--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men are ruled, at this minute by the…" description: "\"Men are ruled, at this minute by the clock, by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern.\" — Gilbert K. Chesterton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_clock_men-are-ruled-at-this-minute-by-the-cloc_785278.png" --- # Men are ruled, at this minute by the clock, by liars who… ![“Men are ruled, at this minute by the clock, by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern.” quote by Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_clock_men-are-ruled-at-this-minute-by-the-cloc_785278.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_clock_men-are-ruled-at-this-minute-by-the-cloc_785278.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_clock_men-are-ruled-at-this-minute-by-the-cloc_785278.png) > “Men are ruled, at this minute by the clock, by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern.” [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society is controlled by time, misinformation, and incompetent leadership, limiting true freedom. **In simple terms:** Time, lies, and bad leaders dominate us. Key Takeaway Question authority and seek truth. Themes politics media authority Mood skeptical concerned Type political critical. When to use this quote - elections - workplace - media consumption - government policy Key Concepts power structures information control temporal pressure Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify the news you receive? - What can individuals do against incompetent leaders? A Different Perspective Even with awareness, systemic inertia can persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Liars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liars/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) ## Related quotes > [One man and a dozen fools would govern better than one man alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-chifley/one-man-and-a-dozen-fools-would-govern-better-than-one-man-alone/) [Ben Chifley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-chifley/) > [Men in England are ruled, at this minute by the clock, by brutes who refuse them bread, by liars who refuse them news, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-in-england-are-ruled-at-this-minute-by-the-clock-by-brutes-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men are ruled by toys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/men-are-ruled-by-toys/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [...if men are to be ruled, then the enemy is reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/if-men-are-to-be-ruled-then-the-enemy-is-reason/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Great men can't be ruled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/great-men-can-t-be-ruled/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Men who are ruled by reason desire nothing for themselves which they would not wish for all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/men-who-are-ruled-by-reason-desire-nothing-for-themselves-which-they/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“When men imagine a female uprising, they imagine a world in which women rule men as men have ruled women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-kempton/when-men-imagine-a-female-uprising-they-imagine-a-world-in-which/) [Sally Kempton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-kempton/) > [All the States and Governments by which men are or ever have been ruled, have been and are either Republics or Princedoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/all-the-states-and-governments-by-which-men-are-or-ever-have-been/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Our moneyed men have ruled us for the past thirty years. Under the flag of the slaveholder they hoped to destroy our liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-kearney/our-moneyed-men-have-ruled-us-for-the-past-thirty-years-under-the/) [Denis Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-kearney/) > [In the early ages men ruled by strength; now they rule by brain, and so long as there is only one man in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/in-the-early-ages-men-ruled-by-strength-now-they-rule-by-brain-and-so/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Thinking men cannot be ruled; ambitious men do not stagnate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/thinking-men-cannot-be-ruled-ambitious-men-do-not-stagnate/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [What some men don't understand is that by opposing policies to reduce violence, promote equal pay and universal healthcare and voting to limit access…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/what-some-men-don-t-understand-is-that-by-opposing-policies-to-reduce/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [When men are ruled by fear, they strive to prevent the very changes that will abate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/when-men-are-ruled-by-fear-they-strive-to-prevent-the-very-changes/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [“Napoleon was criticized for giving “toys” to war-hardened veterans, and Napoleon replied, “Men are ruled by toys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/napoleon-was-criticized-for-giving-toys-to-war-hardened-veterans-and/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [It is often said that men are ruled by their imaginations; but it would be truer to say they are governed by the weakness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/it-is-often-said-that-men-are-ruled-by-their-imaginations-but-it/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) ## More by Gilbert K. Chesterton > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Youth is always too serious, and just now it is too serious about frivolity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/youth-is-always-too-serious-and-just-now-it-is-too-serious-about/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Tradition does not mean a dead town; it does not mean that the living are dead but that the dead are alive. It means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/tradition-does-not-mean-a-dead-town-it-does-not-mean-that-the-living/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [It