--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good men can make terrible kings,'…" description: "\"“Good men can make terrible kings,' Tindwyl noted. 'But bad men cannot make good kings.' Sazed said. 'It is better to start with a good man and work on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/brandon-sanderson-112_good-kings_good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl_296422.jpg" --- # Good men can make terrible kings,' Tindwyl noted. 'But bad… ![“Good men can make terrible kings,' Tindwyl noted. 'But bad men cannot make good kings.' Sazed said. 'It is better to start with a good man and work on the rest, I think.” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/brandon-sanderson-112_good-kings_good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl_296422.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/brandon-sanderson-112_good-kings_good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl_296422.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/brandon-sanderson-112_good-kings_good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl_296422.jpg) > ““Good men can make terrible kings,' Tindwyl noted. 'But bad men cannot make good kings.' Sazed said. 'It is better to start with a good man and work on the rest, I think.”” [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good men can become terrible kings; bad men cannot be good kings; start with good people and improve the rest. **In simple terms:** Leadership quality matters more than gender. Key Takeaway Choose good leaders and develop them. Themes leadership ethics politics Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - political appointments - organizational hiring - community building Key Concepts moral philosophy governance Questions to Reflect On - What qualities define a good leader? - How to develop weak areas in leadership? A Different Perspective Good people may lack necessary skills. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-kings/) [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Good men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-men/) [King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king/) [Kings Sazed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings-sazed-2841241/) [Terrible Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-kings-2841240/) [Tindwyl Noted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tindwyl-noted-2841242/) ## Related quotes > [“The wars of people will be more terrible than those of kings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-s-churchill/the-wars-of-people-will-be-more-terrible-than-those-of-kings/) [Winston S. Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-s-churchill/) > [We all have known good critics, who have stamped out poet's hopes; Good statesmen, who pulled ruin on the state; Good patriots, who, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/we-all-have-known-good-critics-who-have-stamped-out-poet-s-hopes-good/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [“Many good men have been bad kings, Maester Aemon used to say, and some bad men have been good kings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/many-good-men-have-been-bad-kings-maester-aemon-used-to-say-and-some/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Good men will kill as quickly for what they want as evil men- only the things they want are different.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-will-kill-as-quickly-for-what-they-want-as-evil-men-only-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [Good men don't become legends," he said quietly. "Good men don't need to become legends." She opened her eyes, looking up at him. "They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-don-t-become-legends-he-said-quietly-good-men-don-t-need-to/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Good men don't become legends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-don-t-become-legends/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [In our time all it takes for evil to flourish is for a few good men to be a little wrong and have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/in-our-time-all-it-takes-for-evil-to-flourish-is-for-a-few-good-men/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [There were some things that only time could cure. Evil men could be destroyed, but nothing could be done with good men who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/there-were-some-things-that-only-time-could-cure-evil-men-could-be/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [I will adhere to the counsels of good men, although misfortune and death should be the consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/i-will-adhere-to-the-counsels-of-good-men-although-misfortune-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The Gospel of Jesus Christ can make bad men good and good men better, can alter human nature, and can change human lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ-can-make-bad-men-good-and-good-men-better/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [Those good men who take such pleasure in relieving the miserable for Christ's sake, would not have been less forward to minister onto Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/those-good-men-who-take-such-pleasure-in-relieving-the-miserable-for/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuri-orlov/they-say-evil-prevails-when-good-men-fail-to-act-what-they-ought-to/) [Yuri Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuri-orlov/) > [Heaven prepares good men with crosses; but no ill can happen to a good man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/heaven-prepares-good-men-with-crosses-but-no-ill-can-happen-to-a-good/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Greetings, O Great Gazoo. How nice of you to join us here on planet Earth again. (Cael) Thanks, Barney. How’s Betty and Bam Bam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/greetings-o-great-gazoo-how-nice-of-you-to-join-us-here-on-planet/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Biographies of great, but especially of good men are most instructive and useful as helps, guides, and incentives to others. Some of the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/biographies-of-great-but-especially-of-good-men-are-most-instructive/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) ## More by Brandon Sanderson > [“I’ll admit, Jasnah, that I empathize with your skepticism, but I don’t agree with it. I just think you've been looking for God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-ll-admit-jasnah-that-i-empathize-with-your-skepticism-but-i-don-t/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [They say a man doesn't know himself until he faces death for the first time. . . I don't know about that. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/they-say-a-man-doesn-t-know-himself-until-he-faces-death-for-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Why, Elend! That’s almost romantic—in a twisted ‘I’m going to make my wife want to kill me’ sort of way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/why-elend-that-s-almost-romantic-in-a-twisted-i-m-going-to-make-my/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“And...how much are we getting paid for achieving the impossible?