Nothing ever gets settled in this town. a seething debating

Hear, O listeners, the words of George P. Shultz, a statesman who walked the halls of power in turbulent times. He declared: “Nothing ever gets settled in this town. A seething debating society in which the debate never stops, in which people never give up, including me. And so that’s the atmosphere in which you administer.” These words were born of Washington, that city of politics and policy, yet they hold wisdom far beyond one place. For they reveal the truth of governance and of life: that human affairs are never fixed once and for all, but remain in endless motion, shaped by ceaseless voices and unyielding struggles.

In Shultz’s time, as in all ages, those in power sought certainty. They longed to pass laws, to strike deals, to resolve questions forever. Yet he, with the clarity of a seasoned observer, saw that such permanence is an illusion. For as long as men and women think, speak, and dream, there will always be new debate, new challenge, new resistance. The city of power, he said, is not a temple of final answers, but a seething debating society, alive with argument that never ends.

History shows this truth again and again. Consider ancient Athens, birthplace of democracy. Its Assembly gathered citizens who argued fiercely day after day—about war, about trade, about justice. Decisions were made, yes, but never settled, for the next day new speakers rose, new motions were proposed, and the debate raged on. Athens thrived not because it silenced dissent, but because it embraced the storm of it. Shultz, in his reflection, echoes that same recognition: that administration is not rule over silence, but guidance through endless voices.

And yet, such a world is no place for the faint of heart. To govern in a debating society is to accept that one’s work will always be challenged, one’s victories never complete, one’s compromises often temporary. Shultz himself, a man of diplomacy, knew this well in matters of foreign policy. Agreements were struck, but always tested; peace was signed, but always fragile. The mark of the wise statesman, then, is not to despair at this unending contention, but to endure it with patience and resolve.

There is a paradox here that must be embraced. Endless debate can feel like chaos, yet it is also the sign of freedom. A land where nothing is ever questioned may appear stable, but it is the stability of chains and silence. A land where people never give up, where voices rise without ceasing, is noisy, restless, and often frustrating—but it is alive. In such noise lies the possibility of growth, adaptation, and justice. The very frustration of politics is proof that liberty has not died.

The lesson, O listeners, is clear: do not seek a world where all is settled, for such a world is stagnant and dead. Instead, cultivate the patience to live amid debate, to build amid disagreement, to act though the noise never ceases. In your own lives, whether in community or family, you will find that questions resurface, that arguments return, that no solution is forever. Do not despair of this. Accept it as the rhythm of human existence, and learn to navigate it with steadiness of heart.

Therefore, take Shultz’s wisdom as a guide: administration—whether of a nation, a city, or even one’s own household—is not the imposition of final answers, but the art of steering through constant motion. Honor the debates that never end, for they are the lifeblood of freedom. Stand firm in your convictions, but also listen with humility, for even your settled truths may be tested anew. In this way, you will endure the atmosphere of endless contention and transform it into the atmosphere of lasting vitality.

Thus remember: “Nothing ever gets settled.” This is not despair, but a challenge. For in the unending debating society of life, greatness belongs to those who continue to strive, to listen, to labor, and to lead, even when the argument never ceases.