Honore de Balzac Quotes

Ambition fortifies the will of man to become ruler over other men: it operates with deception, cajolery, and violence, it is the action of impurity upon impurity.

One arises from a low to a high station more often by using fraud instead of force.

For when success a lover's toil attends,Few ask, if fraud or force attain'd his ends

When you have enough power to do what you always wanted to do, then you see what the guy always wanted to do.

Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence.

There are probably several hundred thousand if we narrow the definition to include only those who in their search for money and power are ruthless and deceitful.

In Washington, success is just a training course for failure.

Something happens to people around fame and power and money - it can bring out the worst and best in people; it's a monster you have to tame.

If you really think that ambition, power, lust, desire are not as applicable in the media as in politics or on Wall Street or anywhere else, you're deluding yourself.

Under every stone lurks a politician

Shrewd and crafty politicians, when they wish to bring about an unpopular measure, must not go straight forward to work, if they do they will certainly fail; and failures to men in power, are like defeats to a general, they shake their popularity. Therefore, since they cannot sail in the teeth of the wind, they must tack, and ultimately gain their object, by appearing at times to be departing from it.

All, or the greatest part of men that have aspired to riches or power, have attained thereunto either by force or fraud, and what they have by craft or cruelty gained, to cover the foulness of their fact, they call purchase, as a name more honest. Howsoever, he that for want of will or wit useth not those means, must rest in servitude and poverty.

When the devil wants to cause offense against the true doctrine and faith, he does not do so through insignificant people, who do not rate highly with the world, but through those who are the very best, the wisest, the holiest, and the most learned.

Sometimes I'm surprised when someone who has achieved success is incredibly Machiavellian in their manipulations. So, while I want to believe it's integrity, that might just show how naïve I am. I sometimes worry that I might not be shrewd enough to maneuver myself through the Hollywood system.

The danger inherent in all force grows stronger when it is likely to gain success, for then it becomes temptation.

A curious thing about Ugu the Shoemaker was that he didn't suspect in the least that he was wicked. He wanted to be powerful and great, and he hoped to make himself master of all the Land of Oz that he might compel everyone in that fairy country to obey him, His ambition blinded him to the rights of others, and he imagined anyone else would act just as he did if anyone else happened to be as clever as himself.

Ambition is exhausting. It makes you friends with people for the wrong reasons, just like drugs.

Politics is the art of achieving prestige and power without merit.

If you only notice human proceedings, you may observe that all who attain great power and riches, make use of either force or fraud; and what they have acquired either by deceit or violence, in order to conceal the disgraceful methods of attainment, they endeavor to sanctify with the false title of honest gains.

Revolutions are effected in two ways, by force and by fraud.

Cut Men's throats with whisperings.

But isn't it likely that everyone in this world...has killed someone or other on their way to the top?...All I wanted was a chance to be a man--and for that, one murder is enough.

There's room at the top they are telling you still, but first you must learn how to smile as you kill.

Success goes thus invariably with a certain plus or positive power: an ounce of power must balance an ounce of weight.

tyranny and injustice always produce cunning and falsehood.