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/and-how-much-are-we-getting-paid-for-achieving-the-impossible/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elantris was the one place where she could remember feeling unconditional acceptance. She had not been a princess, she had been something far better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elantris-was-the-one-place-where-she-could-remember-feeling/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elend-smiled-oh-come-on-you-have-to-admit-that-you-re-unusual-vin-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“That is always how it is, though, isn't it?” Shuden asked. “Those who can least afford extravagance seem to be the ones most determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/that-is-always-how-it-is-though-isn-t-it-shuden-asked-those-who-can/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“He says he’s letting the Stormfather judge you,” Moash added. “Jezerezeh, king of Heralds. He says that if you deserve to live, you will….”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/he-says-he-s-letting-the-stormfather-judge-you-moash-added-jezerezeh/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“The stories say the Nightwatcher might be capable of that. . . . Powerful spren. Vast spren.’ ‘Is he calling me vast?’ Syl said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-stories-say-the-nightwatcher-might-be-capable-of-that-powerful/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“But the mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/but-the-mark-of-a-great-man-is-one-who-knows-when-to-set-aside-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My life to yours. My breath beecome yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-beecome-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-you-re-always-on-time-it-implies-that-you-never-have-anything/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [You are inexperienced. So was I, once. So is every man. The measure of a person is not how much they have lived. .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-are-inexperienced-so-was-i-once-so-is-every-man-the-measure-of-a/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“So I should not hate Adolin Kholin for wielding a corpse!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/so-i-should-not-hate-adolin-kholin-for-wielding-a-corpse/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) [Explore all 1,238 Brandon Sanderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## More Good kings quotes > [What are you doing for others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-are-you-doing-for-others/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There has been a comparatively greater proportion of good queens, than of good kings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moore-grimke/there-has-been-a-comparatively-greater-proportion-of-good-queens-than/) [Sarah Moore Grimke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moore-grimke/) > [A good king is a public servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/a-good-king-is-a-public-servant/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [There is some good in the worst of us, and some evil in the best of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-is-some-good-in-the-worst-of-us-and-some-evil-in-the-best-of-us/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-comes-a-time-when-one-must-take-the-position-that-is-neither/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [George VI in the conventional parlance was a Good King who sacrificed his life to his sense of duty. If we are to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-p-taylor/george-vi-in-the-conventional-parlance-was-a-good-king-who-sacrificed/) [A. J. P. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-p-taylor/) > [Good kings are slaves, and their people are free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-leszczynska/good-kings-are-slaves-and-their-people-are-free/) [Marie Leszczynska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-leszczynska/) > [Politics, as the word is commonly understood, are nothing but corruptions, and consequently of no use to a good king or a good ministry;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/politics-as-the-word-is-commonly-understood-are-nothing-but-2/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/returning-hate-for-hate-multiplies-hate-adding-deeper-darkness-to-a-2/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [If you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl, but keep moving forward!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-you-can-t-run-walk-if-you-can-t-walk-crawl-but-keep-moving-forward/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The House of Peers, throughout the war, Did nothing in particular, And did it very well: Yet Britain set the world ablaze In good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/the-house-of-peers-throughout-the-war-did-nothing-in-particular-and/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [“Many good men have been bad kings, Maester Aemon used to say, and some bad men have been good kings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/many-good-men-have-been-bad-kings-maester-aemon-used-to-say-and-some/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [It seems to us unwise to have insisted on teaching geometry to the younger Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, in order to make him a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/it-seems-to-us-unwise-to-have-insisted-on-teaching-geometry-to-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [We all have known good critics, who have stamped out poet's hopes; Good statesmen, who pulled ruin on the state; Good patriots, who, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/we-all-have-known-good-critics-who-have-stamped-out-poet-s-hopes-good/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-develop-and-maintain-the-capacity-to-forgive-he-who-is-devoid-3/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Browse all 21 Good kings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-kings/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Good men can make terrible kings,' Tindwyl noted. 'But bad men cannot make good kings.' Sazed said. 'It is better to start with a good man and work on the rest, I think.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brandon Sanderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl-noted-but-bad-men-cannot/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Good kings" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl-noted-but-bad-men-cannot/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/brandon-sanderson-112_good-kings_good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl_296422.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/brandon-sanderson-112_good-kings_good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl_296422.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/brandon-sanderson-112_good-kings_good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl_296422.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Good men can make terrible kings,' Tindwyl noted. 'But bad men cannot make good kings.' Sazed said. 'It is…” — Brandon Sanderson", "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": "Brandon Sanderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Good men can make terrible kings,'...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl-noted-but-bad-men-cannot/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl-noted-but-bad-men-cannot/#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 } } ] } ```