"“If they worked governments on earth like you run a ship it’d be clear sailing for the human race.” “None of that, now,” the captain said with gruff, old-fashioned modesty. “I just follow the rules, use plain common sense, temper justice with mercy, and treat every person as an entire world-system and end unto himself despite social differences imposed by a functional ranking system.”"
Robert Sheckley

January 1, 1970

Quote Details

Sources

Chapter 22 (pp. 71-72)

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Sheckley