[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fFsLmCtCX6lwwU3TPf26lbrofg2u-dAxfAvcfkHz9oXk":3,"$fqVM3yQlbC0EhdJ-M3Ua8CL_Yw4jHeKbxMQF5-by7bEE":13},{"author":4,"tags":12},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":10,"slug":11,"image_url":10},55400,"Lincoln Steffens","L",78,"### Lincoln Steffens: A Radical Journalist and Social Critic\n======================================================\n\n#### Full Name and Common Aliases\n---------------------------------\n\nFull name: Lincoln Steffens\nCommon aliases: None\n\n#### Birth and Death Dates\n---------------------------\n\n*   Born on November 6, 1867\n*   Died on August 9, 1936\n\n#### Nationality and Profession(s)\n-----------------------------------\n\nNationality: American\nProfession(s): Journalist, Author, Social Critic\n\n### Early Life and Background\n-----------------------------\n\nLincoln Steffens was born in San Francisco, California, to a family of modest means. His father, Michael Steffens, was a German immigrant who worked as a butcher, while his mother, Mary Ann Flynn, was an Irish-American homemaker. Steffens grew up in a household that valued education and social activism, which would later influence his own career choices.\n\nSteffens' early life was marked by hardship and struggle. His family moved frequently during his childhood, settling in various cities across the United States, including San Francisco, Sacramento, and Denver. Despite these challenges, Steffens developed a passion for learning and writing from an early age. He began working as a journalist at the tender age of 17, writing articles for local newspapers in Sacramento.\n\n### Major Accomplishments\n-------------------------\n\nSteffens' most significant contribution to American journalism was his work as a \"muckraker.\" This term, coined by him, referred to investigative journalists who sought to expose social injustices and corruption within the government. Steffens' writing style was characterized by its directness, wit, and unflinching honesty.\n\nSome of Steffens' most notable works include:\n\n*   **The Shame of Cities** (1904) - a collection of articles exposing corruption in urban politics\n*   **The Struggle for Water** (1907) - an investigation into the exploitation of water resources by corporations and governments\n*   **Autobiography** (1931) - Steffens' memoir, which provides insight into his personal life and journalistic career\n\n### Notable Works or Actions\n-----------------------------\n\nSteffens was known for his radical views on social justice and politics. He was a vocal critic of capitalism and the wealthy elite, advocating for greater government regulation and economic equality.\n\nOne of Steffens' most notable actions was his visit to the Soviet Union in 1926-1927. During this trip, he met with Soviet leaders, including Lenin's widow, Krupskaya, and the Soviet premier, Kalinin. Steffens was deeply impressed by the Soviet government's efforts to address social inequality and provide basic services to its citizens.\n\n### Impact and Legacy\n-----------------------\n\nSteffens' work as a journalist and social critic had a profound impact on American society during the early 20th century. His writings helped to expose corruption and inspire reform, contributing to significant changes in labor laws, taxation policies, and environmental regulations.\n\nToday, Steffens is remembered as a pioneer of investigative journalism and a champion of social justice. His legacy continues to influence journalists and activists around the world, who seek to hold those in power accountable for their actions.\n\n### Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered\n------------------------------------------\n\nSteffens' quotes and writings continue to resonate with readers today due to his unflinching honesty, sharp wit, and commitment to social justice. His work serves as a reminder of the importance of investigative journalism and the need for transparency in government and business.\n\nSome of Steffens' most notable quotes include:\n\n*   \"I have never found any trouble that I could not get out of by talking it over with someone.\"\n*   \"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.\"",null,"lincoln-steffens",[],{"quotes":14,"pagination":79},[15,24,31,37,43,49,55,61,67,73],{"id":16,"quote_text":17,"author_id":5,"source_id":18,"has_image":19,"author":20,"source":21,"quote_tag":22,"commentary":23},3795763,"Nothing fails like success.",7,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":10},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nLincoln Steffens, an American journalist and social critic, coined the phrase \"Nothing fails like success\" in his 1904 book \"The Shame of the Cities.\" During this time, Steffens was witnessing the darker side of industrialization and capitalism, where he saw that even successful ventures could ultimately lead to moral decay and corruption. His statement reflected his observations on the pitfalls of unchecked ambition.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nAt first glance, this quote seems counterintuitive because success is often associated with achievement and accomplishment. However, Steffens' insight lies in highlighting that when success becomes an end in itself, it can lead to complacency, corruption, and ultimately, failure in a more profound sense. By equating success with failure, he's pointing out the importance of questioning one's motivations and the consequences of their actions.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider regularly assessing your goals and priorities to ensure they remain aligned with your values and not solely driven by external validation or material gain. This involves adopting a more introspective approach to success, where you continuously evaluate whether your achievements are truly meaningful and justifying the costs incurred.",{"id":25,"quote_text":26,"author_id":5,"source_id":27,"has_image":19,"author":28,"source":29,"quote_tag":30,"commentary":10},3227420,"The unknown is the province of the student; it is the field for his lifes adventure, and it is a wide field full of beckonings.",6,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":10},{},[],{"id":32,"quote_text":33,"author_id":5,"source_id":27,"has_image":19,"author":34,"source":35,"quote_tag":36,"commentary":10},3227419,"One improvement I have learned from my childhood experience with my father: I do not threaten punishment in the morning. That was awful. Late into the night I would lie awake tossing and wondering what he was going to do to me. Usually he did nothing. A quiet, impressive ‘talking to’ was all I got.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":10},{},[],{"id":38,"quote_text":39,"author_id":5,"source_id":27,"has_image":19,"author":40,"source":41,"quote_tag":42,"commentary":10},3227418,"My father would invite me sweetly to come and sit on a stool at his feet, and, as I let myself trustingly down, he would gently kick the seat from under me – and laugh.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":10},{},[],{"id":44,"quote_text":45,"author_id":5,"source_id":27,"has_image":19,"author":46,"source":47,"quote_tag":48,"commentary":10},3227417,"My father made with me one serious mistake which I see parents about me making. He got himself somehow into the awkward position of an authority; I thought he knew and was right on everything – for a while.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":10},{},[],{"id":50,"quote_text":51,"author_id":5,"source_id":27,"has_image":19,"author":52,"source":53,"quote_tag":54,"commentary":10},3227415,"We need some great failures. Especially we ever-successful Americans – conscious, intelligent, illuminating failures.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":10},{},[],{"id":56,"quote_text":57,"author_id":5,"source_id":27,"has_image":19,"author":58,"source":59,"quote_tag":60,"commentary":10},3227410,"First in violence, deepest in dirt, lawless, unlovely, ill-smelling, irreverent, new; an overgrown gawk of a – village, the “tough” among cities, a spectacle for the nation.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":10},{},[],{"id":62,"quote_text":63,"author_id":5,"source_id":27,"has_image":19,"author":64,"source":65,"quote_tag":66,"commentary":10},3227407,"Somebody must take a chance. There are monkeys who became men, and the monkeys who didn’t are still jumping around in trees making faces at the monkeys who did.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":10},{},[],{"id":68,"quote_text":69,"author_id":5,"source_id":27,"has_image":19,"author":70,"source":71,"quote_tag":72,"commentary":10},3227396,"You can’t control a young horse unless you control yourself.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":10},{},[],{"id":74,"quote_text":75,"author_id":5,"source_id":27,"has_image":19,"author":76,"source":77,"quote_tag":78,"commentary":10},3227395,"In all cities, the better classes – the business men – are the sources of corruption, but they are so rarely pursued and caught that we do not fully realize whence the trouble comes.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":10},{},[],{"currentPage":80,"totalPages":81,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":82},1,8,10]