Letter to James Madison (3 December 1784) as quoted in Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington (2008) by Peter R. Henriques, p. 139.
“
[T]he motives which predominate most in human affairs is self-love and self-interest.
— George Washington
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "[T]he motives which predominate most in human affairs is self-love and self-interest." in the context of "Letter to James Madison (3 December 1784) as quoted in Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington (2008) by Peter R. Henriques, p. 139." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "George Washington" (Quotes, 1780s)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 05, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About George Washington
George Washington (22 February 1732 – 14 December 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Second Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army in June 1775, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War and then served as president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which drafted and ratified the Constitution of the United States and established the American federal government. Washington has thus been called the "Father of his Country".
About George Washington
George Washington (22 February 1732 – 14 December 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Second Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army in June 1775, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War and then served as president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which drafted and ratified the Constitution of the United States and established the American federal government. Washington has thus been called the "Father of his Country".
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