How can a feared person have any friends, or ones to depend on?
Friendships and relationships are important assets to anyone's life, but they require trust among each party. We are always interacting with others. Interdependence among others is essential to survive in this world. We depend on family to feed and shelter us. We depend on our government officials to protect our country. We depend on our friends and loved ones to comfort and encourage us. To a person of authority, a friend can be a good advisor who has their best interest at heart. Along with trust, true friendship consists of loyalty and honesty. Fear can make a person loyal; but if a person were feared by their friends, would his friends be honest with him? Of course not. Their friends would say and do things for him out of loyalty, but not out of honesty. If their honesty somehow violates the boundaries of respect, this would displease the ruler and he might subject to excommunicating his advisor.
How can a feared person have any friends, or ones to depend on?
Friendships and relationships are important assets to anyone's life, but they require trust among each party. We are always interacting with others. Interdependence among others is essential to survive in this world. We depend on family to feed and shelter us. We depend on our government officials to protect our country. We depend on our friends and loved ones to comfort and encourage us. To a person of authority, a friend can be a good advisor who has their best interest at heart. Along with trust, true friendship consists of loyalty and honesty. Fear can make a person loyal; but if a person were feared by their friends, would his friends be honest with him? Of course not. Their friends would say and do things for him out of loyalty, but not out of honesty. If their honesty somehow violates the boundaries of respect, this would displease the ruler and he might subject to excommunicating his advisor.
Niccolo Machiavelli, "The Morals of the Prince"
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No man is above the law and no man below it.
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