--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Government is an unnecessary evil. Human…" description: "\"Government is an unnecessary evil. Human beings, when accustomed to taking responsibility for their own behavior, can cooperate on a basis of mutual tr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/fred-woodworth-83684_government_government-is-an-unnecessary-evil-human_2102112.jpg" --- # Government is an unnecessary evil. Human beings, when… ![“Government is an unnecessary evil. Human beings, when accustomed to taking responsibility for their own behavior, can cooperate on a basis of mutual trust and helpfulness.” quote by Fred Woodworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/fred-woodworth-83684_government_government-is-an-unnecessary-evil-human_2102112.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/fred-woodworth-83684_government_government-is-an-unnecessary-evil-human_2102112.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/fred-woodworth-83684_government_government-is-an-unnecessary-evil-human_2102112.jpg) > “Government is an unnecessary evil. Human beings, when accustomed to taking responsibility for their own behavior, can cooperate on a basis of mutual trust and helpfulness.” Fred Woodworth ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans can cooperate through mutual trust when they take personal responsibility. **In simple terms:** Responsibility enables trust‑based cooperation. Key Takeaway Foster personal accountability to build trust. Themes ethics community trust Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - team projects - neighborhood initiatives - online collaborations Key Concepts social contract autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How do you model responsibility? - What barriers prevent trust in groups? A Different Perspective Assumes universal willingness to accept responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Mutual trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutual-trust/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Taking responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-responsibility/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) ## Related quotes > [Government is an unnecessary evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-berwick/government-is-an-unnecessary-evil/) [Jeff Berwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-berwick/) > [While in some quarters it is felt that the critic is just a necessary evil, most serious-minded, decent, talented theater people agree that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/while-in-some-quarters-it-is-felt-that-the-critic-is-just-a-necessary/) [Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/) > [“I have experienced real horror. I have known true evil. Its name is human nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newman/i-have-experienced-real-horror-i-have-known-true-evil-its-name-is/) [James Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newman/) > [The evil is not that you cannot change human nature. The evil is that human nature cannot change you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barrows-dunham/the-evil-is-not-that-you-cannot-change-human-nature-the-evil-is-that/) Barrows Dunham > [“Good, evil, these are human concepts, ways people have for understanding what it means to be alive,” Nick said. “Before people came along, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abramelin-keldor/good-evil-these-are-human-concepts-ways-people-have-for-understanding/) [Abramelin Keldor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abramelin-keldor/) > [There is evil in every human heart, which may remain latent, perhaps, through the whole of life; but circumstances may rouse it to activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/there-is-evil-in-every-human-heart-which-may-remain-latent-perhaps/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“The moment we forget that even the evil among us are still human is the moment we forget that even the most human among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/the-moment-we-forget-that-even-the-evil-among-us-are-still-human-is/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-all-believe-that-what-he-s-4/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he’s doing is good, or else that it’s a well-considered act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-all-believe-that-what-he-s-3/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [There is no evil in human affairs that has not some good mingled with it. \[It., Non e male alcuno nelle cose umane che…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesco-guicciardini/there-is-no-evil-in-human-affairs-that-has-not-some-good-mingled-with/) [Francesco Guicciardini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesco-guicciardini/) > [“It is very seldom that one encounters what would appear to be sheer unadulterated evil in a human face; an evil, I mean, active,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-de-la-mare/it-is-very-seldom-that-one-encounters-what-would-appear-to-be-sheer/) [Walter de la Mare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-de-la-mare/) > [“WANG. We live in a time of great change. It is easy to find monsters- and as easy to find heroes. To judge rightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bond/wang-we-live-in-a-time-of-great-change-it-is-easy-to-find-monsters/) [Edward Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bond/) > [To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good, or else that it's a well-considered act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-all-believe-that-what-he-s/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [You can't just blame things on evil. Everyone's a human, so when people say that somebody's behaving 'inhuman,' it's not. It's very human -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-johnson/you-can-t-just-blame-things-on-evil-everyone-s-a-human-so-when-people/) [Eric Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-johnson/) > [All these words, words like 'evil' and 'vicious', they meant nothing to Nature. Yes, evil was a human invention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/all-these-words-words-like-evil-and-vicious-they-meant-nothing-to/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) ## More by Fred Woodworth > [It seems like such a terrible shame that innocent civilians have to get hurt in wars, otherwise combat would be such a wonderfully healthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-woodworth/it-seems-like-such-a-terrible-shame-that-innocent-civilians-have-to/) Fred Woodworth > [If human beings are fundamentally good, no government is necessary; if they are fundamentally bad, any government, being composed of human beings, would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-woodworth/if-human-beings-are-fundamentally-good-no-government-is-necessary-if/) Fred Woodworth Explore all 3 Fred Woodworth quotes ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [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/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [THE ART OF PEACE is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/the-art-of-peace-is-not-easy-it-is-a-fight-to-the-finish-the-slaying/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) [Browse all 11,163 Evil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Government is an unnecessary evil. 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