Gentleness is the antidote for cruelty.
PhaedrusRead
In a change of masters the poor change nothing except their master's name.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that despite changing who is in charge, the plight of the poor remains the same.
Phaedrus highlights the idea that a change in authority or leadership does not necessarily lead to a change in the circumstances faced by the marginalized or poor. Even when the name of the master changes, their struggles and lack of power in society remain unchanged, emphasizing the deep-rooted nature of social and economic inequalities.
In practice
This quote can be referenced in a discussion about social justice movements.
Gentleness is the antidote for cruelty.
Everyone is bound to bear patiently the results of his own example.
Strangers he gulls, but friends make fun of him.
Everyone ought to bear patiently the results of his own conduct.
It is the part of a fool to give advice to others and not himself to be on his guard.
If each of us works toward making a sincere effort when we wake up each morning with a renewed commitment and dedication to embracing nonviolence as a lifestyle, this world will become a better place, bringing us ever closer to the Beloved Community of which my father so often spoke.
You can change all things for the better when you change yourself for the better.
It becomes more necessary to see the truth as it is if you realise that the only vehicle for change are these people who have lost their personality. The first step therefore is to make the black man come to himself; to pump back life into his empty shell; to infuse him with pride and dignity, to remind him of his complicity in the crime of allowing himself to be misused and therefore letting evil reign supreme in the country of his birth.
We need to be weapons of mass construction, weapons of mass love. It's not enough just to change the system. We need to change ourselves.
If I'm able to communicate one thing to adults, it would be this: it should not be easier to purchase a gun than it is to obtain a driver's license, and military-grade weapons should not be accessible in civilian settings.
Unless one says goodbye to what one loves, and unless one travels to completely new territories, one can expect merely a long wearing away of oneself and an eventual extinction.
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