--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No government has ever been, or can ever…" description: "\"No government has ever been, or can ever be, wherein time-servers and blockheads will not be uppermost.\" — John Dryden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d4/john-dryden-491_blockheads_no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever_1232436.jpg" --- # No government has ever been, or can ever be, wherein… ![“No government has ever been, or can ever be, wherein time-servers and blockheads will not be uppermost.” quote by John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d4/john-dryden-491_blockheads_no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever_1232436.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d4/john-dryden-491_blockheads_no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever_1232436.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d4/john-dryden-491_blockheads_no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever_1232436.jpg) > “No government has ever been, or can ever be, wherein time-servers and blockheads will not be uppermost.” [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power structures tend to be dominated by those who serve the status quo, preventing genuine change. **In simple terms:** Power stays with those who maintain the system. Key Takeaway Challenge entrenched interests. Themes politics power status quo Mood cautious critical Type political commentary When to use this quote - government reform - activism - policy advocacy - leadership - social movements Key Concepts elitism institutional inertia Questions to Reflect On - Who benefits from preserving the current order? - How can ordinary people influence entrenched power? A Different Perspective Change is hard when elites resist reform. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blockheads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blockheads/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-time-539785/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Server](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/server/) [Servers Blockheads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servers-blockheads-3817665/) [Time Servers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-servers-3817666/) ## Related quotes > [How easy it is to call rogue and villain, and that wittily! But how hard to make a man appear a fool, a blockhead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/how-easy-it-is-to-call-rogue-and-villain-and-that-wittily-but-how/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [“Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-old debates about the role of government for all time — but it does require us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/progress-does-not-compel-us-to-settle-centuries-old-debates-about-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We have been lied to and terrorized by our own government, and it is time to take action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/we-have-been-lied-to-and-terrorized-by-our-own-government-and-it-is/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/progress-does-not-compel-us-to-settle-centuries-long-debates-about/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Our most dangerous tendency is to expect too much of government, and at the same time do for it too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-most-dangerous-tendency-is-to-expect-too-much-of-government-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's no coincidence that trust in government is at an all-time low now that the size of government is at an all-time high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/it-s-no-coincidence-that-trust-in-government-is-at-an-all-time-low/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [Traditionally people are on the side of the government all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/traditionally-people-are-on-the-side-of-the-government-all-the-time/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [I myself identify as a recovering Blockhead. You'd be surprised how many twenty- and thirty-something hipster chicks have the NKOTB skeleton in their closet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/i-myself-identify-as-a-recovering-blockhead-you-d-be-surprised-how/) [Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/) > [An illusion of depth often occurs if a blockhead is a muddlehead at the same time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/an-illusion-of-depth-often-occurs-if-a-blockhead-is-a-muddlehead-at/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Any blockhead can arrange a sublet. All I ever wanted was to support myself on art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-keane/any-blockhead-can-arrange-a-sublet-all-i-ever-wanted-was-to-support/) [Walter Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-keane/) > [Blame-all and Praise-all are two blockheads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/blame-all-and-praise-all-are-two-blockheads/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The ancients, who in these matters were not perhaps such blockheads as some may conceive, considered poetical quotation as one of the requisite ornaments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-d-israeli/the-ancients-who-in-these-matters-were-not-perhaps-such-blockheads-as/) [Isaac D'Israeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-d-israeli/) > [To how many blockheads of my time has a cold and taciturn demeanor procured the credit of prudence and capacity!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/to-how-many-blockheads-of-my-time-has-a-cold-and-taciturn-demeanor/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [He's a blockhead who wants a proof of what he cannot perceive. And he's a fool a fool who tries to make such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-william/he-s-a-blockhead-who-wants-a-proof-of-what-he-cannot-perceive-and-he/) [Prince William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-william/) > [Idiots, the lame, the blind, the dumb, are men in whom the devils have established themselves: and all the physicians who heal these infirmities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/idiots-the-lame-the-blind-the-dumb-are-men-in-whom-the-devils-have/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) ## More by John Dryden > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Trust on and think To-morrow will repay; To-morrow's falser than the former day; Lies worse; and while it says, we shall be blest With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/trust-on-and-think-to-morrow-will-repay-to-morrow-s-falser-than-the/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [To take up half on trust, and half to try, Name it not faith but bungling bigotry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/to-take-up-half-on-trust-and-half-to-try-name-it-not-faith-but/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Among our crimes oblivion may be set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/among-our-crimes-oblivion-may-be-set/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [And after hearing what our Church can say, If still our reason runs another way, That private reason 'tis more just to curb, Than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/and-after-hearing-what-our-church-can-say-if-still-our-reason-runs/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Happy, happy, happy pair! None but the brave deserves the fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/happy-happy-happy-pair-none-but-the-brave-deserves-the-fair/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [A coward is the kindest animal; 'Tis the most forgiving creature in a fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/a-coward-is-the-kindest-animal-tis-the-most-forgiving-creature-in-a/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [God never made his work for man