"It is with great reluctance that I have agreed to this calling. I love democracy. I love the Republic. I am mild by nature, and I do not desire to see the destruction of democracy. The power you give me I will lay down when this crisis has abated, I promise you. And as my first act with this new authority, I will create a Grand Army of the Republic to counter the increasing threats of the Separatists. "
―Palpatine, accepting his emergency powers
Source
I think the above quote illustrates the crux of this ideal; all who have power crave it, and will hold it as long as they can. They will also amass as much of it as possible so that they don't have to relinquish it to anyone.
Even though this is a fictional example of such a statement, we can see the very same things going on all around us all of the time. We need to remain vigilant, so that something like this doesn't happen to us in reality. We're close to it now, but we can still prevent it by "being mindful" of what's going on around us, and acting on problems as they come up.
Ever Vigilant,
TheBorg


