Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius, [Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus] (121-180) Roman emperor (161-180)

Marcus Aurelius Quote

“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”

Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius
~ Marcus Aurelius


Ratings and Comments


Anon
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Anon    11/24/09

Just look at the way the health bill is being relentlessly pushed on America when it's obvious the people don't want it. Just as the bailout was shoved through we are now hearing out of necissity we will have a health bill before the end of the year. As history shows, all they need is a foot in the door then the laws can be modified and added to so as to centralize control over society.This is why the health bill is being hurried up to become law.It's insane what Americans are allowing to happen to their country.

Mike, Norwalk

5 stars for comedic relief, a tongue in cheek slap at those that think the majority is always right and, any and all of those that disagree with the majority or, tries to do the right thing in spite of the majority are insane. A thumbs down at how those perceiving themselves in the majority, or support the majority, just because they are the majority, can without humor, will interpret or use the quote.

cal, lewisville, tx

What can the majority of the last presidential election claim that does not sound insane?

jim k, austin

The majority embraces insanity at the ballot box when a slick politician promises hope and change.

jim k, austin

...and if you oppose this politician it's only because you're a racist.

Anonymous, Reston, VA, US

The object of life is not to avoid the ranks of the insane, but rather to find and aid the ranks of the clear thinking... perhaps a subtle but none the less importance difference. Yes Anon, it is insane that we are getting such a compromise health care bill when the right answer is so clearly to eliminate all age limits from Medicare to bring us a single payer system and eliminate the middleman that adds no value but extracts its price. No jim, you oppose Obama either because you are a fool or because he has actually not gone far enough in his middle of the road path.

J Carlton, Calgary

Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Keep voting!

Waffler, Smith

Great! Anon knows nothing about the health care issue. It has been going on for 100 years. Universal Health Care was first proposed by Theodore Roosevelt. Insurance is a scam, a form of gambling. Every state has an Insurance Commissioner to watch orver the fleecing of the people. A Public Option (option I say not forced upon anyone) with the States and their Commisioners deciding to opt in or opt out, controling and overseeing it would be another option to the greedy for profit insurance comes. If you are for FREEDOM how can you be against people having more options. The bill under consideration requires that each of these public state plans would be individually solvent costing the State or the US nothing. The two democrats most against it are from states with large insurance industries, Connecticut and Nebraska. The concept of majority is a basic plank of the concept of freedom. Minority leadership is dictatorship. States now suffer mightly with the costs of medicaid for the poor, the new law may require these poor to pay up for at least the public option. Now when uninsured go to the Emergency Rooms the Hospitals file claims withe feds and get millions if not billions in checks to cover those costs. The system needs to be changed, wake up Anon, wake up!

E Archer, NYC

A fool and his money are soon parted. I guess it is not hard to recognize the insane here. ;-) Yes, insurance is a form of gambling and do not think that the government is ending that system -- it just wants a piece of the action!!! Wake the f@ck up -- are you insane?! This is about Monopolies and socialist policies are designed to shift private profits into government contractors hands. It is not hard to get the masses to clamor for the riches of another -- whether it is bombing an oil-rich nation for control over their resources or bombarding the nation with pycho-political-speak to vote away the money of someone else to pay for your drugs. In the end, MANDATORY government health care (which is what is being proposed) can be amended further and further until the government can REQUIRE you to get treatments they command -- for you own good of course. It may be illegal to not get vaccinated with untested drugs (or drugs with confirmed serious risks). Whenever the citizens expect government to remove the risks of life they forget that trusting government with your life is even more risky -- especially when it is their public policy to reduce the size of population. Talk about insane! Kool-aid anyone?

J Carlton, Calgary

Cheers and Salutations Archer! And remember all...A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have...and that is exactly what they are doing.

Waffler, Smith

Again medicaid and medicare are killing us financially, now the Repubs claim to be the friends of Medicare and want to maintain the current ruinous trend. The Dems are at least stepping up[ to some responsibility.Things will never be perfect as envisioned by some but they can be better as envisioned by many.

Mike, Norwalk

J Carlton and Archer, very well said!! So Waffler, how about returning to a rule of law, as defined by the constitutionally limiting representative republic. Let's get rid of medicaid and medicare and, the Democrats and Republicans that are killing us financially. There are ways of helping the needy other than by slavery and larceny.

cal, lewisville, tx

Well said Mike!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon
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    Anon    11/25/09

    Waffler, I have lived under government controlled health systems in more than a couple of countries and I've heard your rhetoric before in different words by different people. The proof is in the pudding and if you will take the time to see what this global economic situation has done to their healthcare you will see it being decimated by cost cuts in not only healthcare but education and public services such as police and every other program the government has its fingers in. More options? I laugh. As soon as government has its foot in the door with the health program being shoved through the legislature any way they can it is only a matter of time before government increases its power and before long determines every aspect of health care. History proves this if one takes the effort to seek out the facts. Wake up Waffler, are you ignoring how much medicare and medicaid are in debt just like every program in every brach of government today. Socialists! Praise the program and it leaders in spite of the facts. Again, the blinded being led by the blind.

    warren, olathe

    Waffler if Medicare and Medicaid are killing us the Americade would only accelerate the destruction. Why would you attack the systems your preferred, can't do wrong, leaders enacted? If any one tried to improve or change those systems you and your ilk would be up in arms. You will soon be telling us that this will reduce costs when the bureaucracy takes over at 10 times the cost of the insurance providers. Inefficiency will no longer be a concern. Obama said that he did not yet have enough people to put one in each doctor’s office to insure that each doctor was doing the right thing in each situation. How efficient is that going to be? At what age will the cut of any type of surgery take place? THAT WILL BE THE WAY COSTS ARE CONTROLED. All the while the most important thing will be that abortion is covered by the tax payer. The rest of health services will be rationed. Only the richest Americans will be able to get decent health care. Any doctor that is any good will either retire or find some way of getting out of the government controlled plans. There is not one thing that you or anyone can come up with that is remotely positive about this disaster of a bill. How could anyone think that any idea that this Democrat controlled congress puts forth could be anything but a sham? This is the most corrupt group of politicians ever assembled with the President leading as the First Perp. How you love dictators and fascists.

    Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown

    Is not the first point in reaching that objective to appreciate the fact that it is that independently rare individual indeed, that is truly sane?

    E Archer, NYC
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    E Archer, NYC Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown 6/14/23

    Sorry, Sillik, but "independently rare individual" is not a measurement of sanity.  Neither is being in the majority.

    Sanity is measured by one's ability to discern reality, which may be rare, but scarcity is not the measure of sanity even though sanity is rarely among the majority.

    @

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