Alexander Hamilton Quotes

The ambition and focus that propel you to success can also be your downfall.

When once ambition has passed its natural limits, its progress is boundless.

The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.

Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are rebels from principle.

Ambition is the immoderate desire of power.

A tyrant is a man who sacrifices a whole nation to his ideal or his ambition.

Extremism in the pursuit of the presidency is an unpardonable vice.

Once I started getting more successful, I just stopped caring completely - 'I'll just do exactly what I want. It doesn't matter.'

The acorn of ambition often grows into an oak from which men hang.

Ambition without principle never was long under the guidance of good sense.

Ambition is the mind's immodesty.

Unruly ambition is deaf, not only to the advice of friends, but to the counsels and monitions of reason itself.

...ambition without pious restraint must end in failure, often involving in its ruin that beautiful reverence which solaces common men for the obscurity and poverty of their lot.

Ambition is to the mind what the cap is to the falcon; it blinds us first, and then compels us to tower by reason of our blindness.

What passes in the world for talent or dexterity or enterprise is often only a want of moral principle. We may succeed where others fail, not from a greater share of invention, but from not being nice in the choice of expedients.

I would not be beholden to a tyrant, for his acts of tyranny. For it is but usurpation in him to save, as their rightful lord, the lives of men over whom he has no title to reign.

Usurpers always bring about or select troublous times to get passed, under cover of the public terror, destructive laws, which the people would never adopt in cold blood. The moment chosen is one of the surest means of distinguishing the work of the legislator from that of the tyrant.

How often have we seen politicians take a principle position only to give it up three days later? That is what makes democracy so fascinating.

Opinion is, as it were, the queen of the world, but force is its tyrant.

People who cannot restrain their own baser instincts, who cannot treat one another with civility, are not capable of self-government... without virtue, a society can be ruled only by fear, a truth that tyrants understand all too well

The imprudent Maximus disregarded these salutary considerations: he gratified his resentment and ambition; he saw the bleeding corpse of Valentinian at his feet; and he heard himself saluted Emperor by the unanimous voice of the senate and people. But the day of his inauguration was the last day of his happiness.

There is also a doubt as to what is to be the supreme power in the state: - Is it the multitude? Or the wealthy? Or the good? Or the one best man? Or a tyrant?

When you cannot answer a skeptic, be content to wait for more light; but never forsake a great principle.

Heaven is purpose, principle, and people. Purgatory is paper and procedure. Hell is rules and regulations.

Ambitions tend to remain undisturbed by realities.