I left things out - my motivations, my history, my emotional responses - because I am not good … - Rory Stewart

Same topic Authors

Quote of the day

Taking the decision-making process away from people disempowers them. It also makes them much less likely to buy into the decision, however right it may be. One’s own conscience remains the ultimate arbiter.

Rory Stewart

I left things out - my motivations, my history, my emotional responses - because I am not good at understanding them or writing about them. I tried and it was generally boring and always unconvincing. Most importantly I wanted to try to place Afghans and Afghanistan in the foreground rather than my own character.

Character, Motivation, Place, Unconvincing, Understanding, Writing

Same Author Quotes

Democracy is not simply a question of structures. It is a state of mind. It is an activity.

Democracy, Mind, Question, State, Structure

The question shouldn't be what we ought to do, but what we can do.

Humanitarian, International Relations, Interventionism, Ought, Question

I do a lot of work with policymakers, but how much effect am I having? It’s like they’re coming in and saying to you, ‘I’m going to drive my car off a cliff. Should I or should I not wear a seatbelt?’ And you say, ‘I don’t think you should drive your car off the cliff. ’ And they say, ‘No, no, that bit’s already been decided—the question is whether to wear a seatbelt. ’ And you say, ‘Well, you might as well wear a seatbelt. ’ And then they say, ‘We’ve consulted with policy expert Rory Stewart and he says. . . . ’

Car, Experts, Rory, Says, Thinking

I found incredible kindness, dignity and hospitality in both Iraq and Afghanistan - am only alive because of it - the most worthwhile lesson of a twenty month walk to these countries was a deepening appreciation of the kindness of strangers.

Alive, Appreciation, Country, Kindness, Strangers, Walk

I had been walking one afternoon in Scotland and thought: Why don't I just keep going? There was, I said, a magic in leaving a line of footprints stretching across Asia.

Across, Asia, Leaving, Line, Magic, Scotland