Curse of Abundance
Many people believe we live in a world of abundance.
I believe abundance is a temporary state.

“The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to freedom; From freedom to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to fear; From fear to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.”
– Alexander Fraser Tytler or Henning W. Prentis, Jr. (unverified)

Curse of Democracy
Many people find history boring.
I find historical cycles highly fascinating and strangely predictable.

“Democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.”
– Alexander Fraser Tytler or Henning W. Prentis Jr. (unverified)