Arbitrary power is like most other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken.

Abigail Adams likens “arbitrary power” (rule unconstrained by law, consent, or accountability) to a hard, brittle substance: it may appear strong because it can resist pressure and impose itself, but its very rigidity makes it prone to sudden fracture. The image suggests that regimes or authorities relying on sheer will rather than legitimacy and responsive governance create the conditions for their own collapse—through backlash, revolt, or internal breakdown. The remark also implies a preference for balanced, moderated power: flexibility, checks, and shared authority may look less forceful than absolutism, yet they endure better because they can absorb strain without shattering.