There is nothing so fleeting as the memory of benefits received.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
Pay no heed to those who tell you that they have relinquished place and power of their own accord, and from their love of quiet. For almost always they have been brought to this retirement by their insufficiency and against their will.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that those who claim to step back from power willingly often do so due to their own inadequacies, rather than a true desire for peace.
Francesco Guicciardini's quote reflects on the nature of power and the reasons behind individuals relinquishing their authority. It implies that many people who profess to have given up their positions of power do so not out of a genuine desire for tranquility, but rather because they have failed to succeed or cope in those roles. This perspective invites a deeper examination of motives, suggesting that the true reasons for stepping away from power may be more about personal shortcomings than noble intentions.
Themes
PowerRetirementInsufficiencyAuthorityMotives
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about leadership and the motivation behind stepping down from a position.
More from Francesco Guicciardini
All quotes →If you attempt certain things at the right time, they are easy to accomplish - in fact, they almost get done by themselves. If you undertake them before the time is right, not only will they fail, but they will often become impossible to accomplish even when the time would have been right.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
Conspiracies, since they cannot be engaged in without the fellowship of others, are for that reason most perilous; for as most men are either fools or knaves, we run excessive risk in making such folk our companions.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
He who imitates what is evil always goes beyond the example that is set; on the contrary, he who imitates what is good always falls short.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
Let no one trust so entirely to natural prudence as to persuade himself that it will suffice to guide him without help from experience.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
Few revolutions succeed, and when they do, you often discover they did not gain what you hoped for, and you condemn yourself to perpetual fear, as the parties you defeated may always regain power and work for your ruin.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
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