--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For some authorities it isn't that…" description: "\"“For some authorities it isn't that they're evil - or even that they're incompetent - but rather they just don't care enough; and not caring enough pro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/criss-jami-320_apathy_for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they_1441604.jpg" --- # For some authorities it isn't that they're evil - or even… ![“For some authorities it isn't that they're evil - or even that they're incompetent - but rather they just don't care enough; and not caring enough produces a corruption of the same magnitude.” quote by Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/criss-jami-320_apathy_for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they_1441604.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/criss-jami-320_apathy_for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they_1441604.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/criss-jami-320_apathy_for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they_1441604.jpg) > ““For some authorities it isn't that they're evil - or even that they're incompetent - but rather they just don't care enough; and not caring enough produces a corruption of the same magnitude.”” [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People may not be evil or incompetent, but their indifference creates corruption of equal scale. **In simple terms:** Indifference can be as damaging as malice. Key Takeaway Beware apathy in positions of authority. Themes responsibility ethics leadership Mood concerned critical Type advisory ethical When to use this quote - government - corporate management - nonprofits - public service Key Concepts moral decay systemic risk Questions to Reflect On - How does apathy affect decision making? - What safeguards can reduce indifferent behavior? A Different Perspective Indifference may stem from lack of accountability, not just personal failings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apathy/) [Authorities Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authorities-isn-5160360/) [Caring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Incompetent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-incompetent-5160358/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Incompetence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incompetence/) [Incompetent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incompetent/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Laziness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laziness/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Produces Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/produces-corruption-5160359/) ## Related quotes > [Obviously somebody had been appallingly incompetent and he hoped to God it wasn't him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/obviously-somebody-had-been-appallingly-incompetent-and-he-hoped-to/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“I know the word "incompetent" from my father. He uses it when there's something political on TV, or when he and Uncle Miki are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/i-know-the-word-incompetent-from-my-father-he-uses-it-when-there-s/) [Saša Stanišić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [“The more skill it takes to accomplish a task, the more difficult it is to comprehend the knowledge needed to deal with it, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigina-sgarro/the-more-skill-it-takes-to-accomplish-a-task-the-more-difficult-it-is/) [Luigina Sgarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigina-sgarro/) > [“Those who are weakest often tend to blame others for their own incompetence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriella-geach/those-who-are-weakest-often-tend-to-blame-others-for-their-own/) [Gabriella Geach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriella-geach/) > [Initial incompetence is not a reason to be dismissive of capabilities. Al Qaeda itself was incompetent when it started as a terrorist organization. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/initial-incompetence-is-not-a-reason-to-be-dismissive-of-capabilities/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [You should know how many incompetent men I had to compete with-in vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inge-lehmann/you-should-know-how-many-incompetent-men-i-had-to-compete-with-in-vain/) [Inge Lehmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inge-lehmann/) > [Our government has become incompetent, unresponsive, corrupt. And that incompetence, ineptitude, lack of accountability is now dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/our-government-has-become-incompetent-unresponsive-corrupt-and-that/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/never-ascribe-to-malice-that-which-is-adequately-explained-by/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“Life, as I know it, is cataclysms and apocalypses. With each passing day I feel that much more incompetent even to trace gestures or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/life-as-i-know-it-is-cataclysms-and-apocalypses-with-each-passing-day/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“Here lies the separation of stupidity and incompetence. If you’re stupid, you just didn’t understand what happened and then make adjustments. If you’re incompetent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/here-lies-the-separation-of-stupidity-and-incompetence-if-you-re/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [The only weapon with which the unconscious patient can immediately retaliate upon the incompetent surgeon is hemorrhage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stewart-halsted/the-only-weapon-with-which-the-unconscious-patient-can-immediately/) [William Stewart Halsted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stewart-halsted/) > [“Worse than a corrupt government is an incompetent one, not least because having the second characteristic does not exclude the first one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-bello-accioly/worse-than-a-corrupt-government-is-an-incompetent-one-not-least/) [Victor Bello Accioly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-bello-accioly/) > [“Any work is always improvable, you cannot really finish the work, you can only abandon it out of tiredness or incompetence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/any-work-is-always-improvable-you-cannot-really-finish-the-work-you/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“The doctor was clueless!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-doctor-was-clueless/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Incompetent government embraces hiring quotas, thus furthering their incompetence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/incompetent-government-embraces-hiring-quotas-thus-furthering-their/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) ## More by Criss Jami > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Religion, like science, is only noteworthy when it emphasizes a matter of what is true rather than whose belief is greater or lesser or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/religion-like-science-is-only-noteworthy-when-it-emphasizes-a-matter/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Slander does to a soul what cancer does to a cell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/slander-does-to-a-soul-what-cancer-does-to-a-cell/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [The hated man is the result of his hater's pride rather than his hater's conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-hated-man-is-the-result-of-his-hater-s-pride-rather-than-his/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [What is a genius? A person who demands little to nothing from others, but is often found extremely difficult to have around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/what-is-a-genius-a-person-who-demands-little-to-nothing-from-others/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [A man does not have to feel less than human to realize his sin; oppositely, he has to realize that he gets no special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/a-man-does-not-have-to-feel-less-than-human-to-realize-his-sin/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [I would rather my descendants have greater abilities and a greater knowledge of the love of Christ than I do, much like standing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/i-would-rather-my-descendants-have-greater-abilities-and-a-greater/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Create with the heart; build with the mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/create-with-the-heart-build-with-the-mind/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Peace is more of an internal settlement rather than what is visible on the external.