My father once told me that respect for truth comes close to being the basis for all morality. 'Something cannot emerge from nothing,' he said. This is profound thinking if you understand how unstable 'the truth' can be.
Frank HerbertRead
Power attracts the corruptible. Suspect all who seek it ... We should grant power over our affairs only to those who are reluctant to hold it and then only under conditions that increase that reluctance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote warns that those who desire power are often corrupted by it, and we should be cautious in granting authority.
Frank Herbert's quote suggests that individuals who actively seek power may have ulterior motives that can lead to corruption. It advocates for a careful approach in assigning power, proposing that authority should only be entrusted to those who are hesitant to take on such responsibilities, and only in circumstances that enhance their reluctance. This reflects a deep understanding of human nature and the complexities of leadership.
Themes
PowerCorruptionLeadershipAuthorityCaution
In practice
Example use cases
During a leadership seminar, one could use this quote to discuss the ethics of power in governance.
More from Frank Herbert
All quotes →If you need something to worship, then worship life - all life, every last crawling bit of it! We're all in this beauty together!
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Religion must remain an outlet for people who say to themselves, "I am not the kind of person I want to be." It must never sink into an assemblage of the self-satisfied.
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To know a thing well, know it's limits; Only when pushed beyond it's tolerance will it's true nature be seen. -The Amtal Rule
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Technology tends toward avoidance of risks by investors. Uncertainty is ruled out if possible. People generally prefer the predictable. Few recognize how destructive this can be, how it imposes severe limits on variability and thus makes whole populations fatally vulnerable to the shocking ways our universe can throw the dice.
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It is impossible to live in the past, difficult to live in the present and a waste to live in the future.
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