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Robert Caro Quotes

Powerful Robert Caro for Daily Growth

About Robert Caro

**Robert Moses Caro**, born on October 1, 1935, in New York City, is an acclaimed American biographer, journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Known for his meticulous research and deep immersion into the subjects of his works, Caro has carved a unique niche for himself in modern literary history. Caro's early life was marked by poverty and hardship. His family, originally from Romania, immigrated to the United States during the Great Depression. Raised in the Bronx, Caro attended City College of New York on a scholarship. There, he developed a love for journalism that would shape his future career. Caro's professional journey began at the Co-operative Republic Farms News Service and later moved to The New York Times, where he worked as an investigative reporter. However, it was his decision to leave journalism and pursue biographical writing that truly defined his career. His first major work, "The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York" (1974), is a monumental 1,300-page biography of urban planner Robert Moses. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1975. His subsequent works, "Master of the Senate" (1982) and "Working" (1988), which chronicle the lives of U.S. Senators Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert Moses respectively, also earned him widespread acclaim. Currently, Caro is working on the fourth installment of his 'The Years of Lyndon Johnson' series, tentatively titled "The Passage of Power." Caro's works are distinguished by their exhaustive research, intricate portrayals, and insightful analysis of power dynamics in American politics. His writing has significantly influenced modern biographical literature, inspiring a new generation of historians and writers.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"What is the point of writing a biography if you can't tell the truth about power?"

This quote emphasizes that the primary purpose of writing a biography, particularly one focusing on influential individuals, lies in honestly revealing the nature and workings of power. Robert Caro suggests that a biography, to be impactful, must not shy away from depicting the truth about power dynamics, as they are critical to understanding the subject's life and their legacy.

"Power isn't just money. Power is connection."

This quote by Robert Caro underscores that power is not solely about financial resources but also about relationships, influence, and connections. In essence, it implies that to wield power effectively, one must not only possess wealth or material means but also have the ability to persuade, negotiate, and form alliances with others – skills that are nurtured through relationships and connections.

"The art of politics: When the question was complicated, the answer was simple – and when the answer was simple, the question was complicated."

This quote by Robert Caro highlights a common characteristic of political discourse. When a situation or problem is complex, politicians often simplify the issue to make it easier for people to understand. However, this oversimplification can lead to a lack of nuance in the proposed solution, making the actual question even more complicated as we grapple with the implications and consequences of such simple answers.

"The powerful do not explain; they repeat."

Robert Caro's quote suggests that those in power, instead of clarifying or justifying their actions with a clear explanation, often resort to repeating their initial statements or positions. This repetition serves as a means to reinforce the dominant narrative, maintain control over the discourse, and prevent scrutiny or criticism from challenging their authority. In essence, the quote highlights how those in power use persistence rather than transparency to sustain their influence.

"What makes a great man? I've spent my life trying to find out. It is not birth, it is not wealth, it is not even talent. But if a man has these three things: the ability to electrify an audience, the power to mobilize people for a goal beyond themselves, and the idealism that will keep him working without stopping – then that man could be great."

This quote by Robert Caro highlights the essence of what constitutes a great person. According to Caro, greatness is not inherently determined by birth, wealth, or even natural talent. Instead, it's characterized by three key attributes: 1. The Ability to Electrify an Audience: Great individuals are captivating speakers who can engage and inspire others through their words and actions. 2. Power to Mobilize People for a Goal Beyond Themselves: A great person is not only charismatic but also capable of uniting people towards achieving a collective purpose that transcends their individual interests. 3. Idealism that Will Keep Him Working Without Stopping: Lastly, a great man possesses an unwavering commitment to a cause or vision, fueled by an idealistic drive that propels them to persevere relentlessly in pursuit of their goals. In essence, Caro suggests that the combination of these three traits - charisma, leadership, and resilient determination - can forge greatness in a person.

Long Island is shaped the way it is largely because of Robert Moses. Long Island is a perfect example of how political power shapes people's lives every day.

- Robert Caro

Perfect, Long Island, Lives, Perfect Example

Whenever I go to work I wear a jacket and a tie, because I'm inherently quite lazy, and my books take so long to do, and my publishers don't bug me, so it's so easy to fool yourself into thinking you're working harder than you really are.

- Robert Caro

Lazy, Wear, Inherently, Jacket

I like new ballets because they're totally new. As you get older, new experiences are harder and harder to come by, so it's pretty great to have a new experience.

- Robert Caro

New, Pretty, Like, Ballets

We're taught Lord Acton's axiom: all power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I believed that when I started these books, but I don't believe it's always true any more. Power doesn't always corrupt. Power can cleanse. What I believe is always true about power is that power always reveals.

