Quotes and Qualities.

I made a blog post recently in which I paraphrased a quotation attributed to Oscar Wilde, substituting ‘genuineness’ for ‘genius.’ It occurred to me that if I were to be remembered for either quality, I would rather it be for the former. Being a genius is merely a matter of genetic accident, whereas being genuine is a quality that can be nurtured and developed, rather like a favourite orchid.

And then I remembered two notable quotations which escaped the lips of two notable world leaders in recent times. One was Donald Trump’s idée fixe: ‘I will make America great.’ The other came from Angela Merkel who said: ‘I will not abandon the refugees.’ The first is a vote winner; the second puts you on the political ropes. And that’s why I’m not the biggest fan of the human race.