It crosses his mind that someday people will curse him, plot against him, and destroy him. What prayer does he add to this? May all the gods curse him—for finding a cure for hatred so worthy of it. "Let them hate." How? "As long as they obey me?" No! "As long as they approve of me?" No! How then? "As long as they fear me!" I wouldn't even want to be loved on those terms. Do you think this was a brave saying? You're wrong. This isn't greatness—it's monstrous. You shouldn't believe the words of angry men. Their speech is loud and threatening, but their minds are as cowardly as possible. And don't think that even the most eloquent writer, Titus Livius, was right when he described someone as having "a great rather than a good character." These things can't be separated. A person must either be good or they cannot be great. I define greatness of mind as something unshaken, sound throughout, firm and consistent to its very foundation. This kind of greatness cannot exist in evil characters.
It occurs to his mind that some day people will curse him, plot against him, crush him: what prayer does he add to this? May all the gods curse him—for discovering a cure for hate so worthy of it. “Let them hate.” How? “Provided they obey me?” No! “Provided they approve of me?” No! How then? “Provided they fear me!” I would not even be loved upon such terms. Do you imagine that this was a very spirited saying? You are wrong: this is not greatness, but monstrosity. You should not believe the words of angry men, whose speech is very loud and menacing, while their mind within them is as timid as possible: nor need you suppose that the most eloquent of men, Titus Livius, was right in describing somebody as being “of a great rather than a good disposition.” The things cannot be separated: he must either be good or else he cannot be great, because I take greatness of mind to mean that it is unshaken, sound throughout, firm and uniform to its very foundation; such as cannot exist in evil dispositions.