--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Evil is not power; it is ignorance and…" description: "\"Evil is not power; it is ignorance and misuse of good.\" — James Allen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/james-allen-1607_evil_evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-mi_376785.png" --- # Evil is not power; it is ignorance and misuse of good. ![“Evil is not power; it is ignorance and misuse of good.” quote by James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/james-allen-1607_evil_evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-mi_376785.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/james-allen-1607_evil_evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-mi_376785.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/james-allen-1607_evil_evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-mi_376785.png) > “Evil is not power; it is ignorance and misuse of good.” [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power without wisdom leads to harm; true strength comes from understanding and proper use of good. **In simple terms:** Power misused is harmful. Key Takeaway Seek knowledge before using power. Themes eth misuse ignorance Mood cautious reflective Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - leadership - policy making - education - charitable work Key Concepts ethics responsibility human nature Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure power is guided by wisdom? - What safeguards prevent misuse of good? A Different Perspective Power can be corrupted despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-power-458722/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Ignorance Misuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance-misuse-3426036/) [Misuse Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misuse-good-3426037/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-ignorance-1510520/) ## Related quotes > [It is a common sentence that knowledge is power; but who hath duly considered or set forth the power of ignorance? Knowledge slowly builds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/it-is-a-common-sentence-that-knowledge-is-power-but-who-hath-duly/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Is knowledge power? Is ignorance bliss?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-assiba-d-almeida/is-knowledge-power-is-ignorance-bliss/) [Irene Assiba d'Almeida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irene-assiba-d-almeida/) > [“Read it wisely, Little One, for the power of ignorance is great.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/read-it-wisely-little-one-for-the-power-of-ignorance-is-great/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Knowledge is power. Ignorance is bliss. Tough choice!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/knowledge-is-power-ignorance-is-bliss-tough-choice/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Kira is evil ... There's no denying that ... But lately I've been starting to think of it more like this ... The real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsugumi-ohba/kira-is-evil-there-s-no-denying-that-but-lately-i-ve-been-starting-to/) [Tsugumi Ohba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsugumi-ohba/) > [Evil when we are in its power is not felt as evil but as a necessity, or even a duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/evil-when-we-are-in-its-power-is-not-felt-as-evil-but-as-a-necessity/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-good-and-evil-there-is-only-power-and-those-too-weak-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Jesus’ Cross shows the full force of evil, but also the full power of God’s mercy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/jesus-cross-shows-the-full-force-of-evil-but-also-the-full-power-of/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“There is no good or evil, there is only power and those too weak to weak it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-voldemort/there-is-no-good-or-evil-there-is-only-power-and-those-too-weak-to/) [Lord Voldemort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-voldemort/) > [good is too often allied with vulnerability and evil with power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-tiptree-jr/good-is-too-often-allied-with-vulnerability-and-evil-with-power/) [James Tiptree Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-tiptree-jr/) > [“The true root of all evil is power, and both government and religion are effective tools for massing and maintaining power. When”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/the-true-root-of-all-evil-is-power-and-both-government-and-religion/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [Evil has only the power we give it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/evil-has-only-the-power-we-give-it/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking. Center your country in the Tao and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/governing-a-large-country-is-like-frying-a-small-fish-you-spoil-it-2/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-smith/a-man-is-saved-no-faster-than-he-gets-knowledge-for-if-he-does-not-2/) [Sam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-smith/) > [Approach the universe with Tao, And evil will have no power. Not that evil is not powerful, But its power will not be used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/approach-the-universe-with-tao-and-evil-will-have-no-power-not-that/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) ## More by James Allen > [A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/a-person-is-limited-only-by-the-thoughts-that-he-chooses/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“The soul attracts that which it secretly harbours; that which it loves, and also that which it fears;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/the-soul-attracts-that-which-it-secretly-harbours-that-which-it-loves/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought, are governed by the same law and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/all-achievements-whether-in-the-business-intellectual-or-spiritual/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“Cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things. Mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/cause-and-effect-is-as-absolute-and-undeviating-in-the-hidden-realm/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/men-do-not-attract-that-which-they-want-but-that-which-they-are/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/he-who-would-accomplish-little-must-sacrifice-little-he-who-would/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of effort is the measure of the results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/in-all-human-affairs-there-are-efforts-and-there-are-results-and-the/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [The knowledge of the causal power of thought is the basis of all their (Hebrew) prophecies, as it is the basis of all real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/the-knowledge-of-the-causal-power-of-thought-is-the-basis-of-all/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“mind is the master-weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance, and that, as they may have hitherto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/mind-is-the-master-weaver-both-of-the-inner-garment-of-character-and/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“The thoughtless, the ignorant, and the indolent, seeing only the apparent effects of things and not the things themselves, talk of luck, of fortune,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/the-thoughtless-the-ignorant-and-the-indolent-seeing-only-the/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/a-man-sooner-or-later-discovers-that-he-is-the-master-gardener-of-his/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [Rely upon your own judgment; be true to your own conscience; follow the light that is within you; all outward lights are so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/rely-upon-your-own-judgment-be-true-to-your-own-conscience-follow-the/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/by-the-right-choice-and-true-application-of-thought-man-ascends-to/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“Without self-discipline a man drifts lower and lower, approximating more and more nearly to the beast, until at last he grovels, a lost creature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/without-self-discipline-a-man-drifts-lower-and-lower-approximating/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [Spiritual meditation is the pathway to Divinity. It is a mystic ladder which reaches from earth to heaven, from error to Truth, from pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/spiritual-meditation-is-the-pathway-to-divinity-it-is-a-mystic-ladder/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) [Explore all 220 James Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "Evil is not power; it is ignorance and misuse of good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Allen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-misuse-of-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Evil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-misuse-of-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/james-allen-1607_evil_evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-mi_376785.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/james-allen-1607_evil_evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-mi_376785.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/james-allen-1607_evil_evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-mi_376785.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Evil is not power; it is ignorance and misuse of good.” — James Allen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Allen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Evil is not power; it is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-misuse-of-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/evil-is-not-power-it-is-ignorance-and-misuse-of-good/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```