The Emperor has no clothes because the Emperor has no shame. Only his subjects must cover themselves.
The Emperor, like God, “giveth and taketh away.” What he giveth and taketh away is your importance.
The Emperor promises and threatens. He promises to retract his threat and threatens to retract his promise.
The Emperor pretends to advocate for the public. The public pretends to advocate for the Emperor. This symbiotic pretense is called politics.
Autocracy poses no threat to the Emperor. It’s what he most admires when he looks in the mirror.
The Emperor encourages belief in the deity. He owes his existence to belief in a superior being.
Though the Emperor lies, he must appear credible. That is why he discredits the incredulous and credits the credulous.
The Emperor is useful to the ignorant because the ignorant are useful to the Emperor.
The Emperor can’t stand virtue and competence. He hates what he does not possess.
The greatest threat to the Emperor is not the indifference of the individual but that of the multitude. His greatest asset is popularity.
The greater the number of those who submit to the Emperor, the more worthy of submission he considers himself.
The Emperor is a jealous god. What most invokes his wrath is infidelity.
Narcissus ignores everything but the pond. The Emperor everyone but the toady.
Civilization depends on the rule, the Emperor on the exception. He is the exception.
The Emperor owes his power to his supporters, until he has enough power to default on the debt.