--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An assembly of great men is the greatest…" description: "\"An assembly of great men is the greatest fool upon earth.\" — Benjamin Franklin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/benjamin-franklin-65_assembly_an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest_855354.png" --- # An assembly of great men is the greatest fool upon earth. ![“An assembly of great men is the greatest fool upon earth.” quote by Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/benjamin-franklin-65_assembly_an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest_855354.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/benjamin-franklin-65_assembly_an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest_855354.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/benjamin-franklin-65_assembly_an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest_855354.png) > “An assembly of great men is the greatest fool upon earth.” [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A critique that gathering many great men together can result in collective foolishness. **In simple terms:** Even the wise can become foolish when grouped. Key Takeaway Value diverse perspectives to avoid groupthink. Themes leadership collective wisdom foolishness group dynamics Mood cautious reflective critical Type advice philosophical political When to use this quote - councils - board meetings - team projects Key Concepts critical thinking collaboration decision making Questions to Reflect On - How can groups stay wise? - What safeguards prevent collective folly? A Different Perspective Group consensus can suppress dissenting but. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assembly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assembly/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Fool Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool-earth-795391/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Greatest Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-fool-473316/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-greatest-795390/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [It is wonderful how preposterously the affairs of the world are managed. We assemble parliaments and councils to have the benefit of collected wisdom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/it-is-wonderful-how-preposterously-the-affairs-of-the-world-are/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The cleverest woman on earth is the biggest fool on earth with a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-cleverest-woman-on-earth-is-the-biggest-fool-on-earth-with-a-man/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [He was not the greatest of men but he was the greatest of kings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/he-was-not-the-greatest-of-men-but-he-was-the-greatest-of-kings/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Women is a necessity of men, his greatest entertainment, is a habit that he can not take away. 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Their greatest deed is the impression they make on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-do-not-judge-men-by-anything-they-can-do-their-greatest-deed-is-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Men of the greatest genius are not always the most prodigal of their encomiums. 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Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-howard/) > [Consolation for those moments when you can't tell whether you're the divinest genius or the greatest fool in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/consolation-for-those-moments-when-you-can-t-tell-whether-you-re-the/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [It is hard to say which is the greatest fool: he who tells the whole truth, or he who tells no truth at all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/it-is-hard-to-say-which-is-the-greatest-fool-he-who-tells-the-whole/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“For what it’s worth, Chaol,” she said. He faced her, his hands in his pockets. She gave him a slight smile. “If she picked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/for-what-it-s-worth-chaol-she-said-he-faced-her-his-hands-in-his/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [For the greatest fool and rascal in creation there is yet a worse condition; and that is, not to know it, but to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/for-the-greatest-fool-and-rascal-in-creation-there-is-yet-a-worse/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [He that thinks he is the happiest man, really is so. But he that thinks he is the wisest, is generally the greatest fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/he-that-thinks-he-is-the-happiest-man-really-is-so-but-he-that-thinks/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## More by Benjamin Franklin > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/give-me-26-lead-soldiers-and-i-will-conquer-the-world/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In the affairs of this world, men are saved not by faith, but by the want of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-the-affairs-of-this-world-men-are-saved-not-by-faith-but-by-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [By heaven we understand a state of happiness infinite in degree, and endless in duration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-heaven-we-understand-a-state-of-happiness-infinite-in-degree-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I have thought that wild flowers might be the alphabet of angels, — whereby they write on hills and fields mysterious truths, which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-have-thought-that-wild-flowers-might-be-the-alphabet-of-angels/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-do-you-become-better-tomorrow-by-improving-yourself-the-world-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Little leaks sink the ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/little-leaks-sink-the-ship/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/who-is-rich-he-that-is-content-who-is-that-nobody/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“But on the whole, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/but-on-the-whole-though-i-never-arrived-at-the-perfection-i-had-been/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The good particular men may do separately, in relieving the sick, is small, compared with what they may do collectively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-good-particular-men-may-do-separately-in-relieving-the-sick-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Love your Neighbour; yet don't pull down your Hedge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/love-your-neighbour-yet-don-t-pull-down-your-hedge/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/take-counsel-in-wine-but-resolve-afterwards-in-water/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [He that's secure is not safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-that-s-secure-is-not-safe/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) [Explore all 1,692 Benjamin Franklin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More Assembly quotes > [We can see nothing whatever of the soul unless it is visible in the expression of the countenance; one might call the faces at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/we-can-see-nothing-whatever-of-the-soul-unless-it-is-visible-in-the/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [ Mac \[Barnett\] and I prank each other during our presentation. We show baby pictures of each other looking completely ridiculous. I can't believe the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jory-john/mac-barnett-and-i-prank-each-other-during-our-presentation-we-show/) [Jory John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jory-john/) > [She went from opera, park, assembly, play, To morning walks, and prayers three hours a day. To part her time 'twixt reading and bohea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/she-went-from-opera-park-assembly-play-to-morning-walks-and-prayers/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Club: An assembly of good fellows, meeting under certain conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/club-an-assembly-of-good-fellows-meeting-under-certain-conditions/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Yet if anyone cares to read over the now crumbling minutes giving an account of the meetings at which the Italian Fasci di Combattimento…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/yet-if-anyone-cares-to-read-over-the-now-crumbling-minutes-giving-an/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/to-that-world-assembly-of-sovereign-states-the-united-nations-our/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“Liberalism is a creation of the seventeenth century, fathered by British philosopher John Locke (1632–1704). For Locke, liberalism means limited government, the rule of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/liberalism-is-a-creation-of-the-seventeenth-century-fathered-by/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [Well I'm not dancing," Will said through gritted teeth. "I don't know how." Oh yes you are," Alyss told him. "Let's hope you're a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/well-i-m-not-dancing-will-said-through-gritted-teeth-i-don-t-know-how/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [For you deal here above all with human life, and human life is sacred; no one may dare make an attempt upon it. Respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-paul-vi/for-you-deal-here-above-all-with-human-life-and-human-life-is-sacred/) [Pope Paul VI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-paul-vi/) > [I was a star campaigner for the Aruvikkara byelection and the assembly elections. They were very valuable experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-a-star-campaigner-for-the-aruvikkara-byelection-and-the/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [One cannot walk through an assembly factory and not feel that one is in Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/one-cannot-walk-through-an-assembly-factory-and-not-feel-that-one-is/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [If you wait for a perfect church, you must wait until you get to heaven; and even if you could find a perfect assembly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/if-you-wait-for-a-perfect-church-you-must-wait-until-you-get-to/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [No harm will come to me. The Assembly is prepared to treat us leniently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-antoinette/no-harm-will-come-to-me-the-assembly-is-prepared-to-treat-us-leniently/) [Marie Antoinette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-antoinette/) > [Every year, the United Nations General Assembly votes on a resolution entitled 'Peaceful resolution of the Palestine conflict.' Every year, the vote is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/every-year-the-united-nations-general-assembly-votes-on-a-resolution/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) [Browse all 409 Assembly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assembly/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "An assembly of great men is the greatest fool upon earth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Benjamin Franklin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest-fool-upon-earth/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assembly" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest-fool-upon-earth/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/benjamin-franklin-65_assembly_an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest_855354.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/benjamin-franklin-65_assembly_an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest_855354.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/benjamin-franklin-65_assembly_an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest_855354.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An assembly of great men is the greatest fool upon earth.” — Benjamin Franklin", "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": "Benjamin Franklin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "An assembly of great men is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest-fool-upon-earth/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/an-assembly-of-great-men-is-the-greatest-fool-upon-earth/#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 } } ] } ```