Richard Helms Quotes

It is difficult to make a reputation, but is even more difficult seriously to mar a reputation once properly made --- so faithful is the public.

The public impression is that the government, industry or the highest bidder can buy a scientist to add credibility to any message. That crucial quality of impartiality is being lost.

Perception of legitimacy is more important than legitimacy itself.

[Characterizing public criticism:] It only hurts for a day.

Public confidence should govern political appointments.

If you are planning on entering the field of law enforcement, be sure you understand that you WILL be held to a higher standard. This is not unjust, but a necessary fact. Those who are chosen to uphold the constitution and must do so with responsibility and that means they must live their lives as an example

Our ability to be believed is at risk. The F.B.I. must be able to stand on any corner in the U.S. or before any jury and be believed.

I'm not trying to walk away from responsibility or anything like that, but I think there's a bunch of people on TV who get trust simply for being on TV.

If the American public were accurately polled, I suspect the results would find Bonnie & Clyde, Bill Clinton, Ponzi Scheme scamster Bernie Madoff, and the infamous Wily Coyoteto be believed to be more honest and trustworthy than Hillary Clinton.

According to a new poll, the number of Americans who trust Hillary is dropping. Specifically into a hole that Hillary covered with leaves.

If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. -Speech at Clinton, Illinois, September 8, 1854.

When the public sees us taking sides—and the public definitely sees it—we lose the only reason we had any influence with the public in the first place: our credibility. We become just another partisan voice in a cacophonous chorus, one more basement blogger.

If you build a good name, eventually, that name will be its own currency.

The people know that they need in their representative much more than talent, namely, the power to make his talent trusted.

Those who ought to be secure from calumny are generally those who avoid it least.

Honest people will respect us for our merit: the public, for our luck.

If opinion hath lighted the lamp of thy name, endeavor to encourage it with thy own oil, lest it go out and stink; the chronical disease of Popularity is shame; if thou be once up, beware; from fame to infamy is a beaten road.

Authority's for sharing only when the sharer is sure of his (or hers).

The strange machinery by which a reputation precedes its source we all know is faulty. Yet how much faith we put in it!

I value my reputation. I work hard to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

People who trust me will not be swayed by what's been said about me, and for people who don't, no amount of good reports will persuade them.

It is the practice of the multitude to bark at eminent men, as little dogs do at strangers.

I think the American public has gone from really almost white-hot anger in 2010 to an anxiety knowing their government needs to work.

A man in public life expects to be sneered at -- it is the fault of his elevated situation, and not of himself.

What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is, what can you make people believe that you have done?