July 17, 2025

There are those who never stretch out the hand for fear it will be bitten. But those who never stretch out the hand will never feel it clasped in friendship.

Michael Heseltine (1933–), British Conservative politician, Where There’s a Will (1987), Jay p.177

Is not the persistence of platitudes such as this the evidence of their basic truth? What are your platitudes?

Democracy is a matter of majorities. You need supporters. Don’t give in to paranoia. It doesn’t matter what they say about you behind your back, you will need their votes sometime, so get over it. Stretch out that hand!