---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Power belongs to the intelligence of…"
description: "\"Power belongs to the intelligence of evil. It's totally unreflective, like Donald Trump. It belongs there.\" — Cody Wilson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/cody-wilson-29280_evil_power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evi_812658.jpg"
---

#  Power belongs to the intelligence of evil. It's totally…

![“Power belongs to the intelligence of evil. It's totally unreflective, like Donald Trump. It belongs there.” quote by Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/cody-wilson-29280_evil_power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evi_812658.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/cody-wilson-29280_evil_power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evi_812658.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/cody-wilson-29280_evil_power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evi_812658.jpg)

> “Power belongs to the intelligence of evil. It's totally unreflective, like Donald Trump. It belongs there.”

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The statement claims that evil intelligence controls power, implying it is unthinking and likening it to a specific political figure.

**In simple terms:** Power is driven by unreflective evil.

Key Takeaway

Question the ethics of power structures.

Themes

power evil unreflective intelligence

Mood

critical skeptical

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- leadership analysis
- media criticism
- ethical debates

Key Concepts

political critique moral philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- Is power always linked to evil?
- How can reflective intelligence influence power?

A Different Perspective

The claim is overly simplistic and partisan.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/)

## Related quotes

> [There is a true weakness in American thought today: their incapacity to be interested in the intelligence of evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-henri-levy/there-is-a-true-weakness-in-american-thought-today-their-incapacity/)

[Bernard-Henri Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-henri-levy/)

> [Were it part of our everyday education and comment that the corporation is an instrument for the exercise of power, that it belongs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/were-it-part-of-our-everyday-education-and-comment-that-the/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [“Let no one ever intimidate you, you are standing on no one's ground. But again, some have claimed the earth as their own and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/let-no-one-ever-intimidate-you-you-are-standing-on-no-one-s-ground/)

[Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/)

> [Ranked choice voting restores power where it belongs, with the people themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/ranked-choice-voting-restores-power-where-it-belongs-with-the-people/)

[Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/)

> [In our New York, the power belongs to the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zohran-mamdani/in-our-new-york-the-power-belongs-to-the-people/)

[Zohran Mamdani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zohran-mamdani/)

> [In the assumption that power belongs as a matter of course to capital, all economists are Marxians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/in-the-assumption-that-power-belongs-as-a-matter-of-course-to-capital/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [“Power belongs to the smallest and to the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-ne-cixous/power-belongs-to-the-smallest-and-to-the-dead/)

[Hélène Cixous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-ne-cixous/)

> [The people have to have the power: it belongs to the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hampton/the-people-have-to-have-the-power-it-belongs-to-the-people/)

[Fred Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hampton/)

> [“It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/it-may-be-a-reflection-on-human-nature-that-such-devices-should-be/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [The common people feel themselves oppressed by the grasping of some, and their vanity is flattered by others. Fired with evil passions, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polybius/the-common-people-feel-themselves-oppressed-by-the-grasping-of-some/)

[Polybius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polybius/)

> [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/)

[John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/)

> [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/)

[Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/)

## More by Cody Wilson

> [It's sad that as crushed Millennials we live in the shadow of our parents, our fathers. We aren't willing to murder our government. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/it-s-sad-that-as-crushed-millennials-we-live-in-the-shadow-of-our/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [I love the example of Jefferson because he's willing to murder his government and then he becomes a president and then his face is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/i-love-the-example-of-jefferson-because-he-s-willing-to-murder-his/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [There's more roles now to fill since Trump's in. There's this refusal of power. I think progressives are actually literally uncomfortable with the exercise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/there-s-more-roles-now-to-fill-since-trump-s-in-there-s-this-refusal/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [Any democratic sentiment propels my politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/any-democratic-sentiment-propels-my-politics/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [History should be about every generation's will to power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/history-should-be-about-every-generation-s-will-to-power/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [I really try not to be like, "I'm an activist."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/i-really-try-not-to-be-like-i-m-an-activist/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [The technology will break gun control. I stand for freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/the-technology-will-break-gun-control-i-stand-for-freedom/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [The sad thing about Trump is that everybody is secretly really relieved he got elected, of the people I know - the professional left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/the-sad-thing-about-trump-is-that-everybody-is-secretly-really/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [All activism is fake activism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/all-activism-is-fake-activism/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [Specifically within the AR15 community, gun owners can now make the capacity magazines for themselves and there is no need to serialize them. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/specifically-within-the-ar15-community-gun-owners-can-now-make-the/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [I'm a Nietzschean about human nature. The bulk of humanity is exhausted and superfluous, miscreant, confused, latently criminal, opportunistic. I rely on that. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/i-m-a-nietzschean-about-human-nature-the-bulk-of-humanity-is/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [I actually think the common anarchist position is that people are fundamentally good, blah blah blah. I don't believe that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/i-actually-think-the-common-anarchist-position-is-that-people-are/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [I can fight for something in the name of democratization, although I don't use that word a lot anymore. Come on, man. I hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/i-can-fight-for-something-in-the-name-of-democratization-although-i/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [People have a crab mentality, man. They're walking sideways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/people-have-a-crab-mentality-man-they-re-walking-sideways/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

> [I'm not going to let Defense Distributed go into a pro-social NGO territory. "We should really have more women on the board." That's navel-gazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/i-m-not-going-to-let-defense-distributed-go-into-a-pro-social-ngo/)

[Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

[Explore all 18 Cody Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/)

## More Evil quotes

> [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/)

[Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/)

> [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/)

[John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/)

> [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/)

[Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/)

> [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/)

[Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/)

> [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/)

[Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/)

> [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/)

James Nayler

> [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/)

[Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/)

> [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/)

[M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/)

> [THE ART OF PEACE is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/the-art-of-peace-is-not-easy-it-is-a-fight-to-the-finish-the-slaying/)

[Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/)

[Browse all 11,163 Evil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Power belongs to the intelligence of evil. It's totally unreflective, like Donald Trump. It belongs there.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cody Wilson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evil-it-s-totally-unreflective/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Evil"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evil-it-s-totally-unreflective/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/cody-wilson-29280_evil_power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evi_812658.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/cody-wilson-29280_evil_power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evi_812658.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/cody-wilson-29280_evil_power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evi_812658.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Power belongs to the intelligence of evil. It's totally unreflective, like Donald Trump. It belongs there.” — Cody Wilson",
                "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": "Cody Wilson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Power belongs to the intelligence of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evil-it-s-totally-unreflective/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/power-belongs-to-the-intelligence-of-evil-it-s-totally-unreflective/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
