Walter Lippmann Quotes

Balancing hopes, desires and an appreciating of the possibilities with a clear-eyed assessment of the limitations: that is the art of choosing.

Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.

Theoretical principals must sometimes give way for the sake of practical advantages.

What makes a leader is to recognize what can be done and not only what is desirable.

Government is the art of the momentarily feasible, of the least bad attainable, and not of the rationally most desirable.

Expediency may tip the scales when arguments are nicely balanced.

Sometimes we have an objective reality that tells you you shouldn’t do what you want to do.

We want to be as routine-oriented as we can, but it's just not always feasible.

Instead of doing the best thing, we sometimes have to settle for the rightest thing.

I'm always the "less is more" guy when it comes to a scene. So I'ma be the one who will keep it grounded. Even if I let it go off and go crazy, I'm still the voice of keeping things grounded in reality.

It makes sense to work towards a better world, but it doesn't make any sense to have illusions about what the real world is.

You have to look life straight in the eye. De-mystify your world. Can you really afford to believe magic is for real? Not when time is concerned.

Let us give our Republic not the best possible laws but the best which they will bear.

An ideologue believes that what is right will work. A pragmatist believes that what works is right.

What man needs is not just the persistent posing of ultimate questions, but the sense of what is feasible, what is possible, what is correct, here and now.

Intuitive versus analytical? That's a foolish choice. It's foolish, just like trying to choose between being realistic or idealistic. You need both in life.

In politics, you have to balance these things: what is good for the country, what is available, and what is possible.

What I've learned is that life is a balance between idealism and realism.

The common belief is that you are either a dreamer or a realist. But idealism and pragmatism aren't as far apart as one might think.

The truth is that the right decision often can't be led with either head or heart exclusively.

It is good to have aspirations, but we have to be real.

Do I want to play every game? Yes, I want to play every game. But I also understand it's impossible.

Why is it that common sense is seldom common practice?

I'm putting jobs over ideology.

Economic policy is like business - it's all about compromise.