--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the things that is so important…" description: "\"One of the things that is so important, critical I think, in reading not just the founders but thousands of years as you put it, that discussion about ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/zephyr-teachout-3069_corruption_one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-c_1513442.jpg" --- # One of the things that is so important, critical I think… ![“One of the things that is so important, critical I think, in reading not just the founders but thousands of years as you put it, that discussion about corruption, is that you can't talk about the problem of corruption without talking about human nature.” quote by Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/zephyr-teachout-3069_corruption_one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-c_1513442.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/zephyr-teachout-3069_corruption_one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-c_1513442.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/zephyr-teachout-3069_corruption_one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-c_1513442.jpg) > “One of the things that is so important, critical I think, in reading not just the founders but thousands of years as you put it, that discussion about corruption, is that you can't talk about the problem of corruption without talking about human nature.” [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Corruption cannot be understood without considering inherent human traits and incentives that enable it. **In simple terms:** Corruption ties to human nature. Key Takeaway Address human motives when tackling corruption. Themes ethics politics human nature Mood critical analytical Type advisory policy. When to use this quote - policy reform - organizational audits - public education - anti‑corruption campaigns Key Concepts moral psychology institutional design Questions to Reflect On - How do incentives shape corrupt actions? - Can institutions override selfish impulses? A Different Perspective Human behavior can be redirected through structural changes, not just moral appeals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [If you talk about corruption, you can talk about a lot of things in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-benitez/if-you-talk-about-corruption-you-can-talk-about-a-lot-of-things-in/) [Rafael Benitez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-benitez/) > [Figuring out who you are and being true to yourself is not just important, but it is critical to being authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-garst/figuring-out-who-you-are-and-being-true-to-yourself-is-not-just/) [Kim Garst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-garst/) > [It's important for me to try to find new ways to express myself, but at the same time, have integrity, and still be me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fashawn/it-s-important-for-me-to-try-to-find-new-ways-to-express-myself-but/) [Fashawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fashawn/) > [“The "I love you"s are exchanged excessively under our roof. Cancer teaches you how important and critical that is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/comic-strip-mama/the-i-love-you-s-are-exchanged-excessively-under-our-roof-cancer/) Comic Strip Mama > [“I love you"s are exhanged excessively under our roof. Cancer teaches you how important and critical that is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/comic-strip-mama/i-love-you-s-are-exhanged-excessively-under-our-roof-cancer-teaches/) Comic Strip Mama > [Anti-corruption is a core constitutional value. It always has been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/anti-corruption-is-a-core-constitutional-value-it-always-has-been/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [As you fight corruption, it fights back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yemi-osinbajo/as-you-fight-corruption-it-fights-back/) [Yemi Osinbajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yemi-osinbajo/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [“Don't let cycles of violent crimes, uncontrollable, rising cases of bloody impunity, evil puppets in a crippled judiciary, marionettes in a corrupted legislative system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelica-hopes/don-t-let-cycles-of-violent-crimes-uncontrollable-rising-cases-of/) [Angelica Hopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelica-hopes/) > [In the lead up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw at a minimum, true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility, at worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-zinni/in-the-lead-up-to-the-iraq-war-and-its-later-conduct-i-saw-at-a/) [Anthony Zinni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-zinni/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) ## More by Zephyr Teachout > [I don't think we should reduce the corporate tax rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-don-t-think-we-should-reduce-the-corporate-tax-rate/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [Amazon's outsized power is looking less and less like smart business and more and more like oppressive politics - one company bullying us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/amazon-s-outsized-power-is-looking-less-and-less-like-smart-business/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [I think part of the reason the Tea Party has resonated is that people feel disempowered. The Tea Party says, "You are out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-think-part-of-the-reason-the-tea-party-has-resonated-is-that-people/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [Anti-corruption is a core constitutional value. It always has been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/anti-corruption-is-a-core-constitutional-value-it-always-has-been/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [Integrity is hard work. I do think the internet makes it harder because of the temptations of performance. You can perform and have integrity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/integrity-is-hard-work-i-do-think-the-internet-makes-it-harder/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [I think a lot of the reason people are attracted to the Keystone pipeline is because at least we're doing something. There's a fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-think-a-lot-of-the-reason-people-are-attracted-to-the-keystone/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [If