I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve.
Baron De MontesquieuRead
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.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that laws are derived from human reason and should reflect rationality applicable to society.
Baron De Montesquieu articulates the idea that laws should be grounded in human reason, serving as a framework for governance that applies universally to all people. He suggests that specific political and civil laws in each nation are simply manifestations of this broader rational principle, indicating that the essence of law is rooted in human understanding and logic rather than arbitrary authority.
In practice
In a courtroom, a lawyer might use this quote to emphasize the importance of rational reasoning in legal arguments.
I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve.
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.
Trade is the best cure for prejudice.
In our household, the Bible, the Koran and the Bhagavad Gita sat on the shelf alongside books of Greek and Norse and African mythology
But how can you walk away from something and still come back to it?
Your skin is prickly from fatigue and pain and there is a hissing in your ears. Time passes and the pills are taking hold like a glowing white planet coming into view. A reverse eclipse. And you watch with your eyes closed. The white planet is half exposed, it grips your heart in its light and seems to be pulling you forward and now you feel that you are falling. You are awake but dreaming. "The earth is not beautiful but the universe is," you say.
If people knew the story of their lives, how many would then elect to live them?
Imagine, just for the sake of discussion, that you had a few hours a week and a few dollars a month to donate to a cause - and you wanted to spend that time and money where it would have the greatest impact in saving and improving lives. Where would you spend it?
The United States does not have a monopoly on crazy people. It's not the only country that has psychosis. And yet we kill each other in these mass shootings at rates that are exponentially higher than anyone else. Well, what's the difference? The difference is that these guys can stack up a bunch of ammunition in their houses, and that's sort of par for the course.
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