Nature of man Quote by Ron Paul

““H. L. Mencken said, “The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.””

Ron Paul

About This Quote

Source Interview: Ron Paul on H. L. Mencken, 2013

The desire to "save humanity" often masks a deeper drive for control and power.

In simple terms: Altruistic claims can hide personal ambition.

Key Takeaway

Question motives behind grand statements.

Themes

power control altruism

Mood

skeptical analytical

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

political campaigns
social movements
leadership discussions

Key Concepts

political philosophy psychology

Questions to Reflect On

What evidence reveals true intent?
How can we differentiate genuine aid from power‑seeking?

A Different Perspective

Not all altruism is insincere; some may be genuine.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5.0 out of 5 (5 ratings)

More by Ron Paul

Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…

Ron Paul

Image

I'm an imperfect messenger, but the message is perfect.

Ron Paul

Image

History has shown that the masses have been quite receptive to the promises of authoritarians which are rarely if ever fulfilled,

Ron Paul

Image

The reality is that our military presence on foreign soil is as offensive to the people that live there as armed Chinese troops would…

Ron Paul

Image

Right now, nobody legalized paper money. Where did that come from.

Ron Paul

Image

Real patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it's wrong.

Ron Paul

Image

Expect the rapidly expanding homeschooling movement to play a significant role in the revolutionary reforms needed to build a free society with Constitutional protections.

Ron Paul

Image

“Intellectually and compassionately explaining the reason freedom works is required for credibility.”

Ron Paul

Image

Governments have nothing. They can't create anything, they never have. All they can do is steal from one group and give it to another…

Ron Paul

Image

Why is it is claimed that if people won't or can't take care of their own needs, that people in government can do it…

Ron Paul

Image

It is dissent from government policies which defines the true Patriot

Ron Paul

Image

The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing…

Ron Paul

Image

I will veto any spending bill that contains funding for Planned Parenthood, facilities that perform abortion and all government family planning schemes.

Ron Paul

Image

Prices are going up. Unemployment is continue to go up. And we have not had the necessary correction for the financial bubble created by…

Ron Paul

Image

Scientifically, there's no debate over whether the fetus is alive and human.

Ron Paul

Image

Explore all 411 Ron Paul quotes

More Nature of man quotes

There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.

Jean-Paul Sartre

Image

“Probably it goes without saying, but time machine guys don't get a lot of action. Had a one night stand with something cute a…

Charles Yu

Image

The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Image

“We have become human doings more than human beings, and the verb “rest,” as Jesus uses it, is largely foreign to us.”

Richard Rohr

Image

Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…

William Bernbach

Image

“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…

Steven Magee