More quotes on power

A good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil
means.
-- Sallust, 'Jugurthine War,' 41 B.C.

The highest proof of virtue is to possess boundless power without
abusing it.
-- Lord Macaulay, review of Lucy Aikin, 'Life and Writings
of Addison,' 1943

So the proof of lack of virtue is to possess boundless power and totally abusing it? Or maybe proof of humanity. I had a social studies teacher, Mr. Novak, in 9th grade. He taught the second half of the year, American History. Which was tough for him. It was 1979 and the man still could not say Nixon's name without stuttering. He was the mayor of North Plainfield, when he wasn't corrupting young high school minds with his democratic ideas. I remember several things about him, his large aviator style glasses, his longish, light brown hair. Thinking about those things, I realize he wasn't exactly old, but when you're a high school freshman, everyone is old. But he was most likely in his thirties. Anyway, his other favorite old saw was "It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice." He said that one every day, along with the famous, Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I wonder whatever happened to him. It's funny how some teachers stick with you. Unfortuneately, google doesn't help much here. The two teachers I remember the most, Novak and Smith, there's nothing on them. The one I disliked the most as useless, he's the interim superintendent. Figures, those who can, do. those who can't, teach, those who can't teach, administrate.

I don't know how well it would go over these days, to have the mayor of a local town as a high school teacher. I do know it gave us a great perspective of local politics and the way people in our towns thought. Or didn't think, as the case may go. Most political decisions, it seems, are made by emotion rather than careful consideration of facts. Something the protagonists in my new book with work with extensively.