"The working of great administrations is mainly the result of a vast mass of routine, petty malice, self-interest, carelessness and sheer mistake. Only a residual fraction is thought."
— George Santayana

January 1, 1970

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Added on April 10, 2026
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AphoristsNovelists from the United StatesEssayists from the United StatesPoets from the United States19th-century poets from the United States
Original Language: English

Sources

Many sources mistakenly attribute this quote to Santayana, and one even identifies the correct book, without realizing that George Santayana and Giorgio de Santillana are two different people