16+ Rory Stewart Quotes On Democracy, Politics And Israel

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

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

In the mountains, travelers were reduced to the speed of men on foot. Here, the ancient English sense of journey, 'a day's travel' (French journee), meant the same as the Old Persian word farsang, 'the distance a man could travel on foot in a day,' and the territory was in effect ungovernable. — Rory Stewart

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. — Rory Stewart

Despite the dubious statistics … democracy is a thing of value for which we should be fighting. — Rory Stewart

The point about democracy is not that it delivers legitimate, effective, prosperous rule of law. It's not that it guarantees peace with itself or with its neighbors. ... Democracy matters because it reflects an idea of equality. — Rory Stewart

The world isnt one way or another. Things can be changed very, very rapidly by someone with sufficient confidence, sufficient knowledge and sufficient authority. — 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. — Rory Stewart

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. — Rory Stewart

If democracy is to be rebuilt … it is necessary not just for the public to learn to trust their politicians, but for the politicians to learn to trust the public. — Rory Stewart

The last 20 years has been the age of intervention, and Afghanistan is simply one act in a five-act tragedy. — Rory Stewart

This idea that failure is not an option: It makes failure invisible, inconceivable and inevitable. — Rory Stewart

In the evening [the Iraqi interim governor of Maysan province] asked me for fifty dollars to repair his windows, which had been destroyed in a recent demonstration. Although he was the governor, his salary was only four hundred and fifty dollars a month, and Baghdad had still not agreed to give the governors an independent budget.... For the sake of a tiny sum of money - a couple thousand dollars a month from the hundred billion we had spent on the invasion - we were alienating our key partner and successor. p. 264 — Rory Stewart

I have never met a villager who does not want a vote. — Rory Stewart

Religions . . . seem to avoid mountain passes. — Rory Stewart

I'd like to come back to the West eventually. In the end abroad I am always a stranger, active politics in particular is not accessible to me and although people are generous, I can never be on the inside of a culture that relies a great deal on the private space and the family. — Rory Stewart

Life Lessons by Rory Stewart

  1. Rory Stewart's work demonstrates the importance of understanding the complexities of history and culture in order to effectively engage with and understand different societies.
  2. He emphasizes the need for humility and respect when engaging with different cultures, rather than imposing one's own values and beliefs.
  3. His work also highlights the importance of listening to local voices and understanding their perspectives in order to develop meaningful solutions.
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