I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve.
Baron De MontesquieuRead
That anyone who possesses power has a tendency to abuse it is an eternal truth. They tend to go as far as the barriers will allow.
Interpretation
Power can corrupt those who hold it, leading to potential abuse and overreach.
The quote by Baron De Montesquieu highlights a timeless observation about the nature of power: that individuals in positions of authority often have the propensity to misuse their power. It suggests that the capacity for abuse grows with the level of control one possesses, and that society must establish limits and barriers to prevent such overstepping, reminding us of the importance of checks and balances in governance and leadership.
In practice
In a discussion about political accountability, this quote can emphasize the necessity of oversight.
I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve.
Law in general is human reason, inasmuch as it governs all the inhabitants of the earth: the political and civil laws of each nation ought to be only the particular cases in which human reason is applied.
To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.
Love of the republic in a democracy, is a love of the democracy; love of the democracy is that of equality. Love of the democracy is likewise that of frugality.
It is not the young people that degenerate; they are not spoiled till those of mature age are already sunk into corruption.
If you would be holy, instruct your children, because all the good acts they perform will be imputed to you.
I have no illusions concerning the precarious status of my tales and do not expect to become a serious competitor of my favorite weird authors.
You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.
I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color.
A man is never the same for long. He is continually changing. He seldom remains the same even for half an hour.
A building is akin to dogma; it is insolent, like dogma. Whether or no it is permanent, it claims permanence, like a dogma. People ask why we have no typical architecture of the modern world, like impressionism in painting. Surely it is obviously because we have not enough dogmas; we cannot bear to see anything in the sky that is solid and enduring, anything in the sky that does not change like the clouds of the sky.
Facts as facts do not always create a spirit of reality, because reality is a spirit.
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