--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is better to have a fair intellect…" description: "\"It is better to have a fair intellect that is well used than a powerful one that is idle.\" — Bryant H. McGill" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/bryant-h-mcgill-2612_better_it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-th_2450463.jpg" --- # It is better to have a fair intellect that is well used… ![“It is better to have a fair intellect that is well used than a powerful one that is idle.” quote by Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/bryant-h-mcgill-2612_better_it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-th_2450463.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/bryant-h-mcgill-2612_better_it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-th_2450463.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/bryant-h-mcgill-2612_better_it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-th_2450463.jpg) > “It is better to have a fair intellect that is well used than a powerful one that is idle.” [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intellect used wisely outweighs raw power left idle. **In simple terms:** Smart use of mind beats unused strength. Key Takeaway Apply knowledge actively. Themes wisdom action power Mood inspirational serious Type motivational ethical When to use this quote - decision making - policy development - education Key Concepts utilization ethics leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure intellect serves? - What practices keep intellect active? A Different Perspective Power without purpose can be dangerous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Fair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair/) [Fair Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair-intellect-566544/) [Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idle/) [Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect/) [Intellect Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect-used-566545/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) ## Related quotes > [SETH said: When the intellect is used properly, it thinks of a goal and automatically sets the body in motion toward it, and automatically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-roberts/seth-said-when-the-intellect-is-used-properly-it-thinks-of-a-goal-and/) [Jane Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-roberts/) > [Genius is always accompanied by enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/genius-is-always-accompanied-by-enthusiasm/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [One can hardly appreciate how academia has perverted its highest tasks and "ideals" without pondering long and hard the implications of Jacques Barzun's House…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/one-can-hardly-appreciate-how-academia-has-perverted-its-highest/) [Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/) > [The whole idea of the pursuit of goods and possessions has completely corrupted the human experience, along with religion, which I think limits the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-whole-idea-of-the-pursuit-of-goods-and-possessions-has-completely/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Intellect in the practice room or studio gives you the tools to use your heart on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-laureano/intellect-in-the-practice-room-or-studio-gives-you-the-tools-to-use/) [Manny Laureano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-laureano/) > [First, then, I say, that the mind, which we often call the intellect, in which is placed the conduct and government of life, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/first-then-i-say-that-the-mind-which-we-often-call-the-intellect-in/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [When passions and appetites are stronger than the intellect, men are savages; when the intellect governs the passions, when the passions are servants, men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/when-passions-and-appetites-are-stronger-than-the-intellect-men-are/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [True success depends more on character than on intellect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-armand-montapert/true-success-depends-more-on-character-than-on-intellect/) [Alfred Armand Montapert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-armand-montapert/) > [I couldn't stand being identified by my sexuality, I retaliated by insisting that people regard me for my intellectual worth. My intellect became a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leora-tanenbaum/i-couldn-t-stand-being-identified-by-my-sexuality-i-retaliated-by/) [Leora Tanenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leora-tanenbaum/) > [The region belonging to the pure intellect is straitened: the imagination labours to extend its territories, to give it room. She sweeps across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-region-belonging-to-the-pure-intellect-is-straitened-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [... you are a man still young, so to say, in your first youth and so put intellect above everything ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-are-a-man-still-young-so-to-say-in-your-first-youth-and-so-put/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“There are many different kinds of knowledge. The way of the heart and spirit can guide us in a more trustworthy way than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lakota-sioux-buck-ghosthorse/there-are-many-different-kinds-of-knowledge-the-way-of-the-heart-and/) [Lakota Sioux Buck Ghosthorse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lakota-sioux-buck-ghosthorse/) > [Plato compared the intellect to a charioteer guiding the powerful horses of the passions, i.e., he gave it both the power of perception and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-cattell/plato-compared-the-intellect-to-a-charioteer-guiding-the-powerful/) [Raymond Cattell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-cattell/) > [Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/because-there-are-three-classes-of-intellects-one-which-comprehends/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“Your mind has the intellect to lift the world, your heart has the wisdom to better the world, and your soul has the genius…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/your-mind-has-the-intellect-to-lift-the-world-your-heart-has-the/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) ## More by Bryant H. McGill > [True education is limited to those people who would die without knowing, whereas the masses in the institutions are merely going through the motions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/true-education-is-limited-to-those-people-who-would-die-without/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [You reclaim your power by loving what you were once taught to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/you-reclaim-your-power-by-loving-what-you-were-once-taught-to-hate/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [It will feel impossible; like you are dying inside this is your soul crying out for life. It may take everything you have; every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/it-will-feel-impossible-like-you-are-dying-inside-this-is-your-soul/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [Genius is always accompanied by enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/genius-is-always-accompanied-by-enthusiasm/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [My self-esteem had been crushed through years of childhood bullying and serious abuses, which would take me decades to overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/my-self-esteem-had-been-crushed-through-years-of-childhood-bullying/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [Good manners are appreciated as much as bad manners are abhorred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/good-manners-are-appreciated-as-much-as-bad-manners-are-abhorred/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [Become empty to become complete, for it is the void that defines the form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/become-empty-to-become-complete-for-it-is-the-void-that-defines-the/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [Dare to love every person, including yourself. Become the energy of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/dare-to-love-every-person-including-yourself-become-the-energy-of-love/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [A mistake made by many people with great convictions is that they will let nothing stand in the way of their views, not even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/a-mistake-made-by-many-people-with-great-convictions-is-that-they/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [You are the artist and the art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/you-are-the-artist-and-the-art/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [In America, educators punish those who actually think for themselves. There is only acceptance for popular opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/in-america-educators-punish-those-who-actually-think-for-themselves/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [Hate controls everything it touches, but love sets everything it touches free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/hate-controls-everything-it-touches-but-love-sets-everything-it/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [Let people speak. Let people disagree. Communicate. Listen. Have high-respect, if not for your opponent, then for your own comportment and conduct as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/let-people-speak-let-people-disagree-communicate-listen-have-high/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [While it is important for people to see your promise you must also remember that hope is the keeper of both happiness and disappointment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/while-it-is-important-for-people-to-see-your-promise-you-must-also/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [Stop your worrying, panicking and stressing. Breathe. Remember, you made it this far through difficulties that seemed impossible. Remember how many times you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/stop-your-worrying-panicking-and-stressing-breathe-remember-you-made/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) [Explore all 158 Bryant H. McGill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/) [Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The Little you Give !! The Better it Gets !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-stanyer/the-little-you-give-the-better-it-gets/) [Mario Stanyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-stanyer/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/) [Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/) > [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [I like to collaborate with other people for studio recordings because I believe collaboration, in any form, makes music better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-like-to-collaborate-with-other-people-for-studio-recordings-because/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/) [Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/) > [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [I never really look at it past one year. I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) [Browse all 17,085 Better quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is better to have a fair intellect that is well used than a powerful one that is idle.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bryant H. McGill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-that-is-well-used-than-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Better" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-that-is-well-used-than-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/bryant-h-mcgill-2612_better_it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-th_2450463.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/bryant-h-mcgill-2612_better_it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-th_2450463.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/bryant-h-mcgill-2612_better_it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-th_2450463.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is better to have a fair intellect that is well used than a powerful one that is idle.” — Bryant H. McGill", "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": "Bryant H. McGill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is better to have a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-that-is-well-used-than-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/it-is-better-to-have-a-fair-intellect-that-is-well-used-than-a/#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 } } ] } ```