“It is not well for honest men to be the executioners of other men, unless there is no necessity.”Miguel de Cervantes · Don Quijote · 1615 · Partea I, capitolul 22
Whoever punishes without heaviness has already lost part of their humanity.
Cervantes touches a matter of conscience: even a justified punishment corrupts the one who administers it. The honest person who becomes an executioner grows used to another's suffering as an instrument, and that wears down humanity. The mechanism is habit — repeated cruelty, even righteous, becomes a trait. A judge who hands down sentences with pleasure rather than heaviness has already lost something essential of his honesty.
Why it matters Still relevant for anyone holding power over others — bosses, judges, parents — reminding them never to wield it lightly.