Straight From The Horses Mouth
I’m reading The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. He is for all intents and purposes the guy who crystallized a specific means of thinking: the ends justify the means. He died out of favor himself, but ended up being extremely influential in political and social thought. I don’t agree with everything he said but this quote caught my attention.
“It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them.” Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
This quote seemed appropriate for some reason, given the last couple of years of rabble rousing with the emerging church. History has never been kind to innovators. Why start now, right? Yet as much as we don’t like it, history eventually favors the innovators.
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