to mend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/god-never-made-his-work-for-man-to-mend/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Reason to rule, mercy to forgive: The first is law, the last prerogative. Life is an adventure in forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/reason-to-rule-mercy-to-forgive-the-first-is-law-the-last-prerogative/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Stiff opinion, always in the wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/stiff-opinion-always-in-the-wrong/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [He with a graceful pride, While his rider every hand survey'd, Sprung loose, and flew into an escapade; Not moving forward, yet with every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/he-with-a-graceful-pride-while-his-rider-every-hand-survey-d-sprung/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Men's virtues I have commended as freely as I have taxed their crimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/men-s-virtues-i-have-commended-as-freely-as-i-have-taxed-their-crimes/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Virtue without success is a fair picture shown by an ill light; but lucky men are favorites of heaven; all own the chief, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/virtue-without-success-is-a-fair-picture-shown-by-an-ill-light-but/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Zeal, the blind conductor of the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/zeal-the-blind-conductor-of-the-will/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [“Night came, but unattended with repose. Alone she came, no sleep their eyes to close. Alone and black she came; no friendly stars arose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/night-came-but-unattended-with-repose-alone-she-came-no-sleep-their/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) [Explore all 520 John Dryden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## More Blockheads quotes > [He's a blockhead who wants a proof of what he cannot perceive. And he's a fool a fool who tries to make such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-william/he-s-a-blockhead-who-wants-a-proof-of-what-he-cannot-perceive-and-he/) [Prince William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-william/) > [To how many blockheads of my time has a cold and taciturn demeanor procured the credit of prudence and capacity!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/to-how-many-blockheads-of-my-time-has-a-cold-and-taciturn-demeanor/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The ancients, who in these matters were not perhaps such blockheads as some may conceive, considered poetical quotation as one of the requisite ornaments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-d-israeli/the-ancients-who-in-these-matters-were-not-perhaps-such-blockheads-as/) [Isaac D'Israeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-d-israeli/) > [Blame-all and Praise-all are two blockheads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/blame-all-and-praise-all-are-two-blockheads/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Any blockhead can arrange a sublet. All I ever wanted was to support myself on art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-keane/any-blockhead-can-arrange-a-sublet-all-i-ever-wanted-was-to-support/) [Walter Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-keane/) > [I myself identify as a recovering Blockhead. You'd be surprised how many twenty- and thirty-something hipster chicks have the NKOTB skeleton in their closet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/i-myself-identify-as-a-recovering-blockhead-you-d-be-surprised-how/) [Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/) > [Idiots, the lame, the blind, the dumb, are men in whom the devils have established themselves: and all the physicians who heal these infirmities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/idiots-the-lame-the-blind-the-dumb-are-men-in-whom-the-devils-have/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [An illusion of depth often occurs if a blockhead is a muddlehead at the same time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/an-illusion-of-depth-often-occurs-if-a-blockhead-is-a-muddlehead-at/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [A great man la an abstraction of some one excellence; but whoever fancies himself an abstraction of excellence, so far from being great, may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/a-great-man-la-an-abstraction-of-some-one-excellence-but-whoever/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Will without intellect is the most vulgar and common thing in the world, possessed by every blockhead, who, in the gratification of his passions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/will-without-intellect-is-the-most-vulgar-and-common-thing-in-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [I started freestyling with friends about eight or nine years ago. I started writing also around the same time, but didn't meet blockhead until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/i-started-freestyling-with-friends-about-eight-or-nine-years-ago-i/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Nationalism is the love which ties me to the blockheads of my country, to the insultors of my way of life, and to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/nationalism-is-the-love-which-ties-me-to-the-blockheads-of-my-country/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [I have come to the conclusion never again to think of marrying, and for this reason, I can never be satisfied with anyone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-have-come-to-the-conclusion-never-again-to-think-of-marrying-and/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [How easy it is to call rogue and villain, and that wittily! But how hard to make a man appear a fool, a blockhead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/how-easy-it-is-to-call-rogue-and-villain-and-that-wittily-but-how/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [The real meaning of persona is a mask, such as actors were accustomed to wear on the ancient stage; and it is quite true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-real-meaning-of-persona-is-a-mask-such-as-actors-were-accustomed/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) [Browse all 46 Blockheads quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blockheads/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No government has ever been, or can ever be, wherein time-servers and blockheads will not be uppermost.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Dryden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever-be-wherein-time-servers-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blockheads" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever-be-wherein-time-servers-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d4/john-dryden-491_blockheads_no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever_1232436.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d4/john-dryden-491_blockheads_no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever_1232436.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d4/john-dryden-491_blockheads_no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever_1232436.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No government has ever been, or can ever be, wherein time-servers and blockheads will not be uppermost.” — John Dryden", "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": "John Dryden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No government has ever been, or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever-be-wherein-time-servers-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/no-government-has-ever-been-or-can-ever-be-wherein-time-servers-and/#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 } } ] } ```