--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most men do not feel in themselves the…" description: "\"Most men do not feel in themselves the competence required for leading their group to victory, and therefore seek out a captain who appears to possess ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/bertrand-russell-69_accused_most-men-do-not-feel-in-themselves-the-c_3025041.jpg" --- # Most men do not feel in themselves the competence required… ![“Most men do not feel in themselves the competence required for leading their group to victory, and therefore seek out a captain who appears to possess the courage and sagacity necessary for the achievement of supremacy. Even in religion this impulse appears. Nietzsche accused Christianity of…” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/bertrand-russell-69_accused_most-men-do-not-feel-in-themselves-the-c_3025041.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/bertrand-russell-69_accused_most-men-do-not-feel-in-themselves-the-c_3025041.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/bertrand-russell-69_accused_most-men-do-not-feel-in-themselves-the-c_3025041.jpg) > “Most men do not feel in themselves the competence required for leading their group to victory, and therefore seek out a captain who appears to possess the courage and sagacity necessary for the achievement of supremacy. Even in religion this impulse appears. Nietzsche accused Christianity of inculcating a slave-morality, but ultimate triumph was always the goal. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often lack confidence to lead, seeking charismatic leaders; Nietzsche saw this as slave morality. **In simple terms:** Lack of confidence leads to following; Nietzsche critiqued. Key Takeaway Question authority and develop self‑confidence. Themes leadership confidence philosophy Mood analytical critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - team projects - political movements - personal development Key Concepts political theory psychology Questions to Reflect On - What qualities make a leader trustworthy? - How can individuals cultivate courage? A Different Perspective Overreliance on leaders can stifle growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Blessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessed/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nietzsche/) [Sagacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sagacity/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Supremacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supremacy/) [Triumph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triumph/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Master-morality and Slave-morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/master-morality-and-slave-morality/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [ What \[Nietzsche\] calls slave morality is to him purely spite-morality; and this spite-morality gave new names to all ideals. Thus impotence, which offers no… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-brandes/what-nietzsche-calls-slave-morality-is-to-him-purely-spite-morality/) [Georg Brandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-brandes/) > [Lacanian theory must be understood as a kind of “slave morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/lacanian-theory-must-be-understood-as-a-kind-of-slave-morality/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [“While every aristocratic morality springs from a triumphant affirmation of its own demands, the slave morality says "no" from the very outset to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/while-every-aristocratic-morality-springs-from-a-triumphant/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [While every noble morality develops from a triumphant affirmation of itself, slave morality from the outset says No to what is "outside," what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/while-every-noble-morality-develops-from-a-triumphant-affirmation-of/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [A “collective” mind does not exist. It is merely the sum of endless numbers of individual minds. If we have an endless number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/a-collective-mind-does-not-exist-it-is-merely-the-sum-of-endless/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [What this means is that children, homemakers, executives, farmers, and long-living persons can all have high ego strength and good mental health if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-samples/what-this-means-is-that-children-homemakers-executives-farmers-and/) [Bob Samples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-samples/) > [“If you possess enough courage to speak out what you are, you will find you are not alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wright/if-you-possess-enough-courage-to-speak-out-what-you-are-you-will-find/) [Richard Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wright/) > [All ancient books which have once been called sacred by man, will have their lasting place in the history of mankind, and those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-muller/all-ancient-books-which-have-once-been-called-sacred-by-man-will-have/) [Max Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-muller/) > [“If you dare take the challenge, you will possess the courage to conquer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/if-you-dare-take-the-challenge-you-will-possess-the-courage-to-conquer/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [A good man will certainly also possess courage; but a brave man is not necessarily good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/a-good-man-will-certainly-also-possess-courage-but-a-brave-man-is-not/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [...happiness is not found in things you possess, but in what you have the courage to release...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/happiness-is-not-found-in-things-you-possess-but-in-what-you-have-the/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“She had to possess the courage to enter, through language, states which most people deny or veil with silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/she-had-to-possess-the-courage-to-enter-through-language-states-which/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Criticism, though dignified from the earliest ages by the labours of men eminent for knowledge and sagacity, has not yet attained the certainty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/criticism-though-dignified-from-the-earliest-ages-by-the-labours-of/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More by Bertrand Russell > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [All movements go too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-movements-go-too-far/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Such, in outline, but even more purposeless, more void of meaning, is the world which Science presents for our belief. Amid such a world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/such-in-outline-but-even-more-purposeless-more-void-of-meaning-is-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. 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