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And as in men's bodies, so in government, that disease is most serious which proceeds from the head.

— Pliny the Younger

Utque in corporibus, sic in imperio, gravissimus est morbus qui a capite diffunditur.

Original text (Latin)

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Government

More quotes by Pliny the Younger

An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit.

Never do a thing concerning the rectitude of which you are in doubt.

Oblige people never so often, and, if you deny them on a single point, they remember nothing but that refusal.

A certain large collective wisdom resides in a crowd, as such; and men whose individual judgement is defective are excellent judges when grouped together.

There is certainly no truth in the popular belief, that a man's will is the mirror of his character.

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Bureaucracy and social harmony are inversely proportional to each other.

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There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Pliny the Younger (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.