--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s a curse to have a mind if it is…" description: "\"“It’s a curse to have a mind if it is illegal to use it. It’s a curse to have intelligence if you are forced to cloak it in a lifetime of wilful stupid..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/ben-elton-12329_curse_it-s-a-curse-to-have-a-mind-if-it-is-ill_1980745.png" --- # It’s a curse to have a mind if it is illegal to use it… ![“It’s a curse to have a mind if it is illegal to use it. It’s a curse to have intelligence if you are forced to cloak it in a lifetime of wilful stupidity.” quote by Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/ben-elton-12329_curse_it-s-a-curse-to-have-a-mind-if-it-is-ill_1980745.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/ben-elton-12329_curse_it-s-a-curse-to-have-a-mind-if-it-is-ill_1980745.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/ben-elton-12329_curse_it-s-a-curse-to-have-a-mind-if-it-is-ill_1980745.png) > ““It’s a curse to have a mind if it is illegal to use it. It’s a curse to have intelligence if you are forced to cloak it in a lifetime of wilful stupidity.”” [Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence is a burden when society forces you to hide it, leading to self‑imposed stupidity. **In simple terms:** Being smart can feel like a curse if you must hide it. Key Takeaway Use your mind freely, not in concealment. Themes intelligence societal pressure self‑censorship freedom Mood critical provocative Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - workplace - education - creative arts - personal relationships Key Concepts cognitive liberty social conformity Questions to Reflect On - What would you do if you could express your intelligence openly? - How does hiding talent affect personal growth? A Different Perspective May cause alienation or resentment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Curse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curse/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [It's better to use a curse word than to hurt somebody else, I find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/it-s-better-to-use-a-curse-word-than-to-hurt-somebody-else-i-find/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [“loves to distort Scripture so he can use it to curse us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-davis/loves-to-distort-scripture-so-he-can-use-it-to-curse-us/) Linda Davis > [These are all direct quotes, except every time they use a curse word, I'm going to use the name of a famous American poet:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/these-are-all-direct-quotes-except-every-time-they-use-a-curse-word-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Debra and Patience, be nice to me now and do not use curse words around me-gosh:):):)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare/debra-and-patience-be-nice-to-me-now-and-do-not-use-curse-words/) [Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare/) > [Mothers." The man made a word sound like a curse. "I think birthing does something to your minds. You are all mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mothers-the-man-made-a-word-sound-like-a-curse-i-think-birthing-does/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Mungu akikubariki kipaji chako watu watasema ni laana. Maisha yako ni sawa na mto. Unakoelekea ni baharini. Lakini sasa umefika kwenye mlango wa bahari.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/mungu-akikubariki-kipaji-chako-watu-watasema-ni-laana-maisha-yako-ni/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [If the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labour, entertainment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/if-the-idea-of-having-to-change-ourselves-makes-us-uncomfortable-we/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [I especially like the songs Hurry Up and The Curse Of Castle Dragon, and I often include them in my live show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gilbert/i-especially-like-the-songs-hurry-up-and-the-curse-of-castle-dragon/) [Paul Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gilbert/) > [Down where I grew up, able-bodied people do that which we believe God created them to do. 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At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [You have been deceived by your own cold heart - a curse upon your house and all within it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beauty-and-the-beast/you-have-been-deceived-by-your-own-cold-heart-a-curse-upon-your-house/) Beauty And The Beast > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Who knew the counter-curse was just unjellify?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-malfoy/who-knew-the-counter-curse-was-just-unjellify/) [Lucius Malfoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-malfoy/) ## More by Ben Elton > [ “\[H\]e was damned if he was going to water down his arguments simply to satisfy the preference of the mob for dogma and ignorance.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elton/h-e-was-damned-if-he-was-going-to-water-down-his-arguments-simply-to/) [Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) > [“People in that crowd want to make poverty history, but NOT if they have to pay for it themselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elton/people-in-that-crowd-want-to-make-poverty-history-but-not-if-they/) [ben elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) > [We've all got to look at ourselves, start with yourself, that's all you can do. I believe that we can act responsibly as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elton/we-ve-all-got-to-look-at-ourselves-start-with-yourself-that-s-all-you/) [Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) > [“We've just lost our way, that's all. But what if you could give us a chance to do better? Just one chance? One single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elton/we-ve-just-lost-our-way-that-s-all-but-what-if-you-could-give-us-a/) [Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) > [I try hard not to preach, but I get carried away, which is a mistake, but it's a risk worth running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elton/i-try-hard-not-to-preach-but-i-get-carried-away-which-is-a-mistake/) [Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) > [Artists don't create society, they reflect it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elton/artists-don-t-create-society-they-reflect-it/) [Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) > [The earth only has so much bounty to offer and inventing ever larger and more notional prices for that bounty does not change its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elton/the-earth-only-has-so-much-bounty-to-offer-and-inventing-ever-larger/) [Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) > [My advice to anyone adapting a novel is that once they've read it and learnt to understand it, then they must throw it away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elton/my-advice-to-anyone-adapting-a-novel-is-that-once-they-ve-read-it-and/) [Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) > [My parents were secular. 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At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [“Mary: Some call this "Eve's curse," but I think that is stupid because the real curse of Eve was having to put up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/mary-some-call-this-eve-s-curse-but-i-think-that-is-stupid-because/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Were you indeed not blinded by the Curse Of Self-exile, that still grows worse and worse, Yourselves would know that, though you see him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farid-al-din-attar/were-you-indeed-not-blinded-by-the-curse-of-self-exile-that-still/) [Farid al-Din Attar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farid-al-din-attar/) > [Down where I grew up, able-bodied people do that which we believe God created them to do. Work is a blessing; it's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-southerland/down-where-i-grew-up-able-bodied-people-do-that-which-we-believe-god/) [Steve Southerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-southerland/) > [I especially like the songs Hurry Up and The Curse Of Castle Dragon, and I often include them in my live show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gilbert/i-especially-like-the-songs-hurry-up-and-the-curse-of-castle-dragon/) [Paul Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gilbert/) > [If the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labour, entertainment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/if-the-idea-of-having-to-change-ourselves-makes-us-uncomfortable-we/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [“Mungu akikubariki kipaji chako watu watasema ni laana. Maisha yako ni sawa na mto. Unakoelekea ni baharini. Lakini sasa umefika kwenye mlango wa bahari.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/mungu-akikubariki-kipaji-chako-watu-watasema-ni-laana-maisha-yako-ni/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [Partisanship is our great curse. We too readily assume that everything has two sides and that it is our duty to be on one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harvey-robinson/partisanship-is-our-great-curse-we-too-readily-assume-that-everything/) [James Harvey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harvey-robinson/) > [You have power over my body but the Lord Jesus hath power over my body and soul; and assure yourselves thus much, you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hutchinson/you-have-power-over-my-body-but-the-lord-jesus-hath-power-over-my/) [Anne Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hutchinson/) > [“The penis, often regarded as a weapon, is also a burden, the male curse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gay-talese/the-penis-often-regarded-as-a-weapon-is-also-a-burden-the-male-curse/) [Gay Talese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gay-talese/) > [“Beauty will always be a curse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-c-perry/beauty-will-always-be-a-curse/) [L.C. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-c-perry/) > [“Sometimes," Helena continued, "I have a terrible dream of the future. Not now, but presently, people may forget their loyalty to their kings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/sometimes-helena-continued-i-have-a-terrible-dream-of-the-future-not/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) [Browse all 1,718 Curse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s a curse to have a mind if it is illegal to use it. 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