about the good intentions of Milosevic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/i-m-very-skeptical-about-the-good-intentions-of-milosevic/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [The stakes are very high for us in Haiti. We have many important interests there. Perhaps the most important to me is our interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/the-stakes-are-very-high-for-us-in-haiti-we-have-many-important/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [Only two countries in this hemisphere are not democratic, but many countries in both Central and South America, and in the Caribbean, are really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/only-two-countries-in-this-hemisphere-are-not-democratic-but-many/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [I ask the Philippines Government to put an end to journalists' killings by giving journalists' safety the priority it deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/i-ask-the-philippines-government-to-put-an-end-to-journalists/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [It's very important to always put things in their historical contexts. It teaches important lessons about the country in question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/it-s-very-important-to-always-put-things-in-their-historical-contexts/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [We've worked with President Yeltsin. He is the President of the country. He's been a reformer. We've been able to accomplish a number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/we-ve-worked-with-president-yeltsin-he-is-the-president-of-the/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [Both sides were supposed to release all their prisoners, those were unconditional. There was some prisoner release that took place but it's not been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/both-sides-were-supposed-to-release-all-their-prisoners-those-were/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [I don't want to talk about intelligence matters. I will say, however, that intelligence-community estimates should not become public in the way of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/i-don-t-want-to-talk-about-intelligence-matters-i-will-say-however/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) > [The United States has done more for the war crimes tribunal than any other country in the world. We're turning over all the information…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/the-united-states-has-done-more-for-the-war-crimes-tribunal-than-any/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) [Explore all 41 Warren Christopher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) ## More Adapting quotes > [For a struggling filmmaker running low on ideas, public domain is all we have for adapting books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/for-a-struggling-filmmaker-running-low-on-ideas-public-domain-is-all/) [Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/) > [If I can do concert recitals, adapting the repertoire to my needs, then no problem, that's good enough. But with operas, unless the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-carreras/if-i-can-do-concert-recitals-adapting-the-repertoire-to-my-needs-then/) [Jose Carreras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-carreras/) > [Firmino is a player who is really good at adapting to different positions. He is a No. 9, but he helps a lot in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabinho/firmino-is-a-player-who-is-really-good-at-adapting-to-different/) [Fabinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabinho/) > [Martial arts is not about picking your fights and picking how things go; it's about adapting to the how things are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-nelson/martial-arts-is-not-about-picking-your-fights-and-picking-how-things/) [Gunnar Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-nelson/) > [I'm not in the business of adapting things that are popular for the sake of just getting it on the screen. I think there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/i-m-not-in-the-business-of-adapting-things-that-are-popular-for-the/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [I am like the fish in the aquarium, thinking in a different language, adapting to a life that’s not my natural habitat. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-am-like-the-fish-in-the-aquarium-thinking-in-a-different-language/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I'm always a big advocate for adapting to your new team, your new country and your new team-mates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/i-m-always-a-big-advocate-for-adapting-to-your-new-team-your-new/) [Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/) > [Cinema reflects culture and there is no harm in adapting technology, but not at the cost of losing your originality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/cinema-reflects-culture-and-there-is-no-harm-in-adapting-technology/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [The fact that I made a special movie with an old-fashioned style - even if it's a mix between with modern and old-fashioned things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/the-fact-that-i-made-a-special-movie-with-an-old-fashioned-style-even/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I believe in having a few pupils at one time as it requires a constant alert observation of each individual in order to establish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/i-believe-in-having-a-few-pupils-at-one-time-as-it-requires-a/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [The brain is constantly adapting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-brain-is-constantly-adapting/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [One of the most difficult things for people who have been successful in sports is adapting to the daily world where you can't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-spitz/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-for-people-who-have-been-successful/) [Mark Spitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-spitz/) > [“(T)his is precisely the importance of the world-view described in the Book of Changes: there is no situation without a way out. All situations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-and-hellmut-wilhelm/t-his-is-precisely-the-importance-of-the-world-view-described-in-the/) Richard and Hellmut Wilhelm > [Man is a shrewd inventor, and is ever taking the hint of a new machine from his own structure, adapting some secret of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/man-is-a-shrewd-inventor-and-is-ever-taking-the-hint-of-a-new-machine/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Sport is not about being wrapped up in cotton wool. Sport as about adapting to the unexpected and being able to modify plans at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/sport-is-not-about-being-wrapped-up-in-cotton-wool-sport-as-about/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) Browse all 251 Adapting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Probably the most useful thing I can do as secretary of state is to assist the president in adapting and renewing the transnational institutions that were created after World War II.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Warren Christopher" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do-as-secretary-of-state-is-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adapting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do-as-secretary-of-state-is-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/warren-christopher-15978_adapting_probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do_2893525.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/warren-christopher-15978_adapting_probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do_2893525.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/warren-christopher-15978_adapting_probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do_2893525.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Probably the most useful thing I can do as secretary of state is to assist the president in adapting and…” — Warren Christopher", "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": "Warren Christopher", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Probably the most useful thing I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do-as-secretary-of-state-is-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/probably-the-most-useful-thing-i-can-do-as-secretary-of-state-is-to/#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 } } ] } ```