Quote by Judge Learned Hand

When I hear so much impatient and irritable complaint, so much readiness to replace what we have by guardians for us all, those supermen, evoked somewhere from the clouds, whom none have seen and none are ready to name, I lapse into a dream... I see children playing on the grass, ...they are restive and quarrelsome; they cannot agree to any common plan; their play annoys them; it goes poorly. And one says, let us make Jack the master; Jack knows all about it; Jack will tell us what each is to do and we shall all agree. But Jack is like all the rest; Helen is discontented with her part and Henry with his, and soon they fall again into their old state. No, the children must learn to play by themselves; there is no Jack the master. And in the end slowly and with infinite disappointment they do learn a little; they learn to forbear, to reckon with anther, accept a little where they wanted much, to live and let live, to yield when they must yield; perhaps, we may hope, not to take all they can. But the condition is that they shall be willing at least to listen to one another, to get the habit of pooling their wishes. Somehow or other they must do this, if the play is to go on; maybe it will not, but there is no Jack, in or out of the box, who can come to straighten the game.

Summary

This quote expresses the frustration and impatience towards those who clamor for a leader or "superman" figure to solve all their problems. Using a metaphor of children playing, the quote argues that people must learn to cooperate and compromise, rather than relying on a single authority figure. The children's initial desire to make Jack the master and solve their disputes is futile, as everyone has their own discontentments. Instead, the quote suggests that individuals must learn to listen to one another, share their desires, and find common ground in order for things to progress smoothly. Ultimately, there is no savior figure who can magically resolve all conflicts.