"As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live."

If they are to reflect on anything, French intellectuals and leaders might want to ponder the thoughts of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German poet, dramatist, novelist, and scientist (1749-1832) who said

Divide and rule, a sound motto. Unite and lead, a better one.

and

How can you come to know yourself? Never by thinking, always by doing. Try to do your duty, and you'll know right away what you amount to.