"Do you know

how a man makes

his way here?

By brilliant genius

or by skilful corruption.

You must either cut your way

through these masses of men

like a cannon ball,

or steal among them

like a plague.

Honesty is nothing to the purpose.

Men bow before the power of genius;

they hate it, and try to slander it,

because genius does not divide the spoil;

but if genius persists, they bow before it.

To sum it all up in a phrase,

if they fail to smother genius in the mud,

they fall on their knees and worship it.

Corruption is a great power in the world,

and talent is scarce.

So corruption is the weapon

of superfluous mediocrity;

you will be made

to feel the point of it everywhere."

(Vautrin from Father Goriot)

(Collision Art by Thomas Robson)