Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best.

Abbey’s aphorism distills a recurring theme in his writing: deep suspicion of concentrated authority—whether governmental, corporate, or bureaucratic—and the way institutions incentivize domination rather than stewardship. The first sentence frames power as inherently risky because it enables coercion and insulates decision-makers from consequences. The second sharpens the critique: positions of authority can lure those most eager to control others (“the worst”), while even well-intentioned people may gradually compromise principles under the pressures and privileges of office (“corrupts the best”). The quote functions as a warning about systems, not just individuals: it implies that checks, limits, and decentralization are moral necessities.