"It was as if he had come..." - Quote by Barack Obama
It was as if he had come to mistrust words somehow. Words, and the sentiments words carried.
More by Barack Obama
“Never read Who Moved My Cheese in the workplace when you can read The Joy of Not Working.”
“America can't provide health care to people who need it. We can't invest in science and technology, which will determine whether or not we are going to be competitive in the long term. There has never been a country on Earth that saw its economy decline and yet maintained its military superiority.”
“Strong countries and strong presidents talk to their adversaries. That's what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That's what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That's what Nixon did with Mao. I mean think about it. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela - these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. And yet we were willing to talk to the Soviet Union at the time when they were saying we're going to wipe you off the planet.”
More on Communication
“How could you communicate with the future? It was impossible. Either the future would resemble the present in which case it would not listen to him, or it would be different from it, and his predicament would be meaningless.”
“Never explain - your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.”
“Diplomacy is more than saying or doing the right things at the right time, it is avoiding saying or doing the wrong things at any time.”
More on Trust
“Trust no one unless you have eaten much salt with him.”
“It is proof of sincerity, which I value above all things; as, between those who practice it, falsehood and malice work their efforts in vain.”
“The most practical, the most dignified way of going on in the world is to take people at their word, when you have no positive reason to the contrary.”