"I have never yet seen any plan which has not been mended by the observations of those who were much inferior in understanding to the person who took the lead in the business"
About this Quote
Burke points to a hard truth about human judgment: even the most gifted leader cannot foresee every consequence or detail of a plan. Observers with less celebrated intellects, because they stand at different angles to the problem, notice flaws, edge cases, and practical constraints the leader misses. Their observations do not overthrow the plan so much as mend it. The word mended matters. It suggests repair, refinement, and a respect for what already exists. Great designs are not born perfect; they are stitched together by critique, experience, and small corrections from many hands.
This view aligns with Burke’s broader political temperament. An 18th-century parliamentarian, he prized prudence over brilliance and trusted knowledge that accumulates in practices, institutions, and conventions. He argued that social wisdom is distributed, not centralized. A statesman might grasp principles and direction, but tradesmen, local officials, and ordinary citizens hold fragments of experience no single mind can command. In parliamentary life that meant committees, debates, petitions, and the slow friction of deliberation. Against revolutionary confidence in pure reason, he insisted that improvement comes through consultation and iterative adjustment.
There is also a moral claim about leadership. Authority must make itself corrigible. The leader who invites criticism, especially from those of modest reputation, signals confidence in ends and humility about means. Such humility protects the public from the costs of grand errors and preserves the leader from the isolating flattery that often precedes failure.
The insight travels well beyond politics. Engineers, doctors, and managers all rely on feedback loops. Frontline workers, users, and patients often supply the observation that reveals a hidden failure mode or a better path. Plans become real when they meet reality, and reality speaks through many voices. To hear them is not to abdicate leadership; it is to fulfill it.
This view aligns with Burke’s broader political temperament. An 18th-century parliamentarian, he prized prudence over brilliance and trusted knowledge that accumulates in practices, institutions, and conventions. He argued that social wisdom is distributed, not centralized. A statesman might grasp principles and direction, but tradesmen, local officials, and ordinary citizens hold fragments of experience no single mind can command. In parliamentary life that meant committees, debates, petitions, and the slow friction of deliberation. Against revolutionary confidence in pure reason, he insisted that improvement comes through consultation and iterative adjustment.
There is also a moral claim about leadership. Authority must make itself corrigible. The leader who invites criticism, especially from those of modest reputation, signals confidence in ends and humility about means. Such humility protects the public from the costs of grand errors and preserves the leader from the isolating flattery that often precedes failure.
The insight travels well beyond politics. Engineers, doctors, and managers all rely on feedback loops. Frontline workers, users, and patients often supply the observation that reveals a hidden failure mode or a better path. Plans become real when they meet reality, and reality speaks through many voices. To hear them is not to abdicate leadership; it is to fulfill it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Leadership |
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