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About this quote

What does it mean?
Louis XIV acknowledged his mortality but asserted that the state will continue regardless of his death.
In plain terms
I will die, but the state will last forever.
What can you take from it?
The state endures beyond the lifespan of any single leader.

Where it applies

  • political theory
  • leadership transition
  • state building

Putting it to work

  • study state longevity
  • analyze leadership legacy
  • read political theory

Questions to consider

  • What makes an institution last?
  • How should leaders view their own mortality?

Another view

States can fall if institutions are weak or corrupt.

More from Louis XIV of France

  1. J'ai failli attendre.

    Permalink to quote #3

  2. L'Etat, c'est moi.

    Permalink to quote #2

  3. Il n'y a plus de Pyrenees.

    Permalink to quote #1

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