Said Lord Acton: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
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Says Plotinus in this tractate: “Matter tends to corrupt, and absolute matter corrupts absolutely.”
. . . ba – dum dum.
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But seriously, folks. . .
Actually, Lord Acton has some nice one-liners on, among other things, the nature of thought, dialogue, and writing:
- “There are two things which cannot be attacked in front: ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They can only be shaken by the simple development of the contrary qualities. They will not bear discussion.”
- “Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral laws are written on the table of eternity.”
- “Learn as much by writing as by reading.”
- “Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s when you’ve had everything to do, and you’ve done it.”
- “Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.”
- “A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times.”
- “Liberty is the prevention of control by others. This requires self-control and, therefore, religious and spiritual influences; education, knowledge, well-being.”
