Words of Wisdom on Public Service
What do I owe to my times, to my country, to my neighbors, to my friends? Such are the questions which a virtuous [person] ought often to ask himself.
– Johann Kaspar Lavater, German poet
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
– Mohandas Gandhi, Indian civil rights leader
Serve your neighbors as you would be served yourself.
– Japanese proverb
A civilization flourishes when people plant trees under which they will never sit.
– Greek proverb
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
– Margaret Mead, American anthropologist (1901-1978)
You can only govern men by serving them.
– Victor Cousin, French philosopher
A statesman is he who thinks in the future generations, and a politician is he who thinks in the upcoming elections.
– Abraham Lincoln
Let the public service be a proud and lively career.
– John F. Kennedy
Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.