--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a good point of cunning for a man…" description: "\"It is a good point of cunning for a man to shape the answer he would have in his own words and propositions, for it makes the other party stick the les..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/francis-bacon-297_answers_it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man_3021817.jpg" --- # It is a good point of cunning for a man to shape the… ![“It is a good point of cunning for a man to shape the answer he would have in his own words and propositions, for it makes the other party stick the less.” quote by Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/francis-bacon-297_answers_it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man_3021817.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/francis-bacon-297_answers_it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man_3021817.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/francis-bacon-297_answers_it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man_3021817.jpg) > “It is a good point of cunning for a man to shape the answer he would have in his own words and propositions, for it makes the other party stick the less.” [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. Crafting arguments in one's own words reduces the opponent's ability to counter effectively. **In simple terms:** Own words strengthen arguments. Key Takeaway Use personal language in persuasion. Themes rhetoric argumentation clarity Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - debate - writing - public speaking - legal advocacy Key Concepts philosophy communication logic Questions to Reflect On - How does language choice affect persuasion? - When is strategic wording ethical? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex issues by focusing on wording. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cunning man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning-man/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) ## Related quotes > [There is a cunning which we in England call the rning of the cat in the pan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/there-is-a-cunning-which-we-in-england-call-the-rning-of-the-cat-in/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [It is a pity that, commonly, more care is had--yea, and that among very wise men--to find out rather a cunning man for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ascham/it-is-a-pity-that-commonly-more-care-is-had-yea-and-that-among-very/) [Roger Ascham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ascham/) > [“The more cunning a man is, the less he suspects that he will be caught in a simple thing. The more cunning a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/the-more-cunning-a-man-is-the-less-he-suspects-that-he-will-be-caught/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“In this world, where the strong prey upon the weak, and the cunning manipulate the naive, it is imperative that you become the master…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-l-michel/in-this-world-where-the-strong-prey-upon-the-weak-and-the-cunning/) [Kevin L. Michel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-l-michel/) > [Don't think so much of your own Cunning, as to forget other Men's; a Cunning Man is overmatched by a cunning Man and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/don-t-think-so-much-of-your-own-cunning-as-to-forget-other-men-s-a/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [People kill what they fear. They burned, and drowned, and hanged those they saw as witches, the devil's servants: the wise women and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-kill-what-they-fear-they-burned-and-drowned-and-hanged-those/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Do you come to a philosopher as to a cunning man, to learn something by magic or witchcraft, beyond what can be known by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/do-you-come-to-a-philosopher-as-to-a-cunning-man-to-learn-something/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Our spiritual history is the history of God-ventriloquists! The truth is that the voice of God is the voice of cunning Man, the ventriloquist's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/our-spiritual-history-is-the-history-of-god-ventriloquists-the-truth/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Recognize the cunning man not by the corpses he pays homage to but by the living writers he conspires against with the most shameful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dahlberg/recognize-the-cunning-man-not-by-the-corpses-he-pays-homage-to-but-by/) [Edward Dahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dahlberg/) > [A cunning man overreaches no one half as much as himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-cunning-man-overreaches-no-one-half-as-much-as-himself/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The cunning man steals a horse, the wise man lets him alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-cunning-man-steals-a-horse-the-wise-man-lets-him-alone/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Satan is cunning and man is weak, but God rules the heart of his faithful, and does what he will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-rene-de-laboulaye/satan-is-cunning-and-man-is-weak-but-god-rules-the-heart-of-his/) [Edouard Rene de Laboulaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-rene-de-laboulaye/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [There is a cunning which we in England call "the turning of the cat" in the pan; which is, when that which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/there-is-a-cunning-which-we-in-england-call-the-turning-of-the-cat-in/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [“Even were the time to come when there would be neither poor nor rich, yet there will always be wise and stupid, sly and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika-waltari/even-were-the-time-to-come-when-there-would-be-neither-poor-nor-rich/) [Mika Waltari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika-waltari/) ## 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/) > [The divisions of science are not like different lines that meet in one angle, but rather like the branches of trees that join in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-divisions-of-science-are-not-like-different-lines-that-meet-in/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [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/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [I should have been, I don't know, a con-man, a robber or a prostitute. But it was vanity that made me choose painting, vanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-should-have-been-i-don-t-know-a-con-man-a-robber-or-a-prostitute/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Wounds cannot be cured without searching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/wounds-cannot-be-cured-without-searching/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The French are wiser than they seem, and the Spaniards seem wiser than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-french-are-wiser-than-they-seem-and-the-spaniards-seem-wiser-than/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [When a man laughs at his troubles he loses a great many friends. They never forgive the loss of their prerogative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-a-man-laughs-at-his-troubles-he-loses-a-great-many-friends-they/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Believing that I was born for the service of mankind, and regarding the care of the commonwealth as a kind of common property which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/believing-that-i-was-born-for-the-service-of-mankind-and-regarding/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) [Explore all 711 Francis Bacon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/) [Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [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/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is a good point of cunning for a man to shape the answer he would have in his own words and propositions, for it makes the other party stick the less.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francis Bacon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man-to-shape-the-answer-he-would/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man-to-shape-the-answer-he-would/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/francis-bacon-297_answers_it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man_3021817.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/francis-bacon-297_answers_it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man_3021817.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/francis-bacon-297_answers_it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man_3021817.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is a good point of cunning for a man to shape the answer he would have in his own words and propositions…” — Francis Bacon", "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": "Francis Bacon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is a good point of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man-to-shape-the-answer-he-would/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/it-is-a-good-point-of-cunning-for-a-man-to-shape-the-answer-he-would/#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 } } ] } ```