Star

“We are all members of the same flawed species. Putting our moral vision into practice means imposing our will on others. The human lust for power and esteem, coupled with its vulnerability to self-deception and self-righteousness, makes that an invitation to a calamity, all the worse when the power is directed at a goal as quixotic as eradicating human self-interest.”
― Steven Pinker, The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature

“Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses they will not save you if you are hated by the people.”
― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince

“Nothing invests life with more meaning than the realisation that every moment of sentience is a precious gift”
― Steven Pinker, The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature

“The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.”
― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince