--- title: "3 Cunning Quotes By James Clavell" description: "3 Cunning quotes by James Clavell. Plus more from James Clavell and more Cunning sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/james-clavell-4422_blame_how-baffling-it-was-that-even-the-most-c_1478343.png" --- > [How baffling it was that even the most cunning and clever people would frequently see only what they wanted to see, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/how-baffling-it-was-that-even-the-most-cunning-and-clever-people/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/james-clavell-4422_blame_how-baffling-it-was-that-even-the-most-c_1478343.png) > [And Adam ruled, for he was the King. Until the day his will to be King deserted him. Then he died, food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/and-adam-ruled-for-he-was-the-king-until-the-day-his-will-to-be-king/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/james-clavell-4422_adam_and-adam-ruled-for-he-was-the-king-until_2861232.jpg) > [“He remembered the pride-filled glow that had swamped Gyoko's face and he wondered again at the bewildering gullibility of people. How baffling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/he-remembered-the-pride-filled-glow-that-had-swamped-gyoko-s-face-and/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ae/james-clavell-4422_cunning_he-remembered-the-pride-filled-glow-that_3100198.jpg) ## Other authors on Cunning ## More by James Clavell > [Guard yourself and your conscience no one else will and know that a bad decision at the right time can destroy you far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/guard-yourself-and-your-conscience-no-one-else-will-and-know-that-a/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [You've commited murder just as much as Helene did. You killed a fly with a human head. She killed a human with a fly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/you-ve-commited-murder-just-as-much-as-helene-did-you-killed-a-fly/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [Why is she afraid?" he asked. "She's not Anjin-san. Just a little nervous. Please excuse her. She's never seen a foreigner close to before."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/why-is-she-afraid-he-asked-she-s-not-anjin-san-just-a-little-nervous/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [“Like dew I was born Like dew I vanish ..and all that I have ever done Is but a dream Within a dream”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/like-dew-i-was-born-like-dew-i-vanish-and-all-that-i-have-ever-done/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [“all the people have a right to vote, and no single man ever controls the destiny of any nation, either by divine right or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/all-the-people-have-a-right-to-vote-and-no-single-man-ever-controls/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [Anger is something you should only vent in front of intimates, and friends and relations. Never be angry in front of strangers because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/anger-is-something-you-should-only-vent-in-front-of-intimates-and/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [Only by living at the edge of death can you understand the indescribable joy of life - Shogun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/only-by-living-at-the-edge-of-death-can-you-understand-the/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [“The law may upset reason but reason may never upset the law, or our whole society will shred like an old tatami. The law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/the-law-may-upset-reason-but-reason-may-never-upset-the-law-or-our/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [Changi became my university instead of my prison. Among the inmates there were experts in all walks of life - the high and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/changi-became-my-university-instead-of-my-prison-among-the-inmates/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [“Only merchants have money to waste, and what are they but parasites who create nothing, grow nothing, make nothing but feed off another's labor?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/only-merchants-have-money-to-waste-and-what-are-they-but-parasites/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [“The Scots knew that the burning of a cross was a summons to the clan, and to all the kinsmen of all kindred clans:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/the-scots-knew-that-the-burning-of-a-cross-was-a-summons-to-the-clan/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [Christ, it's so good to be alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/christ-it-s-so-good-to-be-alive/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [“Tomorrow does not exist. There is only now .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/tomorrow-does-not-exist-there-is-only-now/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [“The point is we both know life and understand death—and both believe treatment in hell and everywhere else depends on money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/the-point-is-we-both-know-life-and-understand-death-and-both-believe/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [“Gods are like people. They believe anything if you tell them right way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/gods-are-like-people-they-believe-anything-if-you-tell-them-right-way/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/james-clavell/#itemlist", "name": "3 Cunning Quotes By James Clavell", "numberOfItems": 3, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How baffling it was that even the most cunning and clever people would frequently see only what they wanted to see, and would rarely look beyond the thinnest of facades. Or they would ignore reality, dismissing it as the facade. And then, when their whole world fell to pieces...they would tear their topknots or rend their clothes and bewail their karma, blaming gods or kami or luck or their lords or husbands or vassals-anything or anyone-but never themselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Clavell" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/how-baffling-it-was-that-even-the-most-cunning-and-clever-people/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/james-clavell-4422_blame_how-baffling-it-was-that-even-the-most-c_1478343.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/james-clavell-4422_blame_how-baffling-it-was-that-even-the-most-c_1478343.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/james-clavell-4422_blame_how-baffling-it-was-that-even-the-most-c_1478343.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How baffling it was that even the most cunning and clever people would frequently see only what they wanted…” — James Clavell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And Adam ruled, for he was the King. Until the day his will to be King deserted him. Then he died, food for a stronger. And the strongest was always the King, not by strength alone, but King by cunning and luck and strength together. Among the rats.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Clavell" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/and-adam-ruled-for-he-was-the-king-until-the-day-his-will-to-be-king/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/james-clavell-4422_adam_and-adam-ruled-for-he-was-the-king-until_2861232.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/james-clavell-4422_adam_and-adam-ruled-for-he-was-the-king-until_2861232.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/james-clavell-4422_adam_and-adam-ruled-for-he-was-the-king-until_2861232.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And Adam ruled, for he was the King. Until the day his will to be King deserted him. Then he died, food for…” — James Clavell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He remembered the pride-filled glow that had swamped Gyoko's face and he wondered again at the bewildering gullibility of people. How baffling it was that even the most cunning and clever people would frequently see only what they wanted to see, and would rarely look beyond the thinnest of facades. Or they would ignore reality, dismissing it as the facade. And then, when their whole world fell to pieces and they were on their knees slitting their bellies or cutting their throats, or cast out into the freezing world, they would tear their topknots or rend their clothes and bewail their karma, blaming gods or kami or luck or their lords or husbands or vassals -- anything or anything -- but never themselves.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Clavell" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/he-remembered-the-pride-filled-glow-that-had-swamped-gyoko-s-face-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ae/james-clavell-4422_cunning_he-remembered-the-pride-filled-glow-that_3100198.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ae/james-clavell-4422_cunning_he-remembered-the-pride-filled-glow-that_3100198.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ae/james-clavell-4422_cunning_he-remembered-the-pride-filled-glow-that_3100198.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He remembered the pride-filled glow that had swamped Gyoko's face and he wondered again at the bewildering…” — James Clavell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/james-clavell/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/james-clavell/", "name": "Cunning Quotes by James Clavell", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/james-clavell/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/james-clavell-4422_blame_how-baffling-it-was-that-even-the-most-c_1478343.png" }, "description": "3 Cunning quotes by James Clavell. Plus more from James Clavell and more Cunning sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/james-clavell/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/james-clavell/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Cunning", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "James Clavell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/james-clavell/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```