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/peace-is-more-of-an-internal-settlement-rather-than-what-is-visible/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Our entire lives we witness individuals, the ones who break some of the most culturally sensitive moral codes, ruined permanently by the media -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/our-entire-lives-we-witness-individuals-the-ones-who-break-some-of/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Senses of humor define people, as factions, deeper rooted than religious or political opinions. When carrying out everyday tasks, opinions are rather easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/senses-of-humor-define-people-as-factions-deeper-rooted-than/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [I believe in evolution in the sense that a short-tempered man is the successor of a crybaby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/i-believe-in-evolution-in-the-sense-that-a-short-tempered-man-is-the/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“God speaks of his children shining best in ways that only he can provide. The heavens lift one as a golden child while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/god-speaks-of-his-children-shining-best-in-ways-that-only-he-can/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [It is never just disagreement but always intellectual dishonesty that is the apologist's worst enemy. And its apprentice is ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/it-is-never-just-disagreement-but-always-intellectual-dishonesty-that/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Always work towards a dream or you'll always dream of working elsewhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/always-work-towards-a-dream-or-you-ll-always-dream-of-working/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) [Explore all 684 Criss Jami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) ## More Apathy quotes > [If possible, I want to hear POLITICS defined without either sympathy or apathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/if-possible-i-want-to-hear-politics-defined-without-either-sympathy/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [One response was given by the innkeeper when Mary and Joseph wanted to find a room where the Child could be born. The innkeeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/one-response-was-given-by-the-innkeeper-when-mary-and-joseph-wanted/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Try to greet troubles with apathy. Hello's are never what they used to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-swellers/try-to-greet-troubles-with-apathy-hello-s-are-never-what-they-used-to/) [The Swellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-swellers/) > [Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-j-toynbee/apathy-can-be-overcome-by-enthusiasm/) [Arnold J. Toynbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-j-toynbee/) > [Indifference must be a crime in us, to be ranked but one degree below treachery; for deserting the commonwealth is next to betraying it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-st-john-1st-viscount-bolingbroke/indifference-must-be-a-crime-in-us-to-be-ranked-but-one-degree-below/) [Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-st-john-1st-viscount-bolingbroke/) > [Insect politics, indifferent universe. Bang your head against the wall, but apathy is worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-henley/insect-politics-indifferent-universe-bang-your-head-against-the-wall/) [Don Henley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-henley/) > [“And there's a freedom in apathy, a wild, dizzying liberation on which you can almost get drunk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/and-there-s-a-freedom-in-apathy-a-wild-dizzying-liberation-on-which/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [For he who is not deaf, half a silence is enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-malfatti/for-he-who-is-not-deaf-half-a-silence-is-enough/) [Jean-Paul Malfatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-malfatti/) > [“Just because a person is silent doesn’t mean there’s no message.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/just-because-a-person-is-silent-doesn-t-mean-there-s-no-message/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“If someone with a high level of authority were to ask me, "Suzy, how can we make people so incredibly stupid and apathetic, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/if-someone-with-a-high-level-of-authority-were-to-ask-me-suzy-how-can/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“It takes more than one kick in the pants to reverse a lifetime of unplanned apathy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-neilan/it-takes-more-than-one-kick-in-the-pants-to-reverse-a-lifetime-of/) [Paul Neilan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-neilan/) > [“Use the apathy of your logic to solve your problems and then the passion of your soul to enjoy life after that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelos-michalopoulos/use-the-apathy-of-your-logic-to-solve-your-problems-and-then-the/) [Angelos Michalopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelos-michalopoulos/) > [“The fundamental basis by which the court’s decision might be made is, in itself, imperfect and subject to contradictions. There is very little consideration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/the-fundamental-basis-by-which-the-court-s-decision-might-be-made-is/) [Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/) > [“The young woman had read a good many novels, and she had seen a good many films; this education by newspaper, serial and film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-renard/the-young-woman-had-read-a-good-many-novels-and-she-had-seen-a-good/) [Maurice Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-renard/) > [Mourn not the dead that in the cool earth lie... But rather mourn the apathetic throng - The cowed and the meek - Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-chaplin/mourn-not-the-dead-that-in-the-cool-earth-lie-but-rather-mourn-the/) [Ralph Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-chaplin/) [Browse all 619 Apathy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apathy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For some authorities it isn't that they're evil - or even that they're incompetent - but rather they just don't care enough; and not caring enough produces a corruption of the same magnitude.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Criss Jami" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they-re-evil-or-even-that-they-re/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Apathy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they-re-evil-or-even-that-they-re/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/criss-jami-320_apathy_for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they_1441604.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/criss-jami-320_apathy_for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they_1441604.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/criss-jami-320_apathy_for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they_1441604.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For some authorities it isn't that they're evil - or even that they're incompetent - but rather they just…” — Criss Jami", "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": "Criss Jami", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“For some authorities it isn't that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they-re-evil-or-even-that-they-re/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/for-some-authorities-it-isn-t-that-they-re-evil-or-even-that-they-re/#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 } } ] } ```