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Full Idea
The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects; next comes the ruler they love and praise; next comes one they fear; next comes one with whom they take liberties.
Gist of Idea
The best rulers are invisible, the next admired, the next feared, and the worst are exploited
Source
Laozi (Lao Tzu) (Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) [c.530 BCE], I.XVII.39)
Book Ref
Lao Tzu: 'Tao Te Ching', ed/tr. Lau,D.C. [Penguin 1963], p.73
A Reaction
This fits our understanding of football referees to perfection. It might apply to anyone doing a vital adminstrative job, such as compiling a school timetable. It is hard, though, to accept anonymity as a mark of success.
| 11388 | Let there be one ruler [Homer] |
| 6320 | The best rulers are invisible, the next admired, the next feared, and the worst are exploited [Laozi (Lao Tzu)] |
| 19964 | The natural power of a father suggests rule by one person, but that authority can be spread [Montesquieu] |
| 21089 | Monarchs have the highest power; autocrats have complete power [Kant] |
| 20936 | Caesarism emerges when two forces in society are paralysed in conflict [Gramsci] |
| 19627 | Opportunists can save a nation, and heroes can ruin it [Cioran] |