"Every bad precedent originated as a justifiable measure"

This quote by Sallust recommends that all bad precedents, or bad practices, have their roots in an excellent objective. This indicates that bad practices are not always substantiated of destructive intent, however rather out of a desire to do something that is viewed as useful. This could be translated as a caution against the dangers of allowing good objectives to lead to bad practices. It is very important to consider the long-term effects of our actions, and to be familiar with the potential for our decisions to have unintentional consequences. This quote serves as a suggestion that we ought to bear in mind the decisions we make and the precedents we set, as they can have far-reaching ramifications. It is necessary to think carefully about the possible effects of our actions, and to be knowledgeable about the capacity for our choices to have unintentional effects.