you think art is a competitive forum, then you're going to stop doing it if you're not good. But if it's not competitive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/if-you-think-art-is-a-competitive-forum-then-you-re-going-to-stop/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [ A combination of working in politics as well as teaching and being \[an actor\] certainly helped. I became so much more comfortable in front… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/a-combination-of-working-in-politics-as-well-as-teaching-and-being-an/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [If those people in power never made any mistakes, we'd be done for as a democracy. But people keep making mistakes. History is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/if-those-people-in-power-never-made-any-mistakes-we-d-be-done-for-as/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [Normally, politicians lie because they want to persuade us of the truth of what they are saying. A candidate for Congress will claim that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/normally-politicians-lie-because-they-want-to-persuade-us-of-the/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [The Internet is an important organizing tool. But the goal of a campaign isn't to use the Internet for organizing; the goal is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/the-internet-is-an-important-organizing-tool-but-the-goal-of-a/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [At a policy level, we can support protecting and serving as opposed to militarization or disproportionate response. Step one is making sure we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/at-a-policy-level-we-can-support-protecting-and-serving-as-opposed-to/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [So the job of building structures, building a constitutional structure, is not just to punish those who behave badly but actually to protect people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/so-the-job-of-building-structures-building-a-constitutional-structure/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [To be fair, money and politics never work in a directly straight line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/to-be-fair-money-and-politics-never-work-in-a-directly-straight-line/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [I joke about it being a millstone, but it never hurts to have a name that sticks out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-joke-about-it-being-a-millstone-but-it-never-hurts-to-have-a-name/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) [Explore all 140 Zephyr Teachout quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) ## More Corruption quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [In the lead up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw at a minimum, true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility, at worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-zinni/in-the-lead-up-to-the-iraq-war-and-its-later-conduct-i-saw-at-a/) [Anthony Zinni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-zinni/) > [“Don't let cycles of violent crimes, uncontrollable, rising cases of bloody impunity, evil puppets in a crippled judiciary, marionettes in a corrupted legislative system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelica-hopes/don-t-let-cycles-of-violent-crimes-uncontrollable-rising-cases-of/) [Angelica Hopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelica-hopes/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [As you fight corruption, it fights back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yemi-osinbajo/as-you-fight-corruption-it-fights-back/) [Yemi Osinbajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yemi-osinbajo/) > [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [ Corruption could lead to the collapse of the Party \[Communist Party of China\] and the downfall of the state \[People's Republic of China\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xi-jinping/corruption-could-lead-to-the-collapse-of-the-party-communist-party-of/) [Xi Jinping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xi-jinping/) > [“Oh where is the noble face of modesty, or the strength of virtue, now that blasphemy is in power and men have put justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/oh-where-is-the-noble-face-of-modesty-or-the-strength-of-virtue-now/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/) [Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/) > [It looked incredibly credible!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-horlick/it-looked-incredibly-credible/) Nicola Horlick > [All power corrupts but some must govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/all-power-corrupts-but-some-must-govern/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) [Browse all 2,253 Corruption quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One of the things that is so important, critical I think, in reading not just the founders but thousands of years as you put it, that discussion about corruption, is that you can't talk about the problem of corruption without talking about human nature.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zephyr Teachout" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-critical-i-think-in-reading/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Corruption" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-critical-i-think-in-reading/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/zephyr-teachout-3069_corruption_one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-c_1513442.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/zephyr-teachout-3069_corruption_one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-c_1513442.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/zephyr-teachout-3069_corruption_one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-c_1513442.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One of the things that is so important, critical I think, in reading not just the founders but thousands of…” — Zephyr Teachout", "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": "Zephyr Teachout", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One of the things that is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-critical-i-think-in-reading/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/one-of-the-things-that-is-so-important-critical-i-think-in-reading/#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 } } ] } ```