Make men wise, and by that very operation you make them free. Civil liberty follows as a consequence of this; no usurped power can stand against the artillery of opinion.
William GodwinRead
Power is not happiness. Security and peace are more to be desired than a name at which nations tremble.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True fulfillment comes from inner peace and security rather than external power.
This quote by William Godwin highlights the distinction between power and genuine happiness. It suggests that while power may command respect and fear, what we truly seek for a fulfilling life are qualities like security and peace. Godwin reminds us that the essence of happiness lies not in the dominance over others but in a tranquil and stable existence.
Themes
PowerHappinessSecurityPeaceFulfillment
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about leadership styles, I might say, 'As William Godwin once said, power is not happiness; rather, security and peace are what truly matter.'
More from William Godwin
All quotes βIt is one of the oldest maxims of moral prudence: Do not, by aspiring to what is impracticable, lose the opportunity of doing the good you can effect!
William GodwinRead
When the calamity we feared is already arrived, or when the expectation of it is so certain as to shut out hope, there seems to be a principle within us by which we look with misanthropic composure on the state to which we are reduced, and the heart sullenly contracts and accommodates itself to what it most abhorred.
William GodwinRead
He has no right to his life when his duty calls him to resign it. Other men are bound... to deprive him of life or liberty, if that should appear in any case to be indispensably necessary to prevent a greater evil.
William GodwinRead
What are gold and jewels and precious utensils? Mere dross and dirt. The human face and the human heart, reciprocations of kindness and love, and all the nameless sympathies of our nature - these are the only objects worth being attached to.
William GodwinRead
Extraordinary circumstances often bring along with them extraordinary strength. No man knows, till the experiment, what he is capable of effecting.
William GodwinRead
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Moral wounds have this peculiarity - they may be hidden, but they never close; always painful, always ready to bleed when touched, they remain fresh and open in the heart.
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Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness to the future. Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment 'as to the Lord.' It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.
C. S. LewisRead
My dear heart, never think you are better than others. Listen to their sorrows with compassion. If you want peace, don't harbor bad thoughts, do not gossip and don't teach what you do not know.
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When you are actually powerful, you don't need to be petty.
Jon StewartRead