Great men are almost always bad men.
Lord ActonRead
Save for the wild force of Nature, nothing moves in this world that is not Greek in its origin.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the significant influence of Greek culture on the development of Western civilization.
Lord Acton's quote suggests that nearly everything that shapes our world, whether it be art, science, language, or thought, has its roots in Greek culture and heritage. He highlights the foundational role that ancient Greece played in the development of various aspects of modern life, asserting that this cultural legacy is unparalleled except for the primal forces of nature.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of cultural heritage in shaping societies.
Great men are almost always bad men.
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together. Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end...liberty is the only object which benefits all alike, and provokes no sincere opposition...The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. ~ Every class is unfit to govern ... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.
Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.
To develop and perfect and arm conscience is the great achievement of history.
Nothing is more active than thought, for it travels over the universe, and nothing is stronger than necessity for all must submit to it.
You cannot stand anywhere in the universe that is outside of yourself.
I have lived eighty years of life and know nothing for it, but to be resigned and tell myself that flies are born to be eaten by spiders and man to be devoured by sorrow.
If you are seeking for security, certainty, your eyes will become closed. And you will be less and less surprised and you will lose the capacity to wonder. Once you lose the capacity to wonder, you have lost religion. Religion is the opening of your wondering heart. Religion is a receptivity for the mysterious that surrounds us. Don't seek security; don't seek advice on how to live your life.
But an old age serene and bright, and lovely as a Lapland night, shall lead thee to thy grave.
To be a soulful person means to go against all the pervasive, prove-yourself values of our culture and instead treasure what is unique and internal and valuable in yourself and your own personal evolution.
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