--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The more cunning a man is, the less he…" description: "\"“The more cunning a man is, the less he suspects that he will be caught in a simple thing. The more cunning a man is, the simpler the trap he must be c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_the-more-cunning-a-man-is-the-less-he-su_1985984.jpg" --- # The more cunning a man is, the less he suspects that he… ![“The more cunning a man is, the less he suspects that he will be caught in a simple thing. The more cunning a man is, the simpler the trap he must be caught in.” quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_the-more-cunning-a-man-is-the-less-he-su_1985984.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_the-more-cunning-a-man-is-the-less-he-su_1985984.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_the-more-cunning-a-man-is-the-less-he-su_1985984.jpg) > ““The more cunning a man is, the less he suspects that he will be caught in a simple thing. The more cunning a man is, the simpler the trap he must be caught in.”” [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cunning people often overlook simple pitfalls, leading to their downfall. **In simple terms:** Cunning invites simple traps. Key Takeaway Beware overcomplicating plans. Themes cunning hubris consequences Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - business negotiations - personal relationships - legal strategies Key Concepts psychology human nature risk Questions to Reflect On - Do you trust your own cleverness? - How can simplicity expose hidden risks? A Different Perspective Even the clever can be caught by basic errors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cunning man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning-man/) ## Related quotes > [Many men have been capable of doing a wise thing, more a cunning thing, but very few a generous thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/many-men-have-been-capable-of-doing-a-wise-thing-more-a-cunning-thing/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“It is in just such stupid things clever people are most easily caught. The more cunning a man is, the less he suspects that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/it-is-in-just-such-stupid-things-clever-people-are-most-easily-caught/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“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 Fyodor Dostoyevsky > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Listen! I know it's not right to talk. Better to set an example, better to just start - I have already started - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/listen-i-know-it-s-not-right-to-talk-better-to-set-an-example-better/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“When all are undressed, one is somehow not ashamed, but when one's the only one undressed and everybody is looking, it's degrading,' he kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/when-all-are-undressed-one-is-somehow-not-ashamed-but-when-one-s-the/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“And what if there are only spiders there, or something of that sort”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/and-what-if-there-are-only-spiders-there-or-something-of-that-sort/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“The morning was so damp and misty”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/the-morning-was-so-damp-and-misty/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“I repeat, I repeat with emphasis: all "direct" persons and men of action are active just because they are stupid and limited. How explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-repeat-i-repeat-with-emphasis-all-direct-persons-and-men-of-action/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“He is a man of intelligence, but to act sensibly, intelligence is not enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/he-is-a-man-of-intelligence-but-to-act-sensibly-intelligence-is-not/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [ “if \[God\] doesn't exist, man is the chief of the earth, of the universe. Magnificent! Only how is he going to be good without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/if-god-doesn-t-exist-man-is-the-chief-of-the-earth-of-the-universe/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“From an encounter in 1862... “Dickens told me,” Dostoyevsky recalled in a letter written years later, “that all the good, simple people in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/from-an-encounter-in-1862-dickens-told-me-dostoyevsky-recalled-in-a/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“It must be the top drawer," he reflected. "So she carries the keys in a pocket on the right. All in one bunch on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/it-must-be-the-top-drawer-he-reflected-so-she-carries-the-keys-in-a/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“- You take evil for good. It's a passing crisis. It's the result of your illness, perhaps. - You do despise me! It's simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/you-take-evil-for-good-it-s-a-passing-crisis-it-s-the-result-of-your/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Clouds overlaid the sky as with a shroud of mist, and everything looked sad, rainy, and threatening under a fine drizzle which was beating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/clouds-overlaid-the-sky-as-with-a-shroud-of-mist-and-everything/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“People who can speak well, speak briefly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/people-who-can-speak-well-speak-briefly/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“I think I could stand anything, any suffering, only to be able to say and to repeat to myself every moment, 'I exist.' In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-think-i-could-stand-anything-any-suffering-only-to-be-able-to-say/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“There is no more ceaseless or tormenting care for man, as long as he remains free, than to find someone to bow down to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/there-is-no-more-ceaseless-or-tormenting-care-for-man-as-long-as-he/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) [Explore all 1,078 Fyodor Dostoyevsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) ## More Cunning quotes > [Charm is a cunning self-forgetfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/charm-is-a-cunning-self-forgetfulness/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [Life is a battle of wits, and many people have to fight it unarmed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/life-is-a-battle-of-wits-and-many-people-have-to-fight-it-unarmed/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [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 terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind masks of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-terrible-immoralities-are-the-cunning-ones-hiding-behind-masks-of/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [That humanity and sincerity which dispose men to resist injustice and tyranny render them unfit to cope with the cunning and power of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-humanity-and-sincerity-which-dispose-men-to-resist-injustice-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why do some die and some live? The answer was clearly, that on the whole the best fitted live. From the effects of disease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-russel-wallace/why-do-some-die-and-some-live-the-answer-was-clearly-that-on-the/) [Alfred Russel Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-russel-wallace/) > [Art is the final cunning of the human soul which would rather do anything than face the gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/art-is-the-final-cunning-of-the-human-soul-which-would-rather-do/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [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/) > [Treason and murder ever kept together, As two yoke-devils sworn to either's purpose, Working so grossly in a natural cause That admiration did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/treason-and-murder-ever-kept-together-as-two-yoke-devils-sworn-to/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Till swollen with cunning, of a self-conceit, His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And melting heavens conspired his overthrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/till-swollen-with-cunning-of-a-self-conceit-his-waxen-wings-did-mount/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Stratagem is the right hand of cunning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-william-curtis/stratagem-is-the-right-hand-of-cunning/) [George William Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-william-curtis/) > [“When a man possesses the innocence of a child, we call him a fool. When a child possesses the cunning of a man, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/when-a-man-possesses-the-innocence-of-a-child-we-call-him-a-fool-when/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [“Would you like to sit?" Kellen asked her. "You'd better do it soon," Owen whispered close to her ear, "or I'm going to bend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-cunning/would-you-like-to-sit-kellen-asked-her-you-d-better-do-it-soon-owen/) [Olivia Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-cunning/) > [I am defined by my will to survive, not by intelligence or cunning or money or good looks. The Creator didn't see her way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaune-quick-to-see-smith/i-am-defined-by-my-will-to-survive-not-by-intelligence-or-cunning-or/) [Jaune Quick–to–See Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaune-quick-to-see-smith/) > [A cunning mind emphatically delights in its own cunning, and is the ready prey of cunning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-brownell-jameson/a-cunning-mind-emphatically-delights-in-its-own-cunning-and-is-the/) [Anna Brownell Jameson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-brownell-jameson/) Browse all 535 Cunning quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The more cunning a man is, the less he suspects that he will be caught in a simple thing. 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