Great men are almost always bad men.
Lord ActonRead
No public character has ever stood the revelation of private utterance and correspondence.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The true nature of a person's character is revealed through their private communications and thoughts.
Lord Acton's quote suggests that public personas often mask the true character of individuals. When private conversations and correspondence are brought to light, they can unveil the hypocrisy or authenticity that exists behind the public facade, illustrating the contrast between how one presents themselves and what they genuinely think or believe.
Themes
CharacterPrivatePublicTruthRevelation
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about leadership ethics, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of integrity.
More from Lord Acton
All quotes βSave for the wild force of Nature, nothing moves in this world that is not Greek in its origin.
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Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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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.
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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.
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Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.
Lord ActonRead
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