is shorter to state the things forbidden than the things permitted; precisely because most things are permitted and only a few things forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/it-is-shorter-to-state-the-things-forbidden-than-the-things-permitted/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [For Scotland has a double dose of the poison called heredity; the sense of blood in the aristocrat, the sense of doom in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/for-scotland-has-a-double-dose-of-the-poison-called-heredity-the/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Faith is always at a disadvantage; it is a perpetually defeated thing which survives all conquerors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/faith-is-always-at-a-disadvantage-it-is-a-perpetually-defeated-thing/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [A building is akin to dogma; it is insolent, like dogma. Whether or no it is permanent, it claims permanence, like a dogma. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/a-building-is-akin-to-dogma-it-is-insolent-like-dogma-whether-or-no/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The triangle of truisms, of father, mother and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-triangle-of-truisms-of-father-mother-and-child-cannot-be/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Criticism is only words about words, and of what use are words about such words as these?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/criticism-is-only-words-about-words-and-of-what-use-are-words-about/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place...The old humility was a spur that prevented a man from stopping; not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/what-we-suffer-from-today-is-humility-in-the-wrong-place-the-old/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Plato was only a Bernard Shaw who unfortunately made his jokes in Greek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/plato-was-only-a-bernard-shaw-who-unfortunately-made-his-jokes-in/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The word good has many meanings...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-word-good-has-many-meanings/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Music with dinner is an insult both to the cook and the violinist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/music-with-dinner-is-an-insult-both-to-the-cook-and-the-violinist/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Eugenics asserts that all men must be so stupid that they cannot manage their own affairs; and also so clever that they can manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/eugenics-asserts-that-all-men-must-be-so-stupid-that-they-cannot/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) [Explore all 868 Gilbert K. Chesterton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) ## More Clock quotes > [Even Einstein had to rely for his time on his clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/even-einstein-had-to-rely-for-his-time-on-his-clock/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [“Time was never neutral and often felt dangerous. We either think we have all the time in the world or time moves too fast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-reay/time-was-never-neutral-and-often-felt-dangerous-we-either-think-we/) [Katherine Reay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-reay/) > [Before a clock was in the tower, Or e'er a watch was worn; I knew of night the passing hour, And prophesied the morn;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-a-clock-was-in-the-tower-or-e-er-a-watch-was-worn-i-knew-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A clock struck out the hour of twelve, and the bird in the hedgerow was still singing as we marched out to the roadway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macgill/a-clock-struck-out-the-hour-of-twelve-and-the-bird-in-the-hedgerow/) [Patrick MacGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macgill/) > [“Time is, to put it in its most impressive and some might say poncy-sounding form, my domain. I can see things that once happened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-rayner/time-is-to-put-it-in-its-most-impressive-and-some-might-say-poncy/) [Jacqueline Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-rayner/) > [Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/time-travel-offends-our-sense-of-cause-and-effect-but-maybe-the/) [Edward M. Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [Time.The greatest creator, and the worst destroyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-keely/time-the-greatest-creator-and-the-worst-destroyer/) Levi Keely > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [No life goes past so swiftly as an eventless one, no clock spins like a clock whose days are all alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/no-life-goes-past-so-swiftly-as-an-eventless-one-no-clock-spins-like/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Those who stop marketing to save money are like those who stop a clock to save time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/those-who-stop-marketing-to-save-money-are-like-those-who-stop-a/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/) [Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/) > [I don't know if it's just me or everyone, but the whole vibe with skiing is not so much thriving on competition against others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/picabo-street/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-just-me-or-everyone-but-the-whole-vibe-with/) [Picabo Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/picabo-street/) > [Time goes on, even when yer not looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/time-goes-on-even-when-yer-not-looking/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/clock-n-a-machine-of-great-moral-value-to-man-allaying-his-concern/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) [Browse all 2,738 Clock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Men are ruled, at this minute by the clock, by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gilbert K. 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