John Lehman Quotes

Authority poisons everybody who takes authority on himself.

There is nothing more corrupting, nothing more destructive of the noblest and finest feelings of our nature, than the exercise of unlimited power.

Unlimited power corrupts the possessor.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.

But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.

Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many.

You know, "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"? It's the same with powerlessness. Absolute powerlessness corrupts absolutely.

You can't trust anybody with power.

Power is always a corrupting influence.

To assume all the powers is not good for anybody. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. All those experiments have a bad ending.

Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power.

Powerlessness corrupts: absolute powerlessness corrupts absolutely

Power, whether vested in many or a few, is ever grasping, and like the grave, cries, "Give, give!

It is weakness rather than wickedness which renders men unfit to be trusted with unlimited power.

… the tools of despotism and corruption

Absolute power should never be trusted to man. It has perverted the wisest heads, and corrupted the best hearts in the world. I should be afraid to commit my property, liberty and life to a body of angels for one whole year.

A strength to harm is perilous in the hand of an ambitious head.

Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who posses it; and this I know, my lords: that where law ends, tyranny begins.

Anyone who seeks power wants absolute power.

Power is what men seek and any group that gets it will abuse it.

Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best.

The tyrant is only the slave turned inside out.

... all of our human experience shows that no one with absolute power can be trusted to give it up even in part.

Suspect power more than vice.

Force always attracts men of low morality ... tyrants of genius are succeeded by scoundrels.