# Quote — Joe Biden, Promises to Keep

> He wanted me to understand two big things: First, that nobody, no group, is above others. Public servants are obliged to level with everybody, whether or not they'll like what he has to say. And second, that politics was a matter of personal honor. A man's word is his bond. You give your word, you keep it. For as long as I can remember, I've had a sort of romantic notion of what politics should be- and can be. If you do politics the right way, I believe, you can actually make people's lives better. And integrity is the minimum ante to get into the game. Nearly forty years after I first got involved, I remain captivated by the possibilities of politics and public service. In fact, I believe- as I know my grandpop did- that my chosen profession is a noble calling.

- Author: [Joe Biden](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joe-biden.md)
- Book: [Promises to Keep](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joe-biden/promises-to-keep.md)
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden#Promises_to_Keep_(2008)) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/joe-biden/promises-to-keep/he-wanted-me-to-understand

## More from this book

> The carnage was over, but there was still a bitter taste in my mouth.

p. 284 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joe-biden/promises-to-keep/the-carnage-was.md)

> I think you're a damn war criminal and you should be tried as one.

p. 266 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joe-biden/promises-to-keep/i-think-youre.md)

> I believe all Americans are born with certain inalienable rights. As a child of God, I believe my rights are not derived from the Constitution. My rights are not derived from any government. My rights are not denied by any majority. My rights are because I exist. They were given to me and each of my fellow citizens by our creator, and they represent the essence of human dignity....

p. 194 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joe-biden/promises-to-keep/i-believe-all.md)