Man is insatiable for power; he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not. People complain of the despotism of princes; they ought to complain of the despotism of man.
Joseph De MaistreRead
In morals, what begins in fear usually ends in wickedness; in religion, what begins in fear usually ends in fanaticism. Fear, either as a principle or a motive, is the beginning of all evil.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Fear as a foundation leads to negative outcomes in both morality and religion.
The quote by Anna Brownell Jameson highlights the detrimental effects of fear when it serves as a foundation for moral and religious principles. It suggests that actions motivated by fear can spiral into wicked behaviors or extreme fanaticism, thereby illustrating how fear can corrupt one's ethical compass and lead to severe consequences in human behavior and beliefs.
Themes
FearMoralityReligionWickednessFanaticismEvil
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the impacts of fear-based leadership on society.
Similar quotes
If one tries to think about history, it seems to me - it's like looking at a range of mountains. And the first time you see them, they look one way. But then time changes, the pattern of light shifts. Maybe you've moved slightly, your perspective has changed. The mountains are the same, but they look very different.
Robert HarrisRead
We should show life neither as it is or as it ought to be, but only as we see it in our dreams.
Leo TolstoyRead
Who would fare better in this world of fitful time? Those who have seen the future and live only one life? Or those who have not seen the future and wait to live life? Or those who deny the future and live two lives?
Alan LightmanRead
Contemporary moral philosophy has found an original way of being boring, which is by not discussing moral issues at all.
Bernard WilliamsRead
If it is true that only misfortune can awaken a man's soul, it is a bitter truth, one that is hard to hear and accept, and it is only natural that many people deny it and say it is better for a man to live on in a trance than to wake up to torture.
Maxim GorkyRead