Once killing starts, it is difficult to draw the line.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Once violence begins, it becomes hard to stop or limit its scope.
- In plain terms
- Violence is hard to control once it starts.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid starting conflicts that are hard to end.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you stop a cycle of retaliation?
- What limits should exist on force?
Another view
Sometimes force is necessary despite the difficulty of limiting it.
More from Tacitus
It is the rare fortune of these days that one may think what one likes and say what one thinks.
Permalink to quote #7 The desire for glory clings even to the best men longer than any other passion.
Permalink to quote #9 ...good habits are here more effectual than good laws elsewhere. (translation)
Permalink to quote #6
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