My mother praised me when I did something good, and then the next moment, she would say, 'Don't float.' She put me in a balloon and then pricked it.
Bhumibol AdulyadejRead
Western people ask me whether it is a paradox that I am King but support democracy. I have to tell them that in Thailand, the King is the guarantor of democracy.
Interpretation
The King of Thailand plays a crucial role in ensuring democracy, even as a monarch.
This quote highlights the unique relationship between monarchy and democracy in Thailand. It emphasizes that the King's role is not one of absolute power but rather as a protector and supporter of the democratic process, illustrating how traditional structures can coexist with modern governance principles.
In practice
In a discussion about political systems, this quote can be used to illustrate how monarchy can support democratic ideals.
My mother praised me when I did something good, and then the next moment, she would say, 'Don't float.' She put me in a balloon and then pricked it.
People get angry at others who express a different opinion, while, in fact, they should be angry at themselves. But we must be angry at ourselves the most when we say something today, only to say something else tomorrow.
They say that a kingdom is like a pyramid: the king on top and the people below. But in this country, it's upside down.
So long as you are still worried about what others think of you, you are owned by them. Only when you require no approval from outside yourself can you own yourself.
I can well conceive a man without hands, feet, head. But I cannot conceive man without thought; he would be a stone or a brute.
Today, nobody sees, or wishes to see, that in our time the enslavement of the majority of men is based on money taxes, levied on land and otherwise, which are collected by government from the subjects.
Today's aikido is so dimensionless. It's hollow, empty on the inside. People try to reach the highest levels without even paying their dues. That's why it seems so much like a dance these days. You have to master the very basics solidly, with your body, and then proceed to develop to the higher levels.... Now we see nothing but copying or imitation without any grasp of the real thing.
The opposite of manliness isn't cowardice; it's technology.
I believe this Government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.
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