Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1143IR // #c1143Synthesis

"A single man is hard enough to support in idleness, a household is harder still, an army hardest of all. There are more mouths to be filled, less wealth to start with, and greater waste; and therefore an army should never be unemployed."

— In our words · Source: Cyropaedia (Xenophon)

[Use when]

Your team is between projects and you're letting the gap drift.

[Why it matters]

Cambyses reasons from cost: a large group consumes more and wastes more, so it must always be either gaining ground or improving itself.

More from Cyropaedia

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Same situation, different book

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