The executive, in our government is not the sole, it is scarcely the principle, object of my jealousy. The tyranny of the legislature is the most formidable dread at present and will be for many years. That of the executive will come in its turn, but it will be at a remote period.
Interpretation
Thomas Jefferson expresses concern over the potential tyranny of the legislature rather than the executive.
In this quote, Thomas Jefferson articulates a deep-seated fear about the abuse of power within legislative bodies. He suggests that while the executive branch can become tyrannical, it is the legislative branch that poses the more immediate threat. Jefferson's insight emphasizes the importance of vigilance against governmental overreach, particularly from elected representatives, highlighting a foundational concern in democratic governance about the balance of power and the potential for majority rule to infringe on individual liberties.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of checks and balances in government.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
We must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
In popular government results worth while can only be achieved by men who combine worthy ideals with practical good sense.
Many leaders are tempted to lead like a chess master, striving to control every move, when they should be leading like gardeners, creating and maintaining a viable ecosystem in which the organization operates.
I think mentors are important and I don't think anybody makes it in the world without some form of mentorship. Nobody makes it alone. Nobody has made it alone. And we are all mentors to people even when we don't know it.
Diverse perspectives lead to a better outcome. There's so much data, when you look at the math, in terms of the investor returns and the shareholder value that gets created from more diverse boards.
Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
There's really no precedent for someone like me gaining clout in the space that I'm in - a black woman directing films in Hollywood.
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