--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Power is poison. Its effect on Presidents…" description: "\"Power is poison. Its effect on Presidents had always been tragic.\" — Henry Adams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/henry-adams-1542_poison_power-is-poison-its-effect-on-presidents_1809321.png" --- # Power is poison. Its effect on Presidents had always been… ![“Power is poison. Its effect on Presidents had always been tragic.” quote by Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/henry-adams-1542_poison_power-is-poison-its-effect-on-presidents_1809321.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/henry-adams-1542_poison_power-is-poison-its-effect-on-presidents_1809321.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/henry-adams-1542_poison_power-is-poison-its-effect-on-presidents_1809321.png) > “Power is poison. Its effect on Presidents had always been tragic.” [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power corrupts leaders, leading to tragic outcomes. **In simple terms:** Power harms presidents. Key Takeaway Beware power's corrupting influence. Themes politics leadership corruption Mood cautious reflective Type historical political When to use this quote - government decisions - corporate governance - personal ambition - public policy Key Concepts authority tragedy human nature Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders resist power's lure? - What safeguards protect against abuse? A Different Perspective Power can also be used for positive change if checked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Effect Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effect-presidents-535634/) [Poison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poison/) [Poison Effect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poison-effect-535635/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Poison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-poison-535636/) [Presidents Tragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidents-tragic-535633/) [Tragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragic/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [Power is poison. Its effect on Presidents had always been tragic, chiefly as an almost insane excitement at first, and a worse reaction afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/power-is-poison-its-effect-on-presidents-had-always-been-tragic-2/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Power is poison. Its effect on Presidents has been always tragic, chiefly as an almost indecent excitement at first, and a worse reaction afterwards;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/power-is-poison-its-effect-on-presidents-has-been-always-tragic/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [A dream has power to poison sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/a-dream-has-power-to-poison-sleep/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [Power is a poison well known for thousands of years. If only no one were ever to acquire material power over others! But to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/power-is-a-poison-well-known-for-thousands-of-years-if-only-no-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Death left its old tragic heaven and became the lyrical core of man: his invisible truth, his visible secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/death-left-its-old-tragic-heaven-and-became-the-lyrical-core-of-man/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [The Long Red Road is a story about alcoholism and dysfunction and tragic tale of a man who's trying to drink himself to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hardy/the-long-red-road-is-a-story-about-alcoholism-and-dysfunction-and/) [Tom Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hardy/) > [To wake the soul by tender strokes of art, To raise the genius, and to mend the heart; To make mankind, in conscious virtue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/to-wake-the-soul-by-tender-strokes-of-art-to-raise-the-genius-and-to/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [My God", he whispered. 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We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Henry Adams > [I am fairly tired--bored beyond endurance--by the world we live in, and its ideals, and am ready to say so, not violently, but kindly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/i-am-fairly-tired-bored-beyond-endurance-by-the-world-we-live-in-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“One had heard and read a great deal about death, and even seen a little of it, and knew by heart the thousand commonplaces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/one-had-heard-and-read-a-great-deal-about-death-and-even-seen-a/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/chaos-often-breeds-life-when-order-breeds-habit/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The chief wonder of education is that it does not ruin everybody concerned in it, teachers and taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-chief-wonder-of-education-is-that-it-does-not-ruin-everybody/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The American President resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-american-president-resembles-the-commander-of-a-ship-at-sea-he/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The proof that a philosopher does not know what he is talking about is apt to sadden his followers before it reacts on himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-proof-that-a-philosopher-does-not-know-what-he-is-talking-about/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [No man should be in politics unless he would honestly rather not be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/no-man-should-be-in-politics-unless-he-would-honestly-rather-not-be/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [In the history of the United States, there is no continuity at all. You can cut through it anywhere and nothing on this side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/in-the-history-of-the-united-states-there-is-no-continuity-at-all-you/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“Washington was no politician as we understand the word," replied Ratcliffe abruptly. "He stood outside of politics. The thing couldn't be done today. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/washington-was-no-politician-as-we-understand-the-word-replied/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Power when wielded by abnormal energy is the most serious of facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/power-when-wielded-by-abnormal-energy-is-the-most-serious-of-facts/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [If I grapple with sin in my own strength, the devil knows he may go to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/if-i-grapple-with-sin-in-my-own-strength-the-devil-knows-he-may-go-to/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [All State education is a sort of dynamo machine for polarizing the popular mind; for turning and holding its lines of force in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/all-state-education-is-a-sort-of-dynamo-machine-for-polarizing-the/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [You may cut off the heads of every rich man now living--of every statesman--every literary, and every scientific authority, without in the least changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/you-may-cut-off-the-heads-of-every-rich-man-now-living-of-every/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [History is the most aristocratic of all literary pursuits, because it obliges the historian to be rich as well as educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/history-is-the-most-aristocratic-of-all-literary-pursuits-because-it/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The philosopher says--I am, and the church scouts his philosophy. She answers:--No! you are NOT, you have no existence of your own. You were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-philosopher-says-i-am-and-the-church-scouts-his-philosophy-she/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Explore all 230 Henry Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) ## More Poison quotes > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [“the voice seems honey to ears but ; the felling turn to poison heart...!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-a-samuel/the-voice-seems-honey-to-ears-but-the-felling-turn-to-poison-heart/) [felix a samuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-a-samuel/) > [“Fear has the role we give it. We are able to empower or poison ourselves to whatever degree we want. This is the beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/fear-has-the-role-we-give-it-we-are-able-to-empower-or-poison/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [Sometimes curiosity is a poison, not only for those who drink it but for everyone around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-norman-lippert/sometimes-curiosity-is-a-poison-not-only-for-those-who-drink-it-but/) [G. Norman Lippert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-norman-lippert/) > [Slander is a poison which kills charity, both in the slanderer and the one who listens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-of-clairvaux/slander-is-a-poison-which-kills-charity-both-in-the-slanderer-and-the/) [Bernard of Clairvaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-of-clairvaux/) > [“Food for the ego is poison for the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/food-for-the-ego-is-poison-for-the-soul/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [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/) > [Yelena, you've driven me crazy. 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