There is nothing more foolish, nothing more given to outrage than a useless mob.
Interpretation
A mob can behave irrationally and cause trouble when not guided by purpose.
This quote by Herodotus suggests that when a group of people comes together without a clear purpose or constructive goal, they can become reckless and cause chaos. The 'useless mob' highlights how collective action can lead to foolishness and outrage when there is a lack of direction, illustrating the importance of thoughtful leadership and critical thinking in social movements.
In practice
During a discussion on social behavior, one can quote this to emphasize the risks of mindless group actions.
The Scythians take kannabis seed, creep in under the felts, and throw it on the red-hot stones. It smolders and sends up such billows of steam-smoke that no Greek vapor bath can surpass it. The Scythians howl with joy in these vapor-baths, which serve them instead of bathing, for they never wash their bodies with water.
The man who has planned badly, if fortune is on his side, may have had a stroke of luck; but his plan was a bad one nonetheless.
Men trust their ears less than their eyes.
Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks.
The worst pain a man can have is to know much and be impotent to act.
All men's gains are the fruit of venturing.
The tragedy of this world is that everyone is alone. For a life in the past cannot be shared with the present.
One certain effect of war is to diminish freedom of expression. Patriotism becomes the order of the day, and those who question the war are seen as traitors, to be silenced and imprisoned.
The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.
The only thing we have to fear on this planet is man.
Justice renders to every one his due.
I mean in the South African case, many of those who were part of death squads would have been respectable members of their white community, people who went to church on Sunday, every Sunday.
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