--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Blackmail is more effective than bribery." description: "\"Blackmail is more effective than bribery.\" — John le Carre" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/john-le-carre-651_blackmail_blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery_1646594.jpg" --- # Blackmail is more effective than bribery. ![“Blackmail is more effective than bribery.” quote by John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/john-le-carre-651_blackmail_blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery_1646594.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/john-le-carre-651_blackmail_blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery_1646594.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/john-le-carre-651_blackmail_blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery_1646594.jpg) > “Blackmail is more effective than bribery.” [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Coercion works better than incentives because fear compels obedience more reliably than desire. **In simple terms:** Fear forces compliance more than offers. Key Takeaway Use caution when relying on threats. Themes power control ethics Mood cautious critical Type political ethical When to use this quote - political negotiations - law enforcement - corporate compliance Key Concepts coercion incentives trust Questions to Reflect On - Is intimidation sustainable in the long term? - What alternatives exist to achieve cooperation? A Different Perspective Threats can backfire, creating resentment and resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blackmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackmail/) [Blackmail Effective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackmail-effective-614298/) [Bribery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bribery/) [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Effective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effective/) [Effective Bribery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effective-bribery-614299/) ## Related quotes > [As J.R. I could get away with anything - bribery, blackmail and adultery. But I got caught by cancer. I do want everyone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-hagman/as-j-r-i-could-get-away-with-anything-bribery-blackmail-and-adultery/) [Larry Hagman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-hagman/) > [I have tried my hand at bribery, blackmail, and deceit. And I've served time for everything, cept beggin on the street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/i-have-tried-my-hand-at-bribery-blackmail-and-deceit-and-i-ve-served/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [A government with all this mass of favours to give or to withhold, however free in name, wields a power of bribery scarcely surpassed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-government-with-all-this-mass-of-favours-to-give-or-to-withhold/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You have fallen badly, señor gringo. Bribery is a very serious crime in this country. You will have to pay.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-have-fallen-badly-se-or-gringo-bribery-is-a-very-serious-crime-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Laws are a fine thing on paper, but painful when no bribery can ease their bind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/laws-are-a-fine-thing-on-paper-but-painful-when-no-bribery-can-ease/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [“Ah, bribery." He grinned at his niece. "is there anything it can't do?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-damico/ah-bribery-he-grinned-at-his-niece-is-there-anything-it-can-t-do/) [Gina Damico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-damico/) > [“Bribery quickly became an integral part of the Russian way of doing business, and the expense of buying a government official was considered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-satter/bribery-quickly-became-an-integral-part-of-the-russian-way-of-doing/) [David Satter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-satter/) > [Rather than let their product compete fully and fairly in the marketplace, FalconStor resorted to bribery and graft to win important contracts in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-lynch/rather-than-let-their-product-compete-fully-and-fairly-in-the/) [Loretta Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-lynch/) > [It was the BJP that betrayed me when one of its members made the Rs 150-crore bribery allegation against me without evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-kumaraswamy/it-was-the-bjp-that-betrayed-me-when-one-of-its-members-made-the-rs/) [H. 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Conway III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-t-conway-iii/) > [For decades, the plight of the Palestinian people has been exacerbated by internal corruption, a lack of effective investment, and the political cynicism of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bronfman-sr/for-decades-the-plight-of-the-palestinian-people-has-been-exacerbated/) [Edgar Bronfman, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bronfman-sr/) > [All power corrupts but some must govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/all-power-corrupts-but-some-must-govern/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“What did “good government” really mean? Langlie and his brotherhood promised an end to political corruption. (There’s no evidence that Langlie ever even took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/what-did-good-government-really-mean-langlie-and-his-brotherhood/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) ## More by John le Carre > [The creation of George Smiley, the retired spy recalled to hunt for just such a high-ranking mole in 'Tinker, Tailor,' was extremely personal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-creation-of-george-smiley-the-retired-spy-recalled-to-hunt-for/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [All power corrupts but some must govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/all-power-corrupts-but-some-must-govern/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“You're history, Donohue. You think countries run the fucking world! Go back to fucking Sunday school. It's 'God save our multinational' they're singing these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/you-re-history-donohue-you-think-countries-run-the-fucking-world-go/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [When you're my age and you see a story, you better go for it pretty quickly. I'd just like to get a few more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/when-you-re-my-age-and-you-see-a-story-you-better-go-for-it-pretty/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The trouble is, when professional spies go out of their way to make a definitive statement about one of their own, the public tends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-trouble-is-when-professional-spies-go-out-of-their-way-to-make-a/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Ideologies have no heart of their own. They're the whores and angels of our striving selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/ideologies-have-no-heart-of-their-own-they-re-the-whores-and-angels/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Home's where you go when you run out of homes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/home-s-where-you-go-when-you-run-out-of-homes/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Pain observed is journalistic pain. It's diplomatic pain. It's television pain, over as soon as you switch off your beastly set.