If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases observe it.
Julius CaesarRead
All bad precedents begin as justifiable measures.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Bad practices often begin with seemingly reasonable justifications.
This quote by Julius Caesar reflects on the idea that poor decisions or actions can often be rationalized as necessary or justifiable in their initial stages. It serves as a warning against allowing dubious practices to take root by cloaking them in the guise of justification, suggesting that vigilance is needed to avoid the slippery slope of moral decline.
Themes
PrecedentsJustificationMoralityDecisionsEthics
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethics in business practices, one might say, 'As Julius Caesar pointed out, all bad precedents begin as justifiable measures.'
More from Julius Caesar
All quotes βWar gives the right to the conquerors to impose any condition they please upon the vanquished.
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I have always reckoned the dignity of the republic of first importance and preferable to life.
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As a rule, men worry more about what they can't see than about what they can.
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No one is so brave that he is not disturbed by something unexpected.
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What we wish, we readily believe, and what we ourselves think, we imagine others think also.
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