Pride is founded not on the sense of happiness, but on the sense of power.
William HazlittRead
Wherever the Government does not emanate...from the people, the principle of the Government, the esprit de corps, the point of honour, in all those connected with it, and raised by it to privileges above the law and above humanity, will be hatred to the people.
Interpretation
What this quote means
When government is disconnected from the people, it breeds resentment and a sense of injustice.
William Hazlitt's quote emphasizes that when a government operates without the will or representation of its citizens, it loses its moral authority and becomes a source of division. The privileges and power it bestows upon certain individuals create a rift between the rulers and the ruled, inciting hatred and discontent among the populace.
Themes
GovernmentPeoplePoliticsAuthorityPrivilegesHatred
In practice
Example use cases
During a political speech to emphasize the importance of civic engagement.
More from William Hazlitt
All quotes →The world loves to be amused by hollow professions, to be deceived by flattering appearances, to live in a state of hallucination; and can forgive everything but the plain, downright, simple, honest truth.
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Our repugnance to death increases in proportion to our consciousness of having lived in vain.
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We can bear to be deprived of everything but our self-conceit.
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There are few things in which we deceive ourselves more than in the esteem we profess to entertain for our firends. It is little better than a piece of quackery. The truth is, we think of them as we please, that is, as they please or displease us.
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Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.
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