Barbara Tuchman Thinking Quotations

I ask myself, have nations ever declined from a loss of moral sense rather than from physical reasons or the pressure of barbarians? I think that they have.

Strong prejudices in an ill-formed mind are hazardous to government, and when combined with a position of power even more so.

The power to command frequently causes failure to think.

Wooden-headedness, the source of self-deception, is a factor that plays a remarkably large role in government. It consists in assessing a situation in terms of preconceived fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs. It is acting according to wish while not allowing oneself to be deflected by the facts.