--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To blindly trust government is to…" description: "\"To blindly trust government is to automatically vest it with excessive power. To distrust government is simply to trust humanity - to trust in the abil..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/291/james-bovard-9090_ability_to-blindly-trust-government-is-to-automa_2891267.png" --- # To blindly trust government is to automatically vest it… ![“To blindly trust government is to automatically vest it with excessive power. To distrust government is simply to trust humanity - to trust in the ability of average people to peacefully, productively coexist without some official policing their every move. The State is merely another human…” quote by James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/291/james-bovard-9090_ability_to-blindly-trust-government-is-to-automa_2891267.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/291/james-bovard-9090_ability_to-blindly-trust-government-is-to-automa_2891267.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/291/james-bovard-9090_ability_to-blindly-trust-government-is-to-automa_2891267.png) > “To blindly trust government is to automatically vest it with excessive power. To distrust government is simply to trust humanity - to trust in the ability of average people to peacefully, productively coexist without some official policing their every move. The State is merely another human institution - less creative than Microsoft, less reliable than Federal Express, less responsible than the average farmer husbanding his land, and less prudent than the average citizen spending his own paycheck.” [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blind trust gives government excessive power; distrust places faith in humanity’s capacity for peaceful coexistence without heavy policing. **In simple terms:** Blind trust empowers state; distrust trusts people. Key Takeaway Balance trust with accountability. Themes politics trust human nature Mood critical analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy design - community building - civil activism Key Concepts social contract libertarianism Questions to Reflect On - How much oversight is necessary? - What mechanisms ensure citizen responsibility? A Different Perspective Overtrust can lead to authoritarianism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Apathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apathy/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Distrust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distrust/) [Farmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farmers/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Paychecks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paychecks/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) ## Related quotes > [There are things that I refuse to deal with except through my music... because I don't trust humanity that much, and I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/there-are-things-that-i-refuse-to-deal-with-except-through-my-music/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [I studied ethics more than anything - people's feelings about humanity. 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