“Policies are judged by their consequences, but crusades are judged by how good they make the crusaders feel”

Simplified Meaning:

Sometimes, the true value of decisions or actions is determined by their results. For example, when a government makes a policy to improve education, you judge it by seeing if students actually learn more and do better in school. But, when people are on a mission fueled by strong beliefs or emotions, like in a "crusade," they often feel proud and righteous just for trying, regardless of the outcome. Imagine someone who starts a campaign to clean up a local park: if they're focused on real changes, you’ll see a cleaner park. But if they’re more focused on feeling good about the effort, they might not care whether the park actually gets cleaner or not. In our lives, it's important to focus on the actual impact of what we do, not just the good feelings from our efforts. When making decisions, aim for concrete, positive changes that help others and not just actions that make you feel virtuous. This way, you ensure that your efforts lead to real, beneficial outcomes rather than just personal satisfaction.