February 23, 2025

One of the greatest pieces of good fortune a man can have is the chance to make something he has done in his own interest appear to have been done for the common good.

Francesco Guicciardini (1483–1540), Italian historian and statesman, Ricordi, C, 142

How often, if at all, have you managed that? If at all, did it bite you in the ass, in the end?

So much of what we do as politicians is by inadvertence, because the opportunities of making something done in self-interest appear to be for the common good are rare. The reason is we can never appreciate, nor anticipate, the unintended consequences of our actions—positive or negative.