Quotes Library

May 17, 2026

[This was said about Franklin Roosevelt] A second-class intellect. But a first-class temperament.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935), American supreme court justice, 8 March 1933, Jay p.181

MEDITATION: How does your intellect compare to your temperament? Is the former “better” than the latter? Or is vice versa the case? Does that matter?

COMMENTARY: Politics rewards temperament more than intellect. In fact, intellectuals are soon dismissed as “eggheads”.

Holmes saw in Franklin Roosevelt the truth that charm, endurance, and timing often outweigh brilliance. Clever and intelligent people can win arguments; calm people win elections.

Human Nature

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