But the threat of some kind of punishment must always be present, or a norm is little more than hot air. Covenants, says Thomas Hobbes, without the sword, are but words. Similarly, you can't have enforcement without creating a de facto norm... #KevinSimler

But the threat of some kind of punishment must always be present, or a norm is little more than hot air. Covenants, says Thomas Hobbes, without the sword, are but words. Similarly, you can't have enforcement without creating a de facto norm... #KevinSimler

— English Quotes (@english_quotes) Feb 11, 2026