About this quote

Power can erase the visible line between rulers and the ruled. When those in charge take on the comforts, habits, and exemptions of the people they replaced, the difference becomes only a costume. Look for the small changes first: who gets better rooms, who ignores the rules, who writes exceptions for themselves. If you see that shift, name it and insist the same rules apply to everyone.

When to use it

• At a company all‑hands after executives announce new perks for leaders while freezing staff raises, someone leans over and mutters, "It's getting impossible to tell who's in charge anymore."
• During a city council meeting where officials vote to award contracts to their friends, a resident stands up and says they can no longer tell the difference between officials and contractors.
• In the locker room when a coach suspends role players but lets star athletes keep breaking team rules, a veteran player might quote the line to call out the double standard.
• At a family gathering where a relative claims the family rules don't apply to them, another relative brings the phrase up to point out the sudden role reversal.