--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence…" description: "\"“Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence Officer playing God”\" — Elizabeth Wein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/elizabeth-wein-3764_playing-god_bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligenc_638542.png" --- # Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence Officer playing… ![“Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence Officer playing God” quote by Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/elizabeth-wein-3764_playing-god_bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligenc_638542.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/elizabeth-wein-3764_playing-god_bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligenc_638542.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/elizabeth-wein-3764_playing-god_bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligenc_638542.png) > ““Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence Officer playing God”” [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The phrase describes a ruthless, god‑like intelligence officer who manipulates events with Machiavellian tactics. **In simple terms:** A manipulative, god‑like spy. Key Takeaway Beware of power‑hungry manipulators. Themes power manipulation ethics leadership Mood cautionary dark Type ethical psychological When to use this quote - espionage - political intrigue - organizational leadership Key Concepts Machiavellianism intelligence operations god complex Questions to Reflect On - What drives a person to seek god‑like control? - How can societies limit such manipulation? A Different Perspective Such power can lead to moral decay. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I was an intelligence officer, not a policy-maker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cofer-black/i-was-an-intelligence-officer-not-a-policy-maker/) [Cofer Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cofer-black/) > [I love my career. I thought, if I was lucky, I would retire as a senior intelligence officer, still working on the issues of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-plame/i-love-my-career-i-thought-if-i-was-lucky-i-would-retire-as-a-senior/) [Valerie Plame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-plame/) > [I wrote 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' at the age of 30 under intense, unshared personal stress and in extreme privacy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/i-wrote-the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold-at-the-age-of-30-under/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The senior director at the NSC for the Middle East is retired Col. Derek Harvey, an Arabic-speaking intelligence officer with a Ph.D. who served…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-senior-director-at-the-nsc-for-the-middle-east-is-retired-col/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [As an intelligence officer, if you don't have a security clearance, you really don't have a job. My military position was, and has been,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/as-an-intelligence-officer-if-you-don-t-have-a-security-clearance-you/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [I never threatened him and no Syrian intelligence officer has ever pointed a gun to his head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafik-hariri/i-never-threatened-him-and-no-syrian-intelligence-officer-has-ever/) [Rafik Hariri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafik-hariri/) > [Here in St. Cloud’s,” Dr. Larch wrote, “ I have been given the choice of playing God or leaving practically everything up to chance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/here-in-st-cloud-s-dr-larch-wrote-i-have-been-given-the-choice-of/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I was scared. Do you know what it's like to hold someone else's life in your hands? It's like playing God. Can you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-sheldon/i-was-scared-do-you-know-what-it-s-like-to-hold-someone-else-s-life/) [Sidney Sheldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-sheldon/) > [There are over 30 doctors running for the US Congress this year. That's going to be rather strange. Half the time these folks will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/there-are-over-30-doctors-running-for-the-us-congress-this-year-that/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [The world is playing lets make a barbie doll with your body,but the truth is they know you love your body and what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/the-world-is-playing-lets-make-a-barbie-doll-with-your-body-but-the/) Frenchqueen > [The Internet connection from the road can be spotty, so usually when I'm on the tour bus, I'm playing 'God of War.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-show/the-internet-connection-from-the-road-can-be-spotty-so-usually-when-i/) [Big Show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-show/) > [I have a penchant for playing God's clowns. Actually, I played Nijinsky once, and he used to call himself God's clown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-lang/i-have-a-penchant-for-playing-god-s-clowns-actually-i-played-nijinsky/) [Stephen Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-lang/) > [ God does not play dice \[with the universe\]. \[Ger., Gott wurfelt nicht.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/god-does-not-play-dice-with-the-universe-ger-gott-wurfelt-nicht/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Gettting to know your characters is so much more important than plotting. Working out every detail of your story in advance, especially when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/gettting-to-know-your-characters-is-so-much-more-important-than/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I don't want to spoil the magic, but it's a very curious thing that honestly baffles me. It's the nearest we'll ever get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/i-don-t-want-to-spoil-the-magic-but-it-s-a-very-curious-thing-that/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) ## More by Elizabeth Wein > [“It was wonderful flirting with him, all the razor-edged literary banter, like Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. A battle of wit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/it-was-wonderful-flirting-with-him-all-the-razor-edged-literary/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“She was never so petty. She did not dabble with minnows at the surface when there were thirty-pound salmon swimming deeper down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/she-was-never-so-petty-she-did-not-dabble-with-minnows-at-the-surface/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [A part of me will always be unflyable, stuck in the climb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/a-part-of-me-will-always-be-unflyable-stuck-in-the-climb/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“I, of course, took the opportunity to interpose with pigheaded Wallace pride, 'I am not English, you ignorant Jerry bastard, I am a SCOT.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/i-of-course-took-the-opportunity-to-interpose-with-pigheaded-wallace/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“I seem to be good at asking for trouble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/i-seem-to-be-good-at-asking-for-trouble/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [Incredible what slender threads you begin to hang your hopes on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/incredible-what-slender-threads-you-begin-to-hang-your-hopes-on/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“Which would you rather have––an unlimited supply of Chanel No. 5, or freedom?