Daily Inspiration Quote by John C. Maxwell

A neat bit of moral triage: sort the noisy, ever-updating world of “policies” from the quieter, steadier world of “principles.” Maxwell’s line works because it flatters a modern anxiety - that everything feels negotiable now - while offering a clean hierarchy to stand on. “Policies are many” evokes bureaucratic sprawl, endless memos, shifting best practices. “Principles are few” answers with austerity: fewer, better, enduring. The parallel structure is almost sermonic, built for repetition, built to be remembered, built to feel like a compass rather than an argument.

The subtext is leadership branding in clerical clothing. As a clergyman-turned-leadership-guru, Maxwell is selling a theory of stability: if you anchor yourself (or your organization) in a small set of core commitments, you can adapt without losing your soul. That’s comforting in business, politics, and church life alike, where tactics churn and public expectations pivot fast. It’s also a subtle rebuke to people who hide behind “policy” as if it were morality - a way to call out procedural obedience that lacks ethical backbone.

Still, the line’s elegance smuggles in a tension: principles don’t actually “never” change; cultures argue them, reinterpret them, discover contradictions. Maxwell’s move is to treat principles as timeless so you’ll treat your decisions as accountable. The rhetorical payoff is clarity: change what you do, not who you are.