Sublime
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It was not force, then, that created chiefs and kings in those ancient cities. It would not be correct to say that the first man who was king there was a lucky soldier. Authority flowed from the worship of the sacred fire.
Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges • The Ancient City: A Study of the Religion, Laws, and Institutions of Greece and Rome (Illustrated)
For this reason Nietzsche say, noble peoples do not endure slavery, they’re either free or they die out.
Bronze Age Pervert • Bronze Age Mindset
Sargon’s reign, over four thousand years ago, set the archetype of ‘king as father.’ He had himself portrayed as paternalism embodied, the Great Man, an ideal leader who stood above his people and knew what was best for them. In order to do so, Sargon also invented patronage as a business model for the arts, recognising the capacity of culture to
... See moreJon Alexander • Citizens: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us

Dominant beasts remain vigilant. But a strange thing happens to nations at the pecking order’s apogee. The dominant superorganism sometimes goes to sleep. It falls complacently into a fatal trap, assuming that its high position is God given, that its fortunate lot in life will last forever, that its lofty status is carved in stone. It forgets that
... See moreHoward Bloom • The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History
Assim como um pastor é de natureza superior à de seu rebanho, os pastores de homens, que são seus chefes, são igualmente de natureza superior à de seus povos. Desta maneira raciocinava, no relato de Fílon, o imperador Calígula, concluindo muito acertadamente…
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau • Do Contrato Social (Portuguese Edition)
A leader, you see, is one of the things that distinguishes a mob from a people. He maintains the level of individuals. Too few individuals, and a people reverts to a mob.”
Frank Herbert • Dune: The inspiration for the blockbuster film (The Dune Sequence Book 1)
But it's easier to blame a leader and worship your conqueror, crown the new tyrant a king and pretend he represents you, now and forever you can take credit for his actions and steal a little bit of satisfaction for yourself. That's the past you want, so it will be the future that satisfies you. Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? The great experiment
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