Quote by Edmund Burke

To tax and to please, no more than to love and to be wise, is not given to men.

To tax and to please, no more than to love and to be wise, i

Summary

This quote suggests that it is impossible for anyone - specifically, men - to both impose taxes and gain favor from others, just as it is impossible for individuals to simultaneously love someone and possess wisdom. The message conveys the inherent contradiction between levying taxes, which can often create dissatisfaction and resentment, and trying to maintain popularity or please others. It implies that these two goals, just like the capacity to love someone wholeheartedly while being truly wise, cannot coexist or be successfully achieved.

Topics

Taxation

By Edmund Burke

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