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In progressive societies the concentration[of wealth] may reach a point where the strength of number in the many poor rivals the strength of ability in the few rich then the unstable equilibrium generates a critical situation, which history has diversely met by legislation redistributing wealth or by revolution distributing poverty.

Will Durant

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Will Durant
Age: 96 †
Born: 1885
Born: November 5
Died: 1981
Died: November 7
Historian
Philosopher
Writer
North Adams
Massachusetts
William James Will Durant
William James Durant
Ability
Revolution
Rivals
Poor
Number
Societies
Point
Poverty
Legislation
History
Strength
Progressive
Redistributing
May
Wealth
Concentration
Distributing
Many
Numbers
Mets
Generates
Situation
Critical
Unstable
Rich
Reach
Equilibrium

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The victors called the revolution a triumph of liberty but now and then liberty in the slogans of the strong means freedom from restraint in the exploitation of the weak.
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Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty, and dies with chaos.
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In philosophy, as in politics, the longest distance between two points is a straight line.
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The time when you need to do something is when no one else is willing to do it, when people are saying it can't be done.
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Those who know nothing about history are doomed forever to repeat it.
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History seldom destroys that which does not deserve to die and the burning of the tares makes for the next sowing a richer soil.
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Friends are helpful not only because they will listen to us, but because they will laugh at us Through them we learn a little objectivity, a little modesty, a little courtesy We learn the rules of life and become better players of the game
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by and large the poor have the same impulses as the rich, with only less opportunity or skill to implement them
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Power dements even more than it corrupts, lowering the guard of foresight and raising the haste of action.
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The soul of a civilization is its religion, and it dies with its faith.
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In my youth I stressed freedom, and in my old age I stress order. I have made the great discovery that liberty is a product of order.
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Contentment is rare among men as it is natural among animals
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Christianity did not destroy paganism it adopted it.
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History reports that the men who can manage men manage the men who can manage only things, and the men who can manage money manage all.
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Inquiry is fatal to certainty.
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If you wish to be loved, be modest if you wish to be admired, be proud if you wish both, combine external modesty with internal pride.
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As long as there is poverty there will be gods.
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Civilization is the order and freedom is promoting cultural activity.
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Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.
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The past is not dead. Indeed, it is often not even past.
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