#men

Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide. ↗

— John Adams

#political-philosophy #commitment

Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man. ↗

— Thomas Jefferson

#second-amendment #thomas-jefferson #commitment

If the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness. (Monseigneur Bienvenu in _Les Miserables_) ↗

— Victor Hugo

#commitment

And that's what innocence is. It's simple and trusting like a child, not judgmental and committed to one narrow point of view. If you are locked into a pattern of thinking and responding, your creativity gets blocked. You miss the freshness and magic of the moment. Learn to be innocent again, and that freshness never fades. ↗

— Michael Jackson

#commitment

Eric, you need to look at the whole picture," the PM said. "You look at the jobless as a huge pile of scrap and you're looking for what can be recycled. That's good. That's your job. But what you don't realise is that this pile of scrap itself serves a purpose. I need my zeros, Eric. They put fear in people; fear of crime and terrorism. They are a stark reminder to the stakeholders that what they despise today, they may end up joining tomorrow. It keeps them obedient. Remember that! ↗

— Mark Cantrell

#government #satire #science-fiction #society #unemployment

Don't mistake activity with achievement. ↗

— John Wooden

#acquirement #act #action #activity #attainment

Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't need others' approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her. ↗

— Lao Tzu

#contentment #perception #self-acceptance #self-assurance #self-confidence

Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition. ↗

— James Baldwin

#attachment #belonging #comfort #completion #fulfillment

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. ↗

— Dwight D. Eisenhower

#imperialism #power #security

Books... are like lobster shells, we surround ourselves with 'em, then we grow out of 'em and leave 'em behind, as evidence of our earlier stages of development. ↗

— Dorothy L. Sayers

#character-development #growth #reading #character