“Ah, now that I’ve beaten the temptation of power, I can safely make myself the wise tyrant who wields unchecked power benevolently, for the good of all.”
Considering that different individuals are virtually certain to have mutually exclusive definitions of ‘good’, that’s not a wise tyrant. That’s a very foolish tyrant, who is unlikely to survive the possession of power for any length of time.
Benevolence itself is a trap. The wise treat men as straw dogs; to lead men, you must turn your back on them.
Benevolence itself is a trap. The wise treat men as straw dogs; to lead men, you must turn your back on them.