--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes the very learned and clever can…" description: "\"Sometimes the very learned and clever can be brilliantly foolish, especially when seized by an apparently good cause.\" — George Pell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-pell-52098_causes_sometimes-the-very-learned-and-clever-ca_651263.png" --- # Sometimes the very learned and clever can be brilliantly… ![“Sometimes the very learned and clever can be brilliantly foolish, especially when seized by an apparently good cause.” quote by George Pell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-pell-52098_causes_sometimes-the-very-learned-and-clever-ca_651263.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-pell-52098_causes_sometimes-the-very-learned-and-clever-ca_651263.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-pell-52098_causes_sometimes-the-very-learned-and-clever-ca_651263.png) > “Sometimes the very learned and clever can be brilliantly foolish, especially when seized by an apparently good cause.” [George Pell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clever people may act foolishly when driven by a seemingly noble cause, revealing the danger of unexamined motives. **In simple terms:** Smart people can be foolish if they follow a cause blindly. Key Takeaway Question motives before acting. Themes hubris morality critical thinking Mood cautious reflective Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - political activism - corporate decisions - social movements - personal choices Key Concepts Ethics psychology group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What cause might be masking poor judgment? - How can you test the wisdom of a cause? A Different Perspective Even wise individuals can be misled by cause; cause. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brilliantly Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliantly-foolish-5207737/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Clever Brilliantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever-brilliantly-5207739/) [Climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish/) [Foolish Especially](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish-especially-2584872/) [Good causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-causes/) [Learned Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-clever-5207738/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) ## Related quotes > [We must always look after our friends, even when they are foolish. Especially when they are foolish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kadrey/we-must-always-look-after-our-friends-even-when-they-are-foolish/) [Richard Kadrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kadrey/) > [Some people don't mind a little constitutional sophistry in a good cause; and for liberals, centralizing all power in the federal government is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/some-people-don-t-mind-a-little-constitutional-sophistry-in-a-good/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [Jimmy Carr is a very nice man who works incredibly hard and has donated loads of money to good causes. He's done absolutely nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-hound/jimmy-carr-is-a-very-nice-man-who-works-incredibly-hard-and-has/) [Rufus Hound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-hound/) > [A good cause is often injured more by ill-timed efforts of its friends than by the arguments of its enemies. 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Perhaps. But rebellion for good cause is self- justifying -- a good in itself. Rebellion transforms slaves into human beings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/all-revolutions-have-failed-perhaps-but-rebellion-for-good-cause-is/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [If good people would but make goodness agreeable, and smile instead of frowning in their virtue, how many they would win to the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/if-good-people-would-but-make-goodness-agreeable-and-smile-instead-of/) [James Ussher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/) > [Without the support of my mom, Marlene, I would not be the person I am. She has been my main supporter throughout my career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-avery/without-the-support-of-my-mom-marlene-i-would-not-be-the-person-i-am/) [Sean Avery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-avery/) ## More by George Pell > [Abortion is a worse moral scandal than priests sexually abusing young people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pell/abortion-is-a-worse-moral-scandal-than-priests-sexually-abusing-young/) [George Pell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pell/) > [The church is not primarily a political organisation. We're a religious organisation. There's a much greater opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pell/the-church-is-not-primarily-a-political-organisation-we-re-a/) [George Pell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pell/) > [There's no possibility for vitality in the church without fidelity to the gospels. 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