Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·231 of 348
"Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
They never said that.
What people say
"Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
What was actually said
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Lord Acton — Lord Acton — letter to Mandell Creighton, 1887
Why it stuck
"Tends to" is the hedge Acton built in — he wasn't claiming every ruler is corrupt. Modern quotation drops it, making the first clause categorical.
Same letter as "absolute power corrupts absolutely" — two clauses, one sentence.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.