My father once told me that respect for truth comes close to being the basis for all morality. 'Something cannot emerge from nothing,' he said. This is profound thinking if you understand how unstable 'the truth' can be.
Frank HerbertRead
Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely, absolute power attracts the corruptible.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that power itself does not corrupt people; rather, it tends to draw in those who are already corruptible.
Frank Herbert's quote illustrates the idea that the presence of absolute power does not inherently lead to corruption among individuals. Instead, it proposes that it is the nature of certain individuals, who may already possess corrupt tendencies, that makes them drawn to power. Thus, rather than power corrupting everyone who wields it, it seems to attract those who are already inclined towards unethical behavior, indicating a deeper commentary on human nature and morality.
Themes
PowerCorruptionHuman NatureEthicsLeadership
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion on political leadership and ethics.
More from Frank Herbert
All quotes βIf you need something to worship, then worship life - all life, every last crawling bit of it! We're all in this beauty together!
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Religion must remain an outlet for people who say to themselves, "I am not the kind of person I want to be." It must never sink into an assemblage of the self-satisfied.
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To know a thing well, know it's limits; Only when pushed beyond it's tolerance will it's true nature be seen. -The Amtal Rule
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Technology tends toward avoidance of risks by investors. Uncertainty is ruled out if possible. People generally prefer the predictable. Few recognize how destructive this can be, how it imposes severe limits on variability and thus makes whole populations fatally vulnerable to the shocking ways our universe can throw the dice.
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It is impossible to live in the past, difficult to live in the present and a waste to live in the future.
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