--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A fool is very dangerous when in power." description: "\"A fool is very dangerous when in power.\" — Denis Fonvizin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/denis-fonvizin-106405_dangerous_a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power-4_478648.png" --- # A fool is very dangerous when in power. ![“A fool is very dangerous when in power.” quote by Denis Fonvizin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/denis-fonvizin-106405_dangerous_a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power-4_478648.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/denis-fonvizin-106405_dangerous_a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power-4_478648.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/denis-fonvizin-106405_dangerous_a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power-4_478648.png) > “A fool is very dangerous when in power.” Denis Fonvizin ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A foolish person in power poses great danger. **In simple terms:** Foolish leadership is dangerous. Key Takeaway Guard against incompetent authority. Themes politics leadership danger foolishness freedom Mood warning serious cautious Type politics leadership danger fool freedom Inspirational Power Dangerous Power Fool Dangerous When to use this quote - elections - civic education - watchdog journalism - public debate Key Concepts authoritarian risk power abuse civic responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens hold leaders accountable? - What safeguards prevent foolish governance? A Different Perspective Even fools can be elected in flawed systems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [Where all are selfish, the sage is no better than the fool, and only rather more dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anthony-froude/where-all-are-selfish-the-sage-is-no-better-than-the-fool-and-only/) [James Anthony Froude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anthony-froude/) > [A fool is often as dangerous to deal with as a knave, and always more incorrigible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/a-fool-is-often-as-dangerous-to-deal-with-as-a-knave-and-always-more/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [The will to power, as the modern age from Hobbes to Nietzsche understood it, far from being a characteristic of the strong, is, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-will-to-power-as-the-modern-age-from-hobbes-to-nietzsche/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be entrusted to man”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crockett/the-power-of-collecting-and-disbursing-money-at-pleasure-is-the-most-2/) [David Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crockett/) > [For anyone with the traits - of feeling himself victimized, of seeking to be the strongman who resolves everything, yet sees truth only through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jay-lifton/for-anyone-with-the-traits-of-feeling-himself-victimized-of-seeking/) [Robert Jay Lifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jay-lifton/) > [The accretion of dangerous power does not come in a day. It does come, however slowly, from the generative force of unchecked disregard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/the-accretion-of-dangerous-power-does-not-come-in-a-day-it-does-come/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [Some use it as a weapon, others as a shield. Without it, you would most likely die. With it, you are weak. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/some-use-it-as-a-weapon-others-as-a-shield-without-it-you-would-most/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [“Words...have always held the dangerous power to conjure things into being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-creagh/words-have-always-held-the-dangerous-power-to-conjure-things-into/) [Kelly Creagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-creagh/) > [Nothing's as dangerous as power with impunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/nothing-s-as-dangerous-as-power-with-impunity/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/power-is-always-dangerous-power-attracts-the-worst-and-corrupts-the/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [That's what Judith Herman is saying, and she's absolutely right. Power then breeds an intensification of all because the power can never be absolute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/that-s-what-judith-herman-is-saying-and-she-s-absolutely-right-power/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [All stories have a curious and even dangerous power. They are manifestations of truth -- yours and mine. And truth is all at once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/all-stories-have-a-curious-and-even-dangerous-power-they-are/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be intrusted to man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crockett/the-power-of-collecting-and-disbursing-money-at-pleasure-is-the-most/) [David Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crockett/) > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-is-never-right-never-i-tell-you-that-s-one-of-these-lies/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) ## More by Denis Fonvizin > [It is far more honest to be undeservedly ignored than to be honoured without merit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-fonvizin/it-is-far-more-honest-to-be-undeservedly-ignored-than-to-be-honoured/) Denis Fonvizin Explore all 2 Denis Fonvizin quotes ## More Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A fool is very dangerous when in power.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Denis Fonvizin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-fonvizin/a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dangerous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-fonvizin/a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/denis-fonvizin-106405_dangerous_a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power-4_478648.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/denis-fonvizin-106405_dangerous_a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power-4_478648.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/denis-fonvizin-106405_dangerous_a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power-4_478648.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A fool is very dangerous when in power.” — Denis Fonvizin", "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": "Denis Fonvizin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-fonvizin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A fool is very dangerous when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-fonvizin/a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-fonvizin/a-fool-is-very-dangerous-when-in-power/#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 } } ] } ```