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/pain-observed-is-journalistic-pain-it-s-diplomatic-pain-it-s/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The greatest threat to mankind comes from the renunciation of individual scruple in favor of institutional denominators. . . . Real heroism lies, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-greatest-threat-to-mankind-comes-from-the-renunciation-of/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“and the wood smoke will roll out of the fireplace on to the carpet we paid too much for on that rainy afternoon in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/and-the-wood-smoke-will-roll-out-of-the-fireplace-on-to-the-carpet-we/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Middle children weep longer than their brothers and sisters. Over her mother’s shoulder, stilling her pains and her injured pride, Jackie Lacon watched the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/middle-children-weep-longer-than-their-brothers-and-sisters-over-her/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [For decades to come the spy world will continue to be the collective couch where the subconscious of each nation is confessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/for-decades-to-come-the-spy-world-will-continue-to-be-the-collective/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [I happen to write by hand. I don't even type. John Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/i-happen-to-write-by-hand-i-don-t-even-type-john-le-carre/) [John Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The more identities a man has, the more they express the person they conceal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-more-identities-a-man-has-the-more-they-express-the-person-they/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) [Explore all 409 John le Carre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## More Blackmail quotes > [“Either you want to try and blackmail me or you're hitting on me. Which is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-tushmore/either-you-want-to-try-and-blackmail-me-or-you-re-hitting-on-me-which/) [Melanie Tushmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-tushmore/) > [Lobbying' is the activity of attempting to influence legislation by privately influencing the legislators. It is the result and creation of a mixed economy-of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/lobbying-is-the-activity-of-attempting-to-influence-legislation-by/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“I’m afraid I don’t suffer petty bureaucrats gladly. A very bad habit, but one I find hard to break. Nevertheless, you will find, Dr.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-preston-lincoln-child-2/i-m-afraid-i-don-t-suffer-petty-bureaucrats-gladly-a-very-bad-habit/) [Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-preston-lincoln-child-2/) > [“He is a brilliant man, said Miss Doggett. She helped him a good deal in his work, I think. Mrs. Bonner says that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/he-is-a-brilliant-man-said-miss-doggett-she-helped-him-a-good-deal-in/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [Being nice to people gets you nowhere. Being arrogant gets you nowhere. Blackmail, now that's a thing that will get you everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-to-people-gets-you-nowhere-being-arrogant-gets-you-nowhere/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The bonds of friendship dwindle with age, Oliver. But a little blackmail lasts forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hunt/the-bonds-of-friendship-dwindle-with-age-oliver-but-a-little/) [Stephen Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hunt/) > [“You don’t get to say it’s not a big thing. This is a big fucking thing, okay? This was supposed to be—this is mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-albertalli/you-don-t-get-to-say-it-s-not-a-big-thing-this-is-a-big-fucking-thing/) [Becky Albertalli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-albertalli/) > [I'm constantly lying to my dog. He only responds to manipulation and blackmail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riley-keough/i-m-constantly-lying-to-my-dog-he-only-responds-to-manipulation-and/) [Riley Keough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riley-keough/) > [If the minority is able to successfully undo the Affordable Care Act by blackmail, it will be the undoing of the democratic nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerrold-nadler/if-the-minority-is-able-to-successfully-undo-the-affordable-care-act/) [Jerrold Nadler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerrold-nadler/) > [“Ah, shit. She’s been crying. This is not good. I swear to God, a girl crying is fucking blackmail. It just makes you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-mcclean/ah-shit-she-s-been-crying-this-is-not-good-i-swear-to-god-a-girl/) [J.C. McClean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-mcclean/) > [Neither the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina nor the international community will accept such blackmail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-petritsch/neither-the-citizens-of-bosnia-and-herzegovina-nor-the-international/) [Wolfgang Petritsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-petritsch/) > [Russia has shown it's not above the temptation of using some bargaining power or blackmail. It shows that if there is a way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gros/russia-has-shown-it-s-not-above-the-temptation-of-using-some/) [Daniel Gros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gros/) > [You know, it's hard to say this, but I suspect that Obama is afraid either of blackmail potential or even worse. And he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/you-know-it-s-hard-to-say-this-but-i-suspect-that-obama-is-afraid/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [“When that bastard calls back, you tell him he’s won this round. I’ll marry him. But I don’t take well to being blackmailed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/when-that-bastard-calls-back-you-tell-him-he-s-won-this-round-i-ll/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [The police had a practice of entrapping people. This was done all over the country, but we had a particularly vicious group here in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-hay/the-police-had-a-practice-of-entrapping-people-this-was-done-all-over/) [Harry Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-hay/) [Browse all 157 Blackmail quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackmail/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Blackmail is more effective than bribery.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John le Carre" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blackmail" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/john-le-carre-651_blackmail_blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery_1646594.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/john-le-carre-651_blackmail_blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery_1646594.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/john-le-carre-651_blackmail_blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery_1646594.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Blackmail is more effective than bribery.” — John le Carre", "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 le Carre", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Blackmail is more effective than bribery.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/blackmail-is-more-effective-than-bribery/#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 } } ] } ```