- Robert Caro

Absolute Power Corrupts, Believed

If you really want to show power in its larger aspects, you need to show the effects on the powerless, for good or ill - the human cost of public works. That's what I try to do, show not only how power works but its effect on people.

- Robert Caro

Cost, Larger, Works, Powerless

Ballet is sort of a mystery to me. And I don't want to unravel that mystery.

- Robert Caro

Me, Mystery, Want, Unravel

There used to be this feeling under Eisenhower and Kennedy and Roosevelt and Truman that government was a solution. Trust in the presidency fell precipitously under Johnson - real lows. And it's never come back. It's a trend that, if you're liberal, is really discouraging.

- Robert Caro

Trust, Trend, Back, Lows

I never wanted to do biography just to tell the life of a famous man. I always wanted to use the life of a man to examine political power, because democracy shapes our lives.

- Robert Caro

Famous, Always, Lives, Political Power

You can use a biography to examine political power, but only if you pick the right guy.

- Robert Caro

Political, Use, Examine, Political Power

In a democracy, supposedly we hold power by what we do at the ballot box, so therefore the more we know about political power the better our choices should be and the better, in theory, our democracy should be.

- Robert Caro

More, Ballot, Supposedly, Political Power

The moment the curtain rose on that first ballet, I knew something wonderful and new had come into my life. I can still see the first scene. The ballet was Divertimento No. 15.

- Robert Caro

My Life, New, Still, Curtain

You come in off the street, through the doors of the theater. You sit down. The lights go down and the curtain goes up. And you're in another world.

- Robert Caro

Through, Goes, Another, Curtain

Sometimes during a ballet I'll look around and see all these rows of intent faces, concentrating on this beautiful thing up on the stage.

- Robert Caro

Sometimes, Concentrating, Beautiful Thing

Most Sundays, with the exception of football Sundays, I work, because I don't take days off as long as I'm working on something that's supposed to be all in the same mood.

- Robert Caro

Work, Exception, Mood, Sundays

You know, my first three or four drafts, you can see, are on legal pads in long hand. And then I go to a typewriter, and I know everybody's switching to a computer. And I'm sort of laughed at.

- Robert Caro

Go, Everybody, Switching, Pads

At the ballet, you really feel like you're in the presence of something outside the rest of your life. Higher than the rest of your life.

- Robert Caro

Rest, Feel, Like, Presence

I sometimes feel that if your book sells more than 20 years, then there's something in it that you can say, gee, I did something that endures, that's timeless.

- Robert Caro

More, Endures, Sells, Timeless

The right of a minority is so important in a democracy.

- Robert Caro

Democracy, Important, Right, Minority

The ballet embodies the notes of music. And sometimes you almost feel like you can see the notes dance up there on the stage.

- Robert Caro

Like, Notes, Almost, Embodies

I used to work very long hours. Then I started to realize that the stuff that I was writing in the late afternoons, I was generally throwing out. So I quit earlier than I used to.

- Robert Caro

Work, Hours, Very, I Quit

Everyone believed the Senate could not really be led. It used to take so long to rise up through seniority. In two years Lyndon Johnson is assistant leader of his party. In four years he is the leader of his party.

- Robert Caro

Leader, Through, Led, Believed

I think President Obama has done more than he is given credit for.

- Robert Caro

Think, I Think, Given, Credit

The New York City Ballet is obviously speaking to a whole new generation and bringing it the same wonder and beauty that it brought previous generations.

- Robert Caro

Generation, New, Brought, Wonder

If it's coming near the end of a chapter and I'm really getting into it, I tend to get up earlier and earlier, just because I'm excited to get to work.

- Robert Caro

Work, Chapter, Excited, Near

As you get older, you sometimes feel that it's harder and harder to get something new and wonderful to come into your life.

- Robert Caro

New, Sometimes, Feel, Harder

Everything seems to be going faster and faster. It's really harder to create something that endures. The New York City Ballet has succeeded in doing that.

- Robert Caro

Doing, New, Endures, Harder

Robert Moses wasn't elected to anything. We're taught that in a democracy power comes from being elected. He had more power than anyone, and he held it for 48 years.

- Robert Caro

More, Had, Held, Moses

I trained myself to be organized.

- Robert Caro

Myself, Trained, Organized

I don't think of my books as being biographies. I never had any interest in doing a book just to write the life of a great man. I had zero interest in that. My interest is in power. How power works.

- Robert Caro

Doing, Think, Works, Great Man

What would be the good of rushing? You want these books to last.

- Robert Caro

Last, Books, Would, Rushing

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