"How necessary it is at all times to watch against the attempted encroachment of power, and to prevent its running to excess." ~ Thomas Paine
I am more and more convinced that man is a dangerous creature; and that power, whether vested in many or a few, is ever grasping, and like the grave cries "Give, give!" ~ Abigail Adams, letter to her husband, 1775
Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true. ~ Honoré de Balzac
Like many things in our national life, we miscalculated. We overestimated our ability to control events, which is one of the great dangers of a great power. Power tends to be a substitute for judgment and wisdom. ~ Hubert Humphrey
Beware of dissipating your powers; strive constantly to concentrate them. Genius thinks it can do whatever it sees others doing, but it is sure to repent every ill-judged outlay. ~ Johann von Goethe
Power is not something that can be assumed or discarded at will like underwear. ~ John Kenneth Galbraith
Power corrupts. Absolute power is kind of neat. ~ John Lehman
Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power. ~ John Steinbeck
Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control--these three alone lead to sovereign power. ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson
Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far. ~ Theodore Roosevelt