Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Never was a government that was not composed of liars, malefactors and thieves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that all governments are inherently corrupt and dishonest.
Cicero's assertion reflects a cynical view of governance, indicating that those in power are often driven by self-interest and deceit. This perspective can lead to a broader discussion on the nature of political systems and the integrity of leaders, suggesting that trustworthiness is a rare commodity in governance.
Themes
GovernmentCorruptionDeceitPoliticsPower
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on political ethics, this quote can emphasize the need for transparency in government.
More from Marcus Tullius Cicero
All quotes βThose wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Similar quotes
When men have come to the edge of a precipice, it is the lover of life who has the spirit to leap backwards, and only the pessimist who continues to believe in progress.
Gilbert K. ChestertonRead
This is a lttle prayer dedicated to the separation of church and state. I guess if they are going to force those kids to pray in schools they might as well have a nice prayer like this: Our Father who art in heaven, and to the republic for which it stands, thy kingdom come, one nation indivisible as in heaven, give us this day as we forgive those who so proudly we hail. Crown thy good into temptation but deliver us from the twilight's last gleaming. Amen and Awomen.
George CarlinRead
A society that is not willing to demand a life of somebody who has taken somebody elseβs life is simply immoral.
Immanuel KantRead
It is the hallmark of any deep truth that its negation is also a deep truth.
Niels BohrRead
If life β the craving for which is the very essence of our being β were possessed of any positive intrinsic value, there would be no such thing as boredom at all: mere existence would satisfy us in itself, and we should want for nothing.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
Globalization, as defined by rich people like us, is a very nice thing... you are talking about the Internet, you are talking about cell phones, you are talking about computers. This doesn't affect two-thirds of the people of the world.
Jimmy CarterRead