--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Stupidity and unconscious bias often work…" description: "\"Stupidity and unconscious bias often work more damage than venality.\" — Bertrand Russell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/bertrand-russell-69_bias_stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-wor_344411.jpg" --- # Stupidity and unconscious bias often work more damage than… ![“Stupidity and unconscious bias often work more damage than venality.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/bertrand-russell-69_bias_stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-wor_344411.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/bertrand-russell-69_bias_stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-wor_344411.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/bertrand-russell-69_bias_stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-wor_344411.jpg) > “Stupidity and unconscious bias often work more damage than venality.” [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. Stupidity and unconscious bias often cause more harm than deliberate greed, undermining fairness and trust. **In simple terms:** Ignorance and bias are more damaging than intentional corruption. Key Takeaway Watch for hidden biases in decisions. Themes bias stupidity ethics psychology Mood cautionary reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - workplace hiring - policy making - interpersonal conflict - team leadership Key Concepts cognitive bias moral hazard Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify your own blind spots? - Can ignorance be more dangerous than intent? A Different Perspective Overt malice can be equally harmful in some contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias/) [Damage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damage/) [Stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity/) ## Related quotes > [There's an unconscious bias in our society: girls are wonderful; boys are terrible. And to be a boy, or young man, growing up, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/there-s-an-unconscious-bias-in-our-society-girls-are-wonderful-boys/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“Unconscious bias influences our lives in exactly the same manner as that undercurrent that took me out so far that day. When undercurrents aid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shankar-vedantam/unconscious-bias-influences-our-lives-in-exactly-the-same-manner-as/) Shankar Vedantam > [Those who politically theorise the artificial concept of 'whiteness' infer that anyone who has white skin cannot escape their unconscious bias. If you object,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-fox/those-who-politically-theorise-the-artificial-concept-of-whiteness/) [Claire Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-fox/) > [I suspect unconscious bias has been far more of a factor for President Obama than overt racism and will also be a challenge for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/i-suspect-unconscious-bias-has-been-far-more-of-a-factor-for/) [Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/) > [For people like me with a disability, the unconscious bias is a lack of expectation of what you can do, negative perception, and negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-alcott/for-people-like-me-with-a-disability-the-unconscious-bias-is-a-lack/) [Dylan Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-alcott/) > [There are still very few companies run by women these days. And, clearly, there are many reasons for that, including what many see as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-woodruff/there-are-still-very-few-companies-run-by-women-these-days-and/) [Judy Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-woodruff/) > [What is to be expected of them is not treachery, or physcial cowardice, but stupidity, unconscious sabotage, an infallible instinct for doing the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/what-is-to-be-expected-of-them-is-not-treachery-or-physcial-cowardice/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Stupidity,--unconscious ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/stupidity-unconscious-ignorance/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [In football, statistically, there's an under-representation from the BAME community in dugouts, boardrooms and coaching roles. The claim is that systemic racism and unconscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-jordan/in-football-statistically-there-s-an-under-representation-from-the/) [Simon Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-jordan/) > [“We are more likely to trust a person who is easier to read; they're easier to believe. Or we tend to think that an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/we-are-more-likely-to-trust-a-person-who-is-easier-to-read-they-re/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [We must all acknowledge our unconscious biases, and listen with less bias when women, and others who are marginalized, speak out. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-moss/we-must-all-acknowledge-our-unconscious-biases-and-listen-with-less/) [Tara Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-moss/) > [I think unconscious bias is one of the hardest things to get at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/i-think-unconscious-bias-is-one-of-the-hardest-things-to-get-at/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [I would say how important it is that we stop teaching kids, from the beginning, that boys are more important than girls. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/i-would-say-how-important-it-is-that-we-stop-teaching-kids-from-the/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) > [An unconscious people, an indoctrinated people, a people fed only partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias, a people made morbidly obese…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/an-unconscious-people-an-indoctrinated-people-a-people-fed-only/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [Behind the cameras, there's a different problem, which I think is not unconscious gender bias. It's probably categorized more as conscious gender bias. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/behind-the-cameras-there-s-a-different-problem-which-i-think-is-not/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) ## 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. