Hierarchy by James Islington

The Will of the Many

"there's those what should be and complain that they do not get their due and then those who what is and figure out how to use it to their advantage." ― James Islington, The Will of the Many

“Power is always dangerous. It attracts the worst and corrupts the best. Power is intoxicating, and when you drink, you can never go back.” ― James Islington, The Will of the Many

“There comes a point in every man’s life where he can rail against the unfairness of the world until he loses, or he can do his best in it. Remain a victim, or become a survivor.” ― James Islington, The Will of the Many.

“The decision may have been made by the few, Diago, but it’s the Will of the many that killed your family.” ― James Islington, The Will of the Many

“Nervousness means there’s a fear to be faced ahead, Diago. The man who is never nervous, never does anything hard. The man who is never nervous, never grows.” ― James Islington, The Will of the Many

“A fair system only works if there’s an unbiased means of assessing merit. When there is no pride or selfishness involved.” He gives a soft snort, shaking his head. “Which means that fair systems cannot exist where people are involved.” ― James Islington, The Will of the Many

“The power to protect is the highest of responsibilities, Diago. When a man is given it, his duty is not only to the people he thinks are worthy.” ― James Islington, The Will of the Many

“They ask something small of you. A thing you would prefer not to do, but is not so terrible. You think you are working your way up, but in fact they are changing you. Moulding you into what they think you should be, one compromise at a time.” ― James Islington, The Will of the Many. La volontà dei molti

“Greed is by definition the moral ruler of the Hierarchy, Diago. All decisions are based upon it. It is not the strong who benefit in their system, no matter what they say—it is the weak. It is the ones willing to do anything, sacrifice anything, to rise. It rewards avarice and is so steeped in a wrong way of thinking that those within it cannot even see it.” He shook his head sadly. “There is no form of government that is immune from mistakes or from corruption—but it is the Hierarchy’s foundation, Son. Never forget that.” ― James Islington, The Will of the Many

"What make you good ruler? You need to be caring and judgemental. you need to prempt but never unfaily. You need to be completely honest with your people but be mindfull of what information can harm them. You need to be strong but not cruel. You need to be decisive but not rash. You need to be wise but not arrogant. You need to be all these things and more, Diago, and you need to be them all at once." "It's impossible." "You're saying there's no such thing as a good ruler?" "There's isn't. And this is risk of our world a fault in our system is us. The quality of king change system and non of us perfect enough to have right to lead" ― James Islington, The Will of the Many

The Strength of the Few

“Grief, my mother once told me, is love’s most honest expression. The last and hardest aspect of truly, truly caring for someone. She said it at her own mother’s funeral rites, tears in her eyes even as she tried to comfort a boy too young to understand why he was so sad, why his grandmother couldn’t be there anymore. She explained through choking sobs that without grief, love would be meaningless. Because it is impossible to truly love something that cannot be lost.” ― James Islington, The Strength of the Few

“The oldest argument for doing something wrong is that everyone is doing it. To dismantle what they have built would have required the agreement of every man who had spent his life building it," agrees my father softly. "It would have required them to give up all they have striven their entire lives to gain. And they would have needed to do it, largely, for the benefit of those at whose expense it originally came.” ― James Islington, The Strength of the Few

“FEAR, MY FATHER ONCE TOLD me, is simply our realisation of a lack of control. And that is why when we are afraid, sometimes the only way we can cope—the only way to dull the edge of that lack—is to put our faith in those who appear not to suffer it.” ― James Islington, The Strength of the Few

James Islington, The Strength of the Few

“a child needs to hear and truly understand only three phrases from their father as they grow up. ‘I love you.’ ‘I will help.’ And, ‘I don’t know.”

“Instead of the easy gift of our lives, we must suffer the hundred little deaths of self in order to protect this world. Not because what we do is good, but because good will no longer exist if we do not.” ― James Islington, The Strength of the Few