American politics is a struggle, not of men but of forces. The men become every year more and more creatures of force, massed about central power houses.
Henry AdamsRead
The effect of power and publicity on all men is the aggravation of self, a sort of tumor that ends by killing the victim's sympathies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Power and fame can lead individuals to become more self-centered, damaging their ability to empathize with others.
This quote by Henry Adams highlights the corrupting influence that power and publicity can have on individuals. It suggests that the more one is influenced by power and public attention, the more that individual may become consumed by their own self-interests, ultimately harming their capacity to connect with and empathize with others, akin to a disease that destroys one's natural sympathies.
Themes
PowerPublicitySelfSympathyCorruption
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be a pivotal moment in a discussion about leadership ethics.
More from Henry Adams
All quotes βOf all studies, the one he would rather have avoided was that of his own mind. He knew no tragedy so heartrending as introspection.
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Simplicity is the most deceitful mistress that ever betrayed man.
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Church and State, Soul and Body, God and Man, are all one at Mont Saint Michel, and the business of all is to fight, each in his own way, or to stand guard for each other.
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The American President resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port to seek.
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Man is an imperceptible atom always trying to become one with God.
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