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/aristotle-maintained-that-women-have-fewer-teeth-than-men-although-he/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-an-opinion-contrary-to-your-own-makes-you-angry-that-is-a-sign/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/persecution-is-used-in-theology-not-in-arithmetic-because-in/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There is no greater reason for children to honour parents than for parents to honour children except, that while the children are young, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-greater-reason-for-children-to-honour-parents-than-for/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Explore all 1,620 Bertrand Russell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More Bias quotes > [The print is devised so that I can cut the dresses on the bias, so they work around the body. It's not like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-galliano/the-print-is-devised-so-that-i-can-cut-the-dresses-on-the-bias-so/) [John Galliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-galliano/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > ["Natural" is a very dangerous word to use about sexuality ... Our society's notions of normality are completely fake and meta-trendy, since they rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-bright/natural-is-a-very-dangerous-word-to-use-about-sexuality-our-society-s/) [Susie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-bright/) > [Science manipulates things and gives up living in them. It makes its own limited models of things; operating upon these indices or variables to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/science-manipulates-things-and-gives-up-living-in-them-it-makes-its/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [Fortunately for serious minds, a bias recognized is a bias sterilized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-haydon/fortunately-for-serious-minds-a-bias-recognized-is-a-bias-sterilized/) [Benjamin Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-haydon/) > [I can say this very clearly: I have come into this Congress with an antiwar bias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-frankel/i-can-say-this-very-clearly-i-have-come-into-this-congress-with-an/) [Lois Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-frankel/) > [The legal bias for special protection for women has begun to wreak havoc with the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/the-legal-bias-for-special-protection-for-women-has-begun-to-wreak/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [That's awesome. There's no bias in the media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-edwards/that-s-awesome-there-s-no-bias-in-the-media/) [Carl Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-edwards/) > [“The most disgusting human trait is bias, because it typically leads to propaganda, hate and violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lifsey/the-most-disgusting-human-trait-is-bias-because-it-typically-leads-to/) [Lori Lifsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lifsey/) > [I'm speaking out against social media bias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-loomer/i-m-speaking-out-against-social-media-bias/) [Laura Loomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-loomer/) > [“I pick up a copy of Newsweek on the plane and immediately notice how biased, slanted, and opinionated all the U.S. newsmagazine articles are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-pick-up-a-copy-of-newsweek-on-the-plane-and-immediately-notice-how/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“Hundreds of studies confirm that human forecasts are flawed and biased. Human decision making is not so great either. Again to take just one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/hundreds-of-studies-confirm-that-human-forecasts-are-flawed-and/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [“Many journalists now are no more than channelers and echoers of what George Orwell called the 'official truth'. They simply cipher and transmit lies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/many-journalists-now-are-no-more-than-channelers-and-echoers-of-what/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [The stance I took was there is no room for racial bias anywhere in sports. I believe that was basically all I said about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-larkin/the-stance-i-took-was-there-is-no-room-for-racial-bias-anywhere-in/) [Barry Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-larkin/) > [First and foremost, if you want to be a good writer, you need to be a good eater. You need to be fearless when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leong/first-and-foremost-if-you-want-to-be-a-good-writer-you-need-to-be-a/) [Melissa Leong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leong/) [Browse all 667 Bias quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Stupidity and unconscious bias often work more damage than venality.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bertrand Russell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-work-more-damage-than-venality/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bias" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-work-more-damage-than-venality/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/bertrand-russell-69_bias_stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-wor_344411.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/bertrand-russell-69_bias_stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-wor_344411.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/bertrand-russell-69_bias_stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-wor_344411.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Stupidity and unconscious bias often work more damage than venality.” — Bertrand Russell", "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": "Bertrand Russell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Stupidity and unconscious bias often work...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-work-more-damage-than-venality/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-work-more-damage-than-venality/#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 } } ] } ```