Daily Inspiration Quote by Bob Schieffer

Temporarily is the kind of word institutions love: it sounds responsible, reversible, low-stakes. Bob Schieffer punctures that comfort with a journalist's deadpan, turning a bureaucratic euphemism into a small existential punchline. The first sentence is pure newsroom reality: someone’s been tapped to fill a role, keep the machine humming, not make waves. Then comes the sly twist - not a protest, not self-importance, just a calmly unsettling reminder that the only truly permanent thing is impermanence.

Schieffer’s intent is to deflate the false certainty embedded in corporate and political language. “Temporary” is often code for “we’ll see,” a way to avoid accountability while preserving control. By claiming he doesn’t know what it means, he’s not admitting confusion; he’s exposing how often the term functions as a social lubricant rather than a clear timeline. It buys management flexibility and asks the worker to accept ambiguity with a smile.

The subtext is also personal, and it lands because Schieffer delivers it without melodrama. As a veteran journalist - someone whose career has been built around making sense of unstable events - he’s signaling a seasoned relationship with flux: assignments change, administrations change, narratives change. Even the anchor chair, a symbol of stability, is ultimately a rental.

The context, especially in broadcast news where “interim” roles can become indefinite auditions, makes the line sharper. It’s gallows humor for professionals who know that institutions promise “temporary” precisely when they plan to let time do the dirty work.