--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The inherent corruption of man can often…" description: "\"The inherent corruption of man can often bring down the best system.\" — Alexis Denisof" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c3/alexis-denisof-26231_corruption_the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often_490614.jpg" --- # The inherent corruption of man can often bring down the… ![“The inherent corruption of man can often bring down the best system.” quote by Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c3/alexis-denisof-26231_corruption_the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often_490614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c3/alexis-denisof-26231_corruption_the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often_490614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c3/alexis-denisof-26231_corruption_the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often_490614.jpg) > “The inherent corruption of man can often bring down the best system.” [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature's tendency toward corruption can undermine even the most well-designed systems. **In simple terms:** Corruption can ruin good systems. Key Takeaway Design safeguards against human flaws. Themes politics corruption systems human nature Mood cautious critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - government policy - corporate governance - financial regulation - public trust Key Concepts ethical decay institutional risk Questions to Reflect On - What checks can prevent corruption? - How do we address inherent human flaws? A Different Perspective Not all corruption is intentional; some arise from systemic pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bring Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bring-best-262798/) [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Corruption Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption-man-3341897/) [Inherent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherent/) [Inherent Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherent-corruption-4198507/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [The corruption of man is followed by the corruption of language. ... In due time, the fraud is manifest, and words lose all power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-corruption-of-man-is-followed-by-the-corruption-of-language-in/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The corruption of man is followed by the corruption of language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-corruption-of-man-is-followed-by-the-corruption-of-language/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Corruption is everywhere, man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-masekela/corruption-is-everywhere-man/) [Hugh Masekela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-masekela/) > [This source of corruption, alas, is inherent in the democratic system itself, and it can only be controlled, if at all, by finding ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-buckley/this-source-of-corruption-alas-is-inherent-in-the-democratic-system/) [James L. Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-buckley/) > [Bring your best to me ; I donwant WIN But I wanna LEARN .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake/bring-your-best-to-me-i-donwant-win-but-i-wanna-learn/) [Jake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake/) > [Every role I take on, I try and bring my best and to be as honest as possible. I try not to repeat things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-plemons/every-role-i-take-on-i-try-and-bring-my-best-and-to-be-as-honest-as/) [Jesse Plemons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-plemons/) > [In Life you'll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you, and some will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdelghani/in-life-you-ll-realize-that-there-is-a-purpose-for-everyone-you-meet/) [Abdelghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdelghani/) > [Leaders inspire us because they bring out the best in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/leaders-inspire-us-because-they-bring-out-the-best-in-us/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [In life you'll realize there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will teach you, and some will use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ditaba-daniel/in-life-you-ll-realize-there-is-a-purpose-for-everyone-you-meet-some/) [Ditaba Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ditaba-daniel/) > [I want to find someone who will bring out the best in me. no someone I have bring my best out for..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiz/i-want-to-find-someone-who-will-bring-out-the-best-in-me-no-someone-i/) [Kiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiz/) > [Grandchildren give us a second chance to do things better because they bring out the best in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/grandchildren-give-us-a-second-chance-to-do-things-better-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some people will test you, some will use you, and some will teach you; but most importantly some will bring out the best in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-will-test-you-some-will-use-you-and-some-will-teach-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love me for who I am, not who you want me to be... That's how you will bring out the best in ME.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-me-for-who-i-am-not-who-you-want-me-to-be-that-s-how-you-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Bring the best of your Authentic Self to every opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jantsch/bring-the-best-of-your-authentic-self-to-every-opportunity/) [John Jantsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jantsch/) > [Let go of people who bring you down, and surround yourself with those who bring out the best in you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/let-go-of-people-who-bring-you-down-and-surround-yourself-with-those/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) ## More by Alexis Denisof > [In the same way that Shakespeare was writing very much for his time, he was also unearthing observations that would last for generations beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/in-the-same-way-that-shakespeare-was-writing-very-much-for-his-time/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [I think we're all fascinated and a little mystified by how the brain works. One of the most mysterious of the physical sciences is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/i-think-we-re-all-fascinated-and-a-little-mystified-by-how-the-brain/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [Life is not just one dark moment after another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/life-is-not-just-one-dark-moment-after-another/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [Sometimes time constraints bring out something cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/sometimes-time-constraints-bring-out-something-cool/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [Honestly, one-hour drama is the hardest format there is. I think it's harder than movies, and it's harder than half-hour comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/honestly-one-hour-drama-is-the-hardest-format-there-is-i-think-it-s/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [My grandfather was from outside of Moscow, and my grandmother, although some of her family were French, was from Odessa. They met as immigrants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/my-grandfather-was-from-outside-of-moscow-and-my-grandmother-although/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [Shakespeare is the Joss Whedon of his generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/shakespeare-is-the-joss-whedon-of-his-generation/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [Anybody who believes and experiences their life and doesn't have shades of gray in it doesn't live where I live and is simply not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/anybody-who-believes-and-experiences-their-life-and-doesn-t-have/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [Personally, my taste is towards development of a character, as well as the resolution of a story plot. I like to find both, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/personally-my-taste-is-towards-development-of-a-character-as-well-as/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [That's an important lesson for me, to not qualify my experience against somebody else's. My experience is the experience that I wanted to have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/that-s-an-important-lesson-for-me-to-not-qualify-my-experience/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [I moved to Seattle when I was two or three years old. Had my early education there, and would spend summers on the farm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/i-moved-to-seattle-when-i-was-two-or-three-years-old-had-my-early/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [You learn a lot about a person when you work together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/you-learn-a-lot-about-a-person-when-you-work-together/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [There's nothing as satisfying, thrilling and gratifying as parenthood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/there-s-nothing-as-satisfying-thrilling-and-gratifying-as-parenthood/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [I think with the smaller-scale projects, the burden for success falls more squarely on the shoulders of the actors and the director and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/i-think-with-the-smaller-scale-projects-the-burden-for-success-falls/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [I think most people in the developed world would admit to carrying some sort of handheld device, whether it's a laptop or a cell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/i-think-most-people-in-the-developed-world-would-admit-to-carrying/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) [Explore all 22 Alexis Denisof quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) ## More Corruption quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [In the lead up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw at a minimum, true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility, at worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-zinni/in-the-lead-up-to-the-iraq-war-and-its-later-conduct-i-saw-at-a/) [Anthony Zinni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-zinni/) > [“Don't let cycles of violent crimes, uncontrollable, rising cases of bloody impunity, evil puppets in a crippled judiciary, marionettes in a corrupted legislative system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelica-hopes/don-t-let-cycles-of-violent-crimes-uncontrollable-rising-cases-of/) [Angelica Hopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelica-hopes/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [As you fight corruption, it fights back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yemi-osinbajo/as-you-fight-corruption-it-fights-back/) [Yemi Osinbajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yemi-osinbajo/) > [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [ Corruption could lead to the collapse of the Party \[Communist Party of China\] and the downfall of the state \[People's Republic of China\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xi-jinping/corruption-could-lead-to-the-collapse-of-the-party-communist-party-of/) [Xi Jinping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xi-jinping/) > [“Oh where is the noble face of modesty, or the strength of virtue, now that blasphemy is in power and men have put justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/oh-where-is-the-noble-face-of-modesty-or-the-strength-of-virtue-now/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/) [Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/) > [It looked incredibly credible!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-horlick/it-looked-incredibly-credible/) [Nicola Horlick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-horlick/) > [All power corrupts but some must govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/all-power-corrupts-but-some-must-govern/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) [Browse all 2,253 Corruption quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The inherent corruption of man can often bring down the best system.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexis Denisof" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often-bring-down-the-best-system/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Corruption" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often-bring-down-the-best-system/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c3/alexis-denisof-26231_corruption_the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often_490614.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c3/alexis-denisof-26231_corruption_the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often_490614.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c3/alexis-denisof-26231_corruption_the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often_490614.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The inherent corruption of man can often bring down the best system.” — Alexis Denisof", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "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": "Alexis Denisof", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The inherent corruption of man can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often-bring-down-the-best-system/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/the-inherent-corruption-of-man-can-often-bring-down-the-best-system/#breadcrumb" }, { "@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 } } ] } ```