--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Authority without wisdom is like a heavy…" description: "\"“Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.”\" — Anne Bradstreet" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/anne-bradstreet-12672_authority_authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy_270108.png" --- # Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an… ![“Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.” quote by Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/anne-bradstreet-12672_authority_authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy_270108.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/anne-bradstreet-12672_authority_authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy_270108.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/anne-bradstreet-12672_authority_authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy_270108.png) > ““Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.”” [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power without insight harms more than it helps, causing damage rather than refinement. **In simple terms:** Power without insight hurts. Key Takeaway Seek wisdom before exercising authority. Themes authority wisdom responsibility Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - political leadership - corporate management - parenting - education - community organizing Key Concepts ethical leadership knowledge gaps Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure decisions are informed? - What checks can balance power? A Different Perspective Wisdom may be limited, making authority still risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Brute force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brute-force/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Authority without wisdom is like a heavy ax without an edge -- fitter to bruise than polish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy-ax-without-an-edge-fitter-to/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [“The sword has spoke the truth - in authority and wisdom - only the sword O Damascus is certain!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nizar-qabbani/the-sword-has-spoke-the-truth-in-authority-and-wisdom-only-the-sword/) [Nizar Qabbani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nizar-qabbani/) > [“if the belief or practice is ancient, foreign, and preferably Eastern, it has immediate authority and wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-stollznow/if-the-belief-or-practice-is-ancient-foreign-and-preferably-eastern/) Karen Stollznow > [We work for peace every time we exercise authority with wisdom and authentic love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/we-work-for-peace-every-time-we-exercise-authority-with-wisdom-and/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [“Knowledge without wisdom is like a lion without teeth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/knowledge-without-wisdom-is-like-a-lion-without-teeth/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-like-a-baobab-tree-no-one-individual-can-embrace-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom is like electricity. There is no permanently wise man, but men capable of wisdom, who, being put into certain company, or other favorable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/wisdom-is-like-electricity-there-is-no-permanently-wise-man-but-men/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [wisdom is like a bottomless pond. You throw stones in and they sink into darkness and dissolve. Her eyes looking back do not reflect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/wisdom-is-like-a-bottomless-pond-you-throw-stones-in-and-they-sink/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [Wisdom is like the rain. Its source is limitless, but it comes down according to the season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/wisdom-is-like-the-rain-its-source-is-limitless-but-it-comes-down/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Wisdom is like royalty. You can either be born with it, or make acquaintances with the limited amount of people who embody it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemar-hinds/wisdom-is-like-royalty-you-can-either-be-born-with-it-or-make/) [Kemar Hinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemar-hinds/) > [“Wisdom is like our spiritual vision, guiding us toward what is good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-newland/wisdom-is-like-our-spiritual-vision-guiding-us-toward-what-is-good/) Guy Newland > [“Knowledge without wisdom is like a beautiful lady without morals”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikechukwu-izuakor/knowledge-without-wisdom-is-like-a-beautiful-lady-without-morals/) [Ikechukwu Izuakor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikechukwu-izuakor/) > [“Gaining knowledge without wisdom is like reaching heaven and never entering the gates.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wn-stanley/gaining-knowledge-without-wisdom-is-like-reaching-heaven-and-never/) WN Stanley > [“Lo! I am weary of my wisdom, like the bee that hath gathered too much honey; I need hands outstretched to take it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lo-i-am-weary-of-my-wisdom-like-the-bee-that-hath-gathered-too-much/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## More by Anne Bradstreet > [Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone, I here, though there, yet both but one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/flesh-of-my-flesh-bone-of-my-bone-i-here-though-there-yet-both-but-one/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee; If ever wife was happy in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/if-ever-two-were-one-then-surely-we-if-ever-man-were-lov-d-by-wife/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [There is no object that we see; no action that we do; no good that we enjoy; no evil that we feel, or fear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/there-is-no-object-that-we-see-no-action-that-we-do-no-good-that-we/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [“Let such as say our sex is void of reason, Know it is slander now but once was treason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/let-such-as-say-our-sex-is-void-of-reason-know-it-is-slander-now-but/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [What to my Saviour shall I giveWho freely hath done this for me?I'll serve him here whilst I shall liveAnd Loue him to Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/what-to-my-saviour-shall-i-givewho-freely-hath-done-this-for-me-i-ll/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [The stones and trees, insensible to time, / Nor age nor wrinkle on their front are seen; / If Winter come, and greenness then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/the-stones-and-trees-insensible-to-time-nor-age-nor-wrinkle-on-their/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/if-ever-two-were-one-then-surely-we-if-ever-man-were-loved-by-wife/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [Satan, that great angler, hath his sundry baits for sundry tempers of men, which they all catch greedily at, but few perceive the hook…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/satan-that-great-angler-hath-his-sundry-baits-for-sundry-tempers-of/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [“...And although thus short, we shorten many ways, Living so little while we are alive; In eating, drinking, sleeping, vain delight So unawares comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/and-although-thus-short-we-shorten-many-ways-living-so-little-while/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [I am obnoxious to each carping tongue who says my hand a needle better fits,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/i-am-obnoxious-to-each-carping-tongue-who-says-my-hand-a-needle/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [My age I will not once lament, / But sing, my time so near is spent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/my-age-i-will-not-once-lament-but-sing-my-time-so-near-is-spent/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [“#The Vanity of all Worldly Things. As he said vanity, so vain say I, Oh! Vanity, O vain all under sky; Where is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/the-vanity-of-all-worldly-things-as-he-said-vanity-so-vain-say-i-oh/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/if-we-had-no-winter-the-spring-would-not-be-so-pleasant-if-we-did-not/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [Authority without wisdom is like a heavy ax without an edge -- fitter to bruise than polish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy-ax-without-an-edge-fitter-to/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [If we had not winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/if-we-had-not-winter-the-spring-would-not-be-so-pleasant-if-we-did/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) [Explore all 53 Anne Bradstreet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/) [Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/) > [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/) [Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/) > [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/) [Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [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/) [Browse all 4,003 Authority quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anne Bradstreet" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy-axe-without-an-edge-fitter/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authority" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy-axe-without-an-edge-fitter/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/anne-bradstreet-12672_authority_authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy_270108.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/anne-bradstreet-12672_authority_authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy_270108.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/anne-bradstreet-12672_authority_authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy_270108.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.” — Anne Bradstreet", "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": "Anne Bradstreet", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Authority without wisdom is like a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy-axe-without-an-edge-fitter/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/authority-without-wisdom-is-like-a-heavy-axe-without-an-edge-fitter/#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 } } ] } ```