#go

I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe — "That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. ↗

— Henry David Thoreau

#government #men

The best men are not consistent in good-- why should the worst men be consistent in evil. ↗

— Wilkie Collins

#good-and-evil #mr-hartright #men

Why should I be afraid now? Strange men have come to kill me ever since I was twelve years old. ↗

— Mario Puzo

#don #godfather #mario #puzo #vito

The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The opposite or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience. ↗

— Orson F. Whitney

#optimism #pessimism #men

Men always makes gods in their own image. ↗

— Xenophanes

#image #xenophanes #men

Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out its faults, and do better than it would have them? ↗

— Henry David Thoreau

#government #humane #law #rights #society

The dragonets found the carpenters to be even more fascinating than the furniture, and followed the poor men from pen to pen, crowding around to watch, tasting the wooden planks, trying to steal the tools. It made for an interesting day for everyone, as the boys tried to keep the dragonets away from the carpenters, and the dragonets tried to get at the carpenters, and the carpenters worked probably a great deal faster than they ever had in their lives, sure that the dragonets would go from tasting the wood to tasting them. ↗

— Mercedes Lackey

#men

If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all. ↗

— David Livingstone

#good #i #know #men #only

It has been frequently remarked, that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country to decide, by their conduct and example, the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not, of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend, for their political constitutions, on accident and force. ↗

— Alexander Hamilton

#chance #government #society #united-states #violence

It will be very interesting one day to follow the pattern of our life as it is spread out like a beautiful tapestry. As long as we live here we see only the reverse side of the weaving, and very often the pattern, with its threads running wildly, doesn't seem to make sense. Some day, however, we shall understand. In looking back over the years we can discover how a red thread goes through the pattern of our life: the Will of God. ↗

— Maria Augusta von Trapp

#inspirational #tapestry #beauty