The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects.
—LaoziQuotes
If you must take care that your opinions do not differ in the least from those of the person with whom you are talking, you might just as well be alone.
—Yoshida Kenko, c. 1330No human life, not even the life of a hermit, is possible without a world which directly or indirectly testifies to the presence of other human beings.
—Hannah Arendt, 1958I say violence is necessary. It is as American as cherry pie.
—H. Rap Brown, 1967I work for a government I despise for ends I think criminal.
—John Maynard Keynes, 1917An appeal to the reason of the people has never been known to fail in the long run.
—James Russell Lowell, c. 1865The U.S. presidency is a Tudor monarchy plus telephones.
—Anthony Burgess, 1972My people and I have come to an agreement that satisfies us both. They are to say what they please, and I am to do what I please.
—Frederick the Great, c. 1770A riot is at bottom the language of the unheard.
—Martin Luther King Jr., c. 1967You should never have your best trousers on when you go out to fight for freedom and truth.
—Henrik Ibsen, 1882Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.
—Paul Valéry, 1943The affairs of the world are no more than so much trickery, and a man who toils for money or honor or whatever else in deference to the wishes of others, rather than because his own desire or needs lead him to do so, will always be a fool.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1774Envy is the basis of democracy.
—Bertrand Russell, 1930