André Maurois (1885–1967) French writer
Un Art de Vivre (The Art of Living) (1939), The Art of Marriage
“It is frequently a misfortune to have very brilliant men in charge of affairs. They expect too much of ordinary men.”
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Thucydides76
Greek historian and Athenian generalRelated quotes
André Maurois (1885–1967) French writer
Les silences du colonel Bramble (The Silence of Colonel Bramble)
“They’re just ordinary people,” Nancy said. “You can’t expect too much of them.”
Clifford D. Simak book All Flesh is Grass
Source: All Flesh is Grass (1965), Chapter 17 (p. 179)
Pierre Stephen Robert Payne (1911–1983) British lecturer, novelist, historian, poet and biographer
A Vision of the Uncorrupted Society, p. 279 (See also: Niccolò Machiavelli..)
The Corrupt Society - From Ancient Greece To Present-Day America (1975)
“Those who lead the country into the abyss
Call ruling too difficult
For ordinary men.”
Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) German poet, playwright, theatre director
"From a German War Primer"
“If slavery, barbarism and desolation are to be called peace, men can have no worse misfortune.”
Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) Dutch philosopher
Source: Political Treatise (1677), Ch. 6, On Monarchy
Context: If slavery, barbarism and desolation are to be called peace, men can have no worse misfortune. No doubt there are usually more and sharper quarrels between parents and children, than between masters and slaves; yet it advances not the art of household management to change a father's right into a right of property, and count children but as slaves. Slavery, then, and not peace, is furthered by handing the whole authority to one man.
“Men are eager to tread underfoot what they have once too much feared.”
Nam cupide conculcatur nimis ante metutum.
Lucretius (-94–-55 BC) Roman poet and philosopher
Book V, line 1140 (tr. Rouse)
De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things)
Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–1899) Union United States Army officer
Rome, or Reason? A Reply to Cardinal Manning. Part I. The North American Review (1888)
Catherine the Great (1729–1796) Empress of Russia
As quoted in Woman Through the Ages;; (1908) by Emil Reich, p. 155
Louis IX of France (1214–1270) King of France
On se doit assemer en robes et en armes en tel manière que li preudome de cest siècle ne dient que on en face trop, ne les joenes gens de cest siècle ne dient que on en face peu. <br class="br">Page 171. http://users.skynet.be/antoine.mechelynck/chroniq/joinv/JV006.htm <br class="br">Jean de Joinville Livre des saintes paroles et des bons faiz nostre roy saint Looys