"Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits"
- Sallust
About this Quote
This quote by Sallust speaks with the value of comprehending one's origins and the impact it has on their descendants. It suggests that the accomplishments and failures of one's forefathers ought to not be forgotten or concealed away, however rather need to be acknowledged and celebrated. By understanding the successes and failures of our ancestors, we can learn from their experiences and use them to notify our own decisions. This quote likewise speaks to the concept of legacy and how our actions today will form the future of our descendants. It is a pointer that our actions today will have an enduring impact on our descendants which we need to strive to make choices that will benefit them in the long run. Eventually, this quote functions as a suggestion that our ancestors have left us a powerful tradition and that we need to strive to honor it.
"Developments in information technology and globalised media mean that the most powerful military in the history of the world can lose a war, not on the battlefield of dust and blood, but on the battlefield of world opinion"
"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded"
