The hallmark of our age is the tension between aspirations and sluggish institutions. John W. Gardner on age
Life is the art of drawing without an eraser. John W. Gardner on art
Leaders come in many forms, with many styles and diverse qualities. There are quiet leaders and leaders one can hear in the next county. Some find strength in eloquence, some in judgment, some in courage. John W. Gardner on courage
Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants. John W. Gardner on education
The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursing his own education. This will not be a widely shared pursuit until we get over our odd conviction that education is what goes on in school buildings and nowhere else. John W. Gardner on education
I am entirely certain that twenty years from now we will look back at education as it is practiced in most schools today and wonder that we could have tolerated anything so primitive. John W. Gardner on education
Life is the art of drawing without an eraser. John W. Gardner on experience
One of the reasons people stop learning is that they become less and less willing to risk failure. John W. Gardner on failure
America's greatness has been the greatness of a free people who shared certain moral commitments. Freedom without moral commitment is aimless and promptly self-destructive. John W. Gardner on freedom
The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. John W. Gardner on good
It is hard to feel individually responsible with respect to the invisible processes of a huge and distant government. John W. Gardner on government
When one may pay out over two million dollars to presidential and Congressional campaigns, the U.S. government is virtually up for sale. John W. Gardner on government
We are all faced with a series of great opportunities - brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. John W. Gardner on great
True happiness involves the full use of one's power and talents. John W. Gardner on happiness
History never looks like history when you are living through it. John W. Gardner on history
One of the reasons people stop learning is that they become less and less willing to risk failure. John W. Gardner on learning
Life is the art of drawing without an eraser. John W. Gardner on life
True happiness involves the full use of one's power and talents. John W. Gardner on motivational
For every talent that poverty has stimulated it has blighted a hundred. John W. Gardner on politics
When one may pay out over two million dollars to presidential and Congressional campaigns, the U.S. government is virtually up for sale. John W. Gardner on politics