We should realize that a city is better off with bad laws, so long as they
remain fixed, then with good laws that are constantly being altered, that
the lack of learning combined with sound common sense is more helpful than
the kind of cleverness that gets out of hand, and that as a general rule,
states are better governed by the man in the street than by intellectuals.
These are the sort of people who want to appear wiser than the laws, who
want to get their own way in every general discussion, because they feel that
they cannot show off their intelligence in matters of greater importance, and
who, as a result, very often bring ruin on their country.
-- Cleon, Thucydides, III, 37 translation by Rex Warner
remain fixed, then with good laws that are constantly being altered, that
the lack of learning combined with sound common sense is more helpful than
the kind of cleverness that gets out of hand, and that as a general rule,
states are better governed by the man in the street than by intellectuals.
These are the sort of people who want to appear wiser than the laws, who
want to get their own way in every general discussion, because they feel that
they cannot show off their intelligence in matters of greater importance, and
who, as a result, very often bring ruin on their country.
-- Cleon, Thucydides, III, 37 translation by Rex Warner
Related:
- It is better for a city to be governed by a good man
than by good laws. --... - brute force adj.
Describes a primitive programming style,
one in which the programmer relies on the computer's... - bug n.
An unwanted and unintended property of a program or
piece of hardware,
esp. one that causes it to malfunction. Antonym... - It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by
men of their own choice,
if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read... - There is no greater sign of a general decay of virtue in a nation,
than a want of zeal in its inhabitants for the good... - Those who obstinately oppose the most widely held opinions more often
do so because of pride than lack of intelligence.
They find the best places in the right set already... - If you can discover a better way of life than office-holding
for your future rulers,
a well-governed city becomes a possibility. For only... - fudge factor n.
[common] A value or parameter that is
varied in an ad hoc way to produce the desired result.
The terms `tolerance' and slop are also used, though... - saga n.
[WPI] A cuspy but bogus raving story about N
random broken people.
Here is a classic example of the saga form, as told...
