This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector. — Plato

This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.

Author: Plato

Insight: We often cheer for someone who promises to solve our biggest problems—the "strong leader" who breaks the rules for us. But Plato spotted the trap: that person's power, once seized, doesn't disappear when the crisis does. The protector becomes the problem.

Source: The Republic, Book VIII

/Quotes

This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.

PlatoThe Republic, Book VIII

Insight

We often cheer for someone who promises to solve our biggest problems—the "strong leader" who breaks the rules for us. But Plato spotted the trap: that person's power, once seized, doesn't disappear when the crisis does. The protector becomes the problem.

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Plato

Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, born around 428 BC in Athens, Greece. He is known for founding the Academy in Athens, one of the first institutions of higher learning in the Western world. Plato's philosophical works, including "The Republic" and "The Symposium," continue to be highly influential in Western philosophy.

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