Quotes

One of the fondest memories of my Granddad Nelson was trading quotes regularly over email. Sadly I lost the email archive when I went on my mission, but it has continued to be an interest of mine. I hope you enjoy my collection of quotes. A bit of everything from religion to politics to leadership.

Truth suffers from too much analysis.

a ruler must learn to persuade and not to compel

The convoluted wording of legalisms grew up around the necessity to hide from ourselves the violence we intend toward each other. Between depriving a man of one hour from his life and depriving him of his life there exists only a difference of degree. You have done violence to him, consumed his energy. Elaborate euphemisms may conceal your intent to kill, but behind any use of power over another the ultimate assumption remains: “I feed on your energy.”

What do you despise? By this are you truly known.

the drowning man who climbs on your shoulders to save himself is understandable—except when you see it happen in the drawing room.

short-term expediency always fails in the long term

There is probably no more terrible instant of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man—with human flesh.

Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn to see fear’s path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Good government never depends upon laws, but upon the personal qualities of those who govern. The machinery of government is always subordinate to the will of those who administer that machinery. The most important element of government, therefore, is the method of choosing leaders.

When you stumble you may regain your balance by jumping beyond the thing that tripped you.

Give as few orders as possible. Once you’ve given orders on a subject, you must always give orders on that subject.

Among the responsibilities of command is the necessity to punish . . . but only when the victim demands it.

Too much knowledge never makes for simple decisions.