"Quand la religion et la royauté seront détruites le peuple attaquera les nobles après les nobles les riches"
— Honore de Balzac
Simplified Meaning:
When big institutions like religion and kings lose their power, people might first direct their anger towards the nobility, those who have titles and inherited privilege. Once they deal with the nobles, their focus will shift to wealthy individuals who hold a lot of money and power. This idea suggests a cycle of anger towards different groups holding power after other sources of authority fall apart. For example, think about the French Revolution. At first, people were frustrated with the monarchy and the church because they had so much control and were not fair to ordinary people. After getting rid of the king and reducing the church's influence, the anger and push for equality continued, and soon wealthy people without royal or noble titles were targeted as well. In modern life, if someone feels unfairly treated by certain powerful groups, this discontent might not stop even after addressing one source of inequality; it could continue against other powerful groups. This could teach us to consider the deeper causes of social unrest and work towards fair solutions for everyone.