"My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition"
About this Quote
A politician praising anonymity is either a rare confession or a shrewd piece of self-mythmaking. Indira Gandhi’s line lands because it treats ambition like a crowded marketplace: the glamorous lane (credit) is jammed with elbows and spotlights, while the unglamorous lane (work) is strangely open. The joke is quiet but pointed. It flatters the listener’s conscience, then undercuts it with a pragmatic aside: virtue isn’t just right, it’s strategically easier.
The subtext is about power without theatrics. In a political ecosystem built on visibility, faction, and legacy, “doing the work” signals administrative competence and discipline, but it also implies a willingness to let others preen while you consolidate influence. That’s not saintliness; it’s a survival tactic. The line also smuggles in a worldview shaped by dynastic politics: credit is a currency, and people hoard it because it converts into authority. Advising someone to opt out reads like insider knowledge from a family that watched reputations rise and fall.
Context matters. Gandhi governed a newly independent nation where institutions were still hardening and personal legitimacy often substituted for bureaucratic stability. She knew how public narratives get manufactured - and how quickly they turn punitive. “Less competition” hints at the constant jockeying around leaders, the court politics of parties, even the hazards of becoming the face of every decision. The quote performs humility, but it’s also a map of the terrain: if you want to last, learn to operate where the cameras aren’t.
The subtext is about power without theatrics. In a political ecosystem built on visibility, faction, and legacy, “doing the work” signals administrative competence and discipline, but it also implies a willingness to let others preen while you consolidate influence. That’s not saintliness; it’s a survival tactic. The line also smuggles in a worldview shaped by dynastic politics: credit is a currency, and people hoard it because it converts into authority. Advising someone to opt out reads like insider knowledge from a family that watched reputations rise and fall.
Context matters. Gandhi governed a newly independent nation where institutions were still hardening and personal legitimacy often substituted for bureaucratic stability. She knew how public narratives get manufactured - and how quickly they turn punitive. “Less competition” hints at the constant jockeying around leaders, the court politics of parties, even the hazards of becoming the face of every decision. The quote performs humility, but it’s also a map of the terrain: if you want to last, learn to operate where the cameras aren’t.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work Ethic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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