[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fFCZLGYj9nPW2kQKe-isXJMnhVhXZdSRCL3TLVL9vpq4":3,"$fn7G88LH6EqQArkLnGsTISEUdgze_-NDvqJ0XgYkp3uY":20},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},126037,"James F. Cooper","J",120,null,"james-f-cooper",[12,16],{"tag_id":13,"tag_name":14,"tag_count":15},326,"men",12,{"tag_id":17,"tag_name":18,"tag_count":19},11,"book",6,{"quotes":21,"pagination":84},[22,30,36,42,48,54,60,66,72,78],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":25,"author":26,"source":27,"quote_tag":28,"commentary":29},3104322,"The very existence of government at all, infers inequality. The citizen who is preferred to office becomes the superior of those who are not, so long he is the repository of power.",false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is attributed to James Fenimore Cooper, an American writer and historian, in his 1838 novel \"The American Democrat\". During this time, Cooper was reflecting on the nature of power, equality, and the American experiment. As the United States was still grappling with its own identity and the legacy of its founding principles, Cooper's writings offered a critical examination of the country's social and political landscape.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nCooper's quote reveals a profound paradox: the very institution designed to promote equality and fairness (government) inevitably creates a power structure that reinforces inequality. This insight highlights the tension between the ideals of democracy and the realities of power dynamics, where those in positions of authority become superior to those who are not. This paradox suggests that the pursuit of equality is inherently tied to the concentration of power, raising questions about the nature of justice and fairness in systems of governance.\n\n**How to Use This**\nIn today's professional and creative endeavors, this quote cautions against the assumption that holding power or authority necessarily means one is superior to others. Instead, it suggests that those in positions of power should recognize their responsibility to use their influence to promote fairness and equality, rather than exploiting their position for personal gain. By acknowledging this paradox, individuals can approach leadership and decision-making with a more nuanced understanding of the complexities involved.",{"id":31,"quote_text":32,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":25,"author":33,"source":34,"quote_tag":35,"commentary":9},3104312,"The sun had not risen, but the vault of heaven was rich with the winning, softness that “brings and shuts the day,” while the whole air was filled with the carols of birds, the hymns of the feathered tribe.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":37,"quote_text":38,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":25,"author":39,"source":40,"quote_tag":41,"commentary":9},3104310,"Christ, in the parable of the vine dressers, has taught us a sublime lesson of justice, by showing that to the things which are not our own, we can have no just claim.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":43,"quote_text":44,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":25,"author":45,"source":46,"quote_tag":47,"commentary":9},3104300,"The sight of a coward’s blood can never make a warrior tremble.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":49,"quote_text":50,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":25,"author":51,"source":52,"quote_tag":53,"commentary":9},3104296,"It’s wisest always to be so clad that our friends need not ask us for our names.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":55,"quote_text":56,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":25,"author":57,"source":58,"quote_tag":59,"commentary":9},3104292,"I’ve heard it said that there are men who read in books to convince themselves there is a God. I know not but man may so deform his works in the settlements, as to leave that which is so clear in the wilderness a matter of doubt among traders and priests.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":61,"quote_text":62,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":25,"author":63,"source":64,"quote_tag":65,"commentary":9},3104291,"Hebrews. This book is much superior to most of the writings attributed to St. Paul, though passages in the other books are very admirable.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":67,"quote_text":68,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":25,"author":69,"source":70,"quote_tag":71,"commentary":9},3104286,"They who have reasoned ignorantly, or who have aimed at effecting their personal ends by flattering the popular feeling, have boldly affirmed that ‘one man is as good as another;’ a maxim that is true in neither nature, revealed morals, nor political theory.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":73,"quote_text":74,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":25,"author":75,"source":76,"quote_tag":77,"commentary":9},3104280,"The novice in the military art flew from point to point, retarding his own preparations by the excess of his violent and somewhat distempered zeal; while the more practiced veteran made his arrangements with a deliberation that scorned every appearance of haste.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":79,"quote_text":80,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":25,"author":81,"source":82,"quote_tag":83,"commentary":9},3104264,"Whenever the government of the United States shall break up, it will probably be in consequence of a false direction having been given to public opinion.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":85,"totalPages":15,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":86},1,10]