The game of power is played remorselessly by men who have not the slightest knowledge of, or interest in, the way ordinary… — Robert Payne Games Copy Share Image
In the Middle Ages the king offered protection to his subjects in return for their loyalty, and the subjects were doubly protected,… — Robert Payne Age Copy Share Image
Long before the empire had reached its greatest extent, the Romans were bored by it. — Robert Payne Bored Copy Share Image
It is no more rational to have lawyers in positions of power than it would be to have garbage collectors in positions… — Robert Payne Collectors Copy Share Image
A totalitarian dictatorship cannot explain; it can only suppress. — Robert Payne Dictatorship Copy Share Image
All is forgiven to kings and popes. History grants them immunity, even a full pardon, even when they admit their crimes and… — Robert Payne Crime Copy Share Image
A nation's wealth is too serious a matter to be left to the wealthy. The riches of a nation belong to all,… — Robert Payne General welfare Copy Share Image
For domination has nothing whatsoever to do with good government, and power as an end in itself destroys good government. — Robert Payne Domination Copy Share Image
Nietzsche's accomplishment is that he permits us to see corruption from the inside. — Robert Payne Accomplishment Copy Share Image
Naked power has its limitations, since power is a generator of corruption and corruption in its turn tends to dilute the effectiveness… — Robert Payne Corruption Copy Share Image
At the heart of the mystery of corruption lies the desire of one man to impose his will on others to the… — Robert Payne Corruption Copy Share Image
Corruption appears to be a universal phenomenon that lays its own imperious claims on the world, and therefore it is the duty… — Robert Payne Claims Copy Share Image
The second corruption of the state is oligarchy (oligos = few), in which the military elite is narrowed down to a few… — Robert Payne Corruption Copy Share Image
The books of men have their day and grow obsolete. God's word is like Himself, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. — Robert Payne Book Copy Share Image
The corrupt man is nearly always rootless, deeply aware of his rootlessness. — Robert Payne Corruption Copy Share Image
Sometimes societies die and putrefy long before they are pronounced dead, and sometimes men die of corruption long before they have taken… — Robert Payne Corruption Copy Share Image
Throughout the history of Christianity, there had been a core of belief that man was not doomed to be everlastingly corrupt. — Robert Payne Belief Copy Share Image
It is almost a general rule that nations do not decline gradually. Instead they fall abruptly from their greatest heights. — Robert Payne Decline Copy Share Image
It is precisely when we help one another that we gain our victories over corruption, but the victory is assured only when… — Robert Payne Assured Copy Share Image
Conquest, tyranny, treachery, and the clash of cultures bring about corrupt societies, and so does old age. Sometimes the five faces of… — Robert Payne Age Copy Share Image
Historically the first philosopher to enquire deeply into the nature of corruption in society was Ibn Khaldun (1322-1406), whose wandering life was… — Robert Payne Corruption Copy Share Image
A culture is not only the language and the arts of a people. It is all their history, all their hopes for… — Robert Payne Art Copy Share Image