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/which-would-you-rather-have-an-unlimited-supply-of-chanel-no-5-or/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“And this, even more wonderful and mysterious, is also true: when I read it, when I read what Julie's written, she is instantly alive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/and-this-even-more-wonderful-and-mysterious-is-also-true-when-i-read/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [I tend not to attempt to describe pain. I don't feel I can comprehend or re-create the personal suffering of others, so I simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/i-tend-not-to-attempt-to-describe-pain-i-don-t-feel-i-can-comprehend/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“KISS ME, HARDY! Kiss me, QUICK!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/kiss-me-hardy-kiss-me-quick/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“She gave a low and delighted chuckle. Her eyes were black as a moonless December night and reflected the electric lights like stars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/she-gave-a-low-and-delighted-chuckle-her-eyes-were-black-as-a/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“Kiss me, Hardy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/kiss-me-hardy/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“I don't believe for a minute-that we wouldn't have become friends somehow-that an unexploded bomb wouldn't have gone off and blown us both into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/i-don-t-believe-for-a-minute-that-we-wouldn-t-have-become-friends/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“FLY THE PLANE, MADDIE.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/fly-the-plane-maddie/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [“Writing to you like this makes me feel that you are still alive. It’s an illusion I’ve noticed before—words on a page are like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/writing-to-you-like-this-makes-me-feel-that-you-are-still-alive-it-s/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) [Explore all 120 Elizabeth Wein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) ## More Playing god quotes > [I don't want to spoil the magic, but it's a very curious thing that honestly baffles me. It's the nearest we'll ever get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/i-don-t-want-to-spoil-the-magic-but-it-s-a-very-curious-thing-that/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [Gettting to know your characters is so much more important than plotting. Working out every detail of your story in advance, especially when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/gettting-to-know-your-characters-is-so-much-more-important-than/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [ God does not play dice \[with the universe\]. \[Ger., Gott wurfelt nicht.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/god-does-not-play-dice-with-the-universe-ger-gott-wurfelt-nicht/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I have a penchant for playing God's clowns. Actually, I played Nijinsky once, and he used to call himself God's clown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-lang/i-have-a-penchant-for-playing-god-s-clowns-actually-i-played-nijinsky/) [Stephen Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-lang/) > [The Internet connection from the road can be spotty, so usually when I'm on the tour bus, I'm playing 'God of War.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-show/the-internet-connection-from-the-road-can-be-spotty-so-usually-when-i/) [Big Show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-show/) > [The world is playing lets make a barbie doll with your body,but the truth is they know you love your body and what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/the-world-is-playing-lets-make-a-barbie-doll-with-your-body-but-the/) Frenchqueen > [There are over 30 doctors running for the US Congress this year. That's going to be rather strange. Half the time these folks will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/there-are-over-30-doctors-running-for-the-us-congress-this-year-that/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I was scared. Do you know what it's like to hold someone else's life in your hands? It's like playing God. Can you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-sheldon/i-was-scared-do-you-know-what-it-s-like-to-hold-someone-else-s-life/) [Sidney Sheldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-sheldon/) > [Here in St. Cloud’s,” Dr. Larch wrote, “ I have been given the choice of playing God or leaving practically everything up to chance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/here-in-st-cloud-s-dr-larch-wrote-i-have-been-given-the-choice-of/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [If changing our world is playing God, it is just one more way in which God made us in His image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-de-grey/if-changing-our-world-is-playing-god-it-is-just-one-more-way-in-which/) [Aubrey de Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-de-grey/) > [The thing about playing gods, whether you're playing Thor and Loki or Greco Roman gods or Indian gods or characters in any mythology, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/the-thing-about-playing-gods-whether-you-re-playing-thor-and-loki-or/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [I am sure the audience that looks on me as a Mahadev knows that at the end of the day, I am an actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohit-raina/i-am-sure-the-audience-that-looks-on-me-as-a-mahadev-knows-that-at/) [Mohit Raina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohit-raina/) > [ I spent my entire experience with Gary \[ on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy\] staring at him and not returning any lines because I think… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hardy/i-spent-my-entire-experience-with-gary-on-tinker-tailor-soldier-spy/) [Tom Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hardy/) > [“Max’s unflinching gaze never left that house. “What do you think’s going to happen?” Jules asked him quietly, “if you let yourself peel that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-brockmann/max-s-unflinching-gaze-never-left-that-house-what-do-you-think-s/) [Suzanne Brockmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-brockmann/) > [You've been playing gods-and-witches again, that's clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-morris/you-ve-been-playing-gods-and-witches-again-that-s-clear/) [Janet Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-morris/) Browse all 55 Playing god quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence Officer playing God”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth Wein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligence-officer-playing-god/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Playing god" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligence-officer-playing-god/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/elizabeth-wein-3764_playing-god_bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligenc_638542.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/elizabeth-wein-3764_playing-god_bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligenc_638542.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/elizabeth-wein-3764_playing-god_bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligenc_638542.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence Officer playing God” — Elizabeth Wein", "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": "Elizabeth Wein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence Officer playing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligence-officer-playing-god/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/bloody-machiavellian-english-intelligence-officer-playing-god/#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 } } ] } ```