As quoted in "My Date With Rummy: Now 84, The Former Secretary Of Defense Is As Wily As Ever" (12 June 2017), by Adam Linehan, Task & Purpose
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And the only way there's going to be followers, is if the leader is doing things that have merit, that are persuasive to others. Why else would someone follow somebody if they didn't think the individual was doing something worthwhile, going in the right direction?
— Donald Rumsfeld
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "And the only way there's going to be followers, is if the leader is doing things that have merit, that are persuasive to others. Why else would someone follow somebody if they didn't think the individual was doing something worthwhile, going in the right direction?" in the context of "As quoted in "My Date With Rummy: Now 84, The Former Secretary Of Defense Is As Wily As Ever" (12 June 2017), by Adam Linehan, Task & Purpose" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Donald Rumsfeld" (Quotes, 2010s)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld (9 July 1932 – 29 June 2021) was the 21st United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 2001 to 2006, succeeded by Robert Gates. He also served as the 13th Defense Secretary in 1975–1977 under President Ford, and in other roles under various presidents.
About Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld (9 July 1932 – 29 June 2021) was the 21st United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 2001 to 2006, succeeded by Robert Gates. He also served as the 13th Defense Secretary in 1975–1977 under President Ford, and in other roles under various presidents.
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