---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All authority must be out of a man's…"
description: "\"All authority must be out of a man's self, turned . . . either upon an art, or upon a man.\" — Francis Bacon"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/francis-bacon-297_art_all-authority-must-be-out-of-a-man-s-sel_895251.jpg"
---

#  All authority must be out of a man's self, turned…

![“All authority must be out of a man's self, turned . . . either upon an art, or upon a man.” quote by Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/francis-bacon-297_art_all-authority-must-be-out-of-a-man-s-sel_895251.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/francis-bacon-297_art_all-authority-must-be-out-of-a-man-s-sel_895251.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/francis-bacon-297_art_all-authority-must-be-out-of-a-man-s-sel_895251.jpg)

> “All authority must be out of a man's self, turned . . . either upon an art, or upon a man.”

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

## About This Quote

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

Self‑governance requires external guidance, either through art or mentorship, to shape character.

**In simple terms:** People need guidance from art or mentors.

Key Takeaway

Seek external influences for growth.

Themes

philosophy self‑governance guidance

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical didactic

When to use this quote

- personal development
- leadership training
- creative mentorship
- artistic inspiration

Key Concepts

autonomy influence education

Questions to Reflect On

- Who or what should guide your decisions?
- Can art replace personal responsibility?

A Different Perspective

Over‑reliance can hinder independent thought.

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[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Authority Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-man-1189173/) [Man Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-self/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-turned-1189174/) [Turned Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned-art-1189175/)

## Related quotes

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> [The mind turned inwards is the Self; turned outwards, it becomes the ego and all the world. Cotton made into various clothes we call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/the-mind-turned-inwards-is-the-self-turned-outwards-it-becomes-the/)

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> [“When he was with a woman, he saw to her welfare with the easy authority of a man who believed it was his responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-w-hill/when-he-was-with-a-woman-he-saw-to-her-welfare-with-the-easy/)

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> [“When Louise worried bout something, it often turned up in her art.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-greenberg/when-louise-worried-bout-something-it-often-turned-up-in-her-art/)

[Jan Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-greenberg/)

> [You can become anything you want to be ... It's a matter of authority. Whatever a man's confidence, that's his capacity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marijane-meaker/you-can-become-anything-you-want-to-be-it-s-a-matter-of-authority/)

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> [Wherever there is a man who exercises authority, there is a man who resists authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/wherever-there-is-a-man-who-exercises-authority-there-is-a-man-who/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [I don't think you can tell somebody how they should collect. I think it's just about being turned on by art.At the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gagosian/i-don-t-think-you-can-tell-somebody-how-they-should-collect-i-think/)

[Larry Gagosian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gagosian/)

> [There is as much difference between the counsel that a friend giveth, and that a man giveth himself, as there is between the counsel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/there-is-as-much-difference-between-the-counsel-that-a-friend-giveth/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [There is no such flatterer as is a man's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/there-is-no-such-flatterer-as-is-a-man-s-self/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [The arch-flatterer, with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-arch-flatterer-with-whom-all-the-petty-flatterers-have/)

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> [It has well been said that the arch-flatterer, with whom all petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/it-has-well-been-said-that-the-arch-flatterer-with-whom-all-petty/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [“A man of self respect doesn't turn into a milch cow for anybody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/a-man-of-self-respect-doesn-t-turn-into-a-milch-cow-for-anybody/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Two ideas are psychologically deep-rooted in man: self-protection and self-preservation. For self-protection man has created God, on whom he depends for his own protection,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walpola-rahula/two-ideas-are-psychologically-deep-rooted-in-man-self-protection-and/)

[Walpola Rahula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walpola-rahula/)

> [“... fortune is not in time or place or things; but, good or bad, in the man’s own self for him alone to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-fitzpatrick/fortune-is-not-in-time-or-place-or-things-but-good-or-bad-in-the-man/)

[Percy FitzPatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-fitzpatrick/)

## More by Francis Bacon

> [Princes are like heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times, and which have much veneration, but no rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/princes-are-like-heavenly-bodies-which-cause-good-or-evil-times-and/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [The best preservative to keep the mind in health is the faithful admonition of a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-best-preservative-to-keep-the-mind-in-health-is-the-faithful/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [Since custom is the principal magistrate of man's life, let men by all means endeavor to obtain good customs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/since-custom-is-the-principal-magistrate-of-man-s-life-let-men-by-all/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [Painting today is pure intuition and luck and taking advantage of what happens when you splash the stuff down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/painting-today-is-pure-intuition-and-luck-and-taking-advantage-of/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [I usually accept bribes from both sides so that tainted money can never influence my decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-usually-accept-bribes-from-both-sides-so-that-tainted-money-can/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [Much bending breaks the bow; much unbending the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/much-bending-breaks-the-bow-much-unbending-the-mind/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [When Christ came into the world, peace was sung; and when He went out of the world, peace was bequeathed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-christ-came-into-the-world-peace-was-sung-and-when-he-went-out/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [...neither is it possible to discover the more remote and deeper parts of any science, if you stand but upon the level of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/neither-is-it-possible-to-discover-the-more-remote-and-deeper-parts/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

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> [The human understanding, when any preposition has been once laid down... forces everything else to add fresh support and confirmation; and although more cogent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-human-understanding-when-any-preposition-has-been-once-laid-down/)

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[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

[Explore all 711 Francis Bacon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

## More Art quotes

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

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> [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/)

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