David Brin Quotes

Politics ruins the character.

Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.

Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many.

I truly believe that all power corrupts. Such is probably the thinking behind every political film ever made in Hollywood.

I have always been fascinated by the corruption of power.

There is an interesting interplay between power corrupting and corruption empowering. The causality does not go one way.

But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.

It was not power that corrupted people, but fools who corrupted power.

It's very hard to operate on a general philosophy of power. They say that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, but I don't agree with that. I think you have to be corrupted to be corrupted by power.

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and I found that out when I was Attorney General in Massachusetts.

In the United States, though power corrupts, the expectation of power paralyzes.

Unlimited power corrupts the possessor.

We're taught Lord Acton's axiom: all power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I believed that when I started these books, but I don't believe it's always true any more. Power doesn't always corrupt. Power can cleanse. What I believe is always true about power is that power always reveals.

It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.

Power is always a corrupting influence.

The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.

Every one, more or less, loves Power, yet those who most wish for it are seldom the fittest to be trusted with it.

Power doesn't corrupt people, people corrupt power.

All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.

It's said that 'power corrupts', but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible.

Power corrupts; but absolute power is really neat.

Power and privilege constantly corrupt the soul. I have to remind myself of this every day.

basically, the more power politicians have, the hornier they get

No matter how healthy a man's morals may be when he enters the White House, he comes out again with a pock-marked soul.

Power is always dangerous. It attracts the worst and corrupts the best..