--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It would be stupid tameness, and…" description: "\"It would be stupid tameness, and unaccountable folly, for whole nations to suffer one unreasonable, ambitious and cruel man, to wanton and riot in thei..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/jonathan-mayhew-25167_ambitious_it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccoun_1460900.png" --- # It would be stupid tameness, and unaccountable folly, for… ![“It would be stupid tameness, and unaccountable folly, for whole nations to suffer one unreasonable, ambitious and cruel man, to wanton and riot in their misery” quote by Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/jonathan-mayhew-25167_ambitious_it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccoun_1460900.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/jonathan-mayhew-25167_ambitious_it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccoun_1460900.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/jonathan-mayhew-25167_ambitious_it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccoun_1460900.png) > “It would be stupid tameness, and unaccountable folly, for whole nations to suffer one unreasonable, ambitious and cruel man, to wanton and riot in their misery” [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nations should not endure the tyranny of a cruel leader; collective suffering is unjust. **In simple terms:** Nations must resist cruel rulers. Key Takeaway Promote just governance and accountability. Themes justice leadership tyranny collective welfare Mood urgent ethical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - government policy - activism - community organization - international relations Key Concepts political ethics human rights Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms can prevent a single leader from causing widespread harm? - How can citizens hold leaders accountable? A Different Perspective Powerful leaders can manipulate public perception to maintain control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [Folly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folly/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Riot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riot/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [No one wants the United Nations to suffer the fate of the League of Nations, which collapsed because it lacked real leverage. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/no-one-wants-the-united-nations-to-suffer-the-fate-of-the-league-of/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [I'm a cruel man to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/i-m-a-cruel-man-to-myself/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [“There is no redemption in a cruel man's love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/there-is-no-redemption-in-a-cruel-man-s-love/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [How cruel it must be for a man to live past his soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lansens/how-cruel-it-must-be-for-a-man-to-live-past-his-soul/) [Lori Lansens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lansens/) > [A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. - Proverbs 11:17](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/a-man-who-is-kind-benefits-himself-but-a-cruel-man-hurts-himself/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [It is from the Bible that man has learned cruelty, rapine, and murder; for the belief of a cruel God makes a cruel man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-is-from-the-bible-that-man-has-learned-cruelty-rapine-and-murder/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [There is no beast more cruel than man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonid-andreyev/there-is-no-beast-more-cruel-than-man/) [Leonid Andreyev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonid-andreyev/) > [Men are cruel, but Man is kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/men-are-cruel-but-man-is-kind/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [I admired my father very much... at the age of sixteen. But now I see that he was a brutal and cruel man, -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delmore-schwartz/i-admired-my-father-very-much-at-the-age-of-sixteen-but-now-i-see/) [Delmore Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delmore-schwartz/) > [“Mr. Heathcliff, you're a cruel man, but you're not a fiend; and you won't, from mere malice, destroy, irrevocably, all my happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/mr-heathcliff-you-re-a-cruel-man-but-you-re-not-a-fiend-and-you-won-t/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [Cruelty is the highest pleasure to the cruel man; it is his love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/cruelty-is-the-highest-pleasure-to-the-cruel-man-it-is-his-love/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [“(’No animal could ever be so cruel as a man, so artfully, so artistically cruel.’)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-glover/no-animal-could-ever-be-so-cruel-as-a-man-so-artfully-so-artistically/) Jonathan Glover > [“…oh, you faithless, unfortunate man!...Because of you I spent the whole night yesterday shivering and naked. I lost my nature and replaced it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/oh-you-faithless-unfortunate-man-because-of-you-i-spent-the-whole/) [Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/) > [“The cruel man is of misanthropic temperament, and is a man of moods, oscillating from quiet brooding to sudden explosions. If a man like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-cruel-man-is-of-misanthropic-temperament-and-is-a-man-of-moods/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“Lady Thornton!” the prosecutor rapped out, and he began firing questions at her so rapidly that she could scarcely keep track of them. “Tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mcnaught/lady-thornton-the-prosecutor-rapped-out-and-he-began-firing-questions/) [Judith McNaught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mcnaught/) ## More by Jonathan Mayhew > [It is our happiness to live under the government of a PRINCE who is satisfied with ruling according to law; as every other good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/it-is-our-happiness-to-live-under-the-government-of-a-prince-who-is/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [I now add, farther, that the apostles argument is so far from proving it to be the duty of people to obey, and submit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/i-now-add-farther-that-the-apostles-argument-is-so-far-from-proving/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [Not to discontinue our allegiance, in this case, would be to join with the sovereign in promoting the slavery and misery of that society,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/not-to-discontinue-our-allegiance-in-this-case-would-be-to-join-with/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [All civil rulers, as such, are the ordinance and ministers of God; and they are all, by the nature of their office, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/all-civil-rulers-as-such-are-the-ordinance-and-ministers-of-god-and/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [Till people find themselves greatly abused and oppressed by their governors, they are not apt to complain; and whenever they do, in fact, find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/till-people-find-themselves-greatly-abused-and-oppressed-by-their/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [The only reason of the institution of civil government; and the only rational ground of submission to it, is the common safety and utility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/the-only-reason-of-the-institution-of-civil-government-and-the-only/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [Common tyrants, and public oppressors, are not intitled to obedience from their subjects, by virtue of any thing here laid down by the inspired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/common-tyrants-and-public-oppressors-are-not-intitled-to-obedience/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [Let us all learn to be free, and to be loyal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/let-us-all-learn-to-be-free-and-to-be-loyal/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [They are more properly ‘The Messengers of Satan to buffet us.’ No rulers are properly God’s ministers, but such as are ‘just, ruling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/they-are-more-properly-the-messengers-of-satan-to-buffet-us-no-rulers/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [According to this way of arguing, there will be no true principles in the world; for there are none but what may be wrested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/according-to-this-way-of-arguing-there-will-be-no-true-principles-in/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [It becomes us, therefore, to be contented, and dutiful subjects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/it-becomes-us-therefore-to-be-contented-and-dutiful-subjects/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [The king is as much bound by his oath not to infringe the legal rights of the people, as the people are bound to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/the-king-is-as-much-bound-by-his-oath-not-to-infringe-the-legal/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [People are not usually deprived of their liberties all at once, but gradually, by one encroachment after another, as it is found they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/people-are-not-usually-deprived-of-their-liberties-all-at-once-but/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [To say that subjects in general are not proper judges (of the law) when their governors oppress them and play the tyrant, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/to-say-that-subjects-in-general-are-not-proper-judges-of-the-law-when/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [There are others who aim at popularity under the disguise of patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/there-are-others-who-aim-at-popularity-under-the-disguise-of/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) [Explore all 23 Jonathan Mayhew quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) ## More Ambitious quotes > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [“Getting rich is easy, staying rich is impressive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-trip/getting-rich-is-easy-staying-rich-is-impressive/) [Don Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-trip/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [I am ambitious to do more than what has been offered me. I want to be the best in whatever career I choose and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uday-chopra/i-am-ambitious-to-do-more-than-what-has-been-offered-me-i-want-to-be/) [Uday Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uday-chopra/) > [There are four varieties in society — the lovers, the ambitious, observers, and fools. The fools are the happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolyte-taine/there-are-four-varieties-in-society-the-lovers-the-ambitious/) [Hippolyte Taine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippolyte-taine/) > [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I'm not ambitious. Not a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-m-not-ambitious-not-a-bit/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I understood early on that I was not the best-looking girl in the room. But I knew my advantage was a hard work ethic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-connor/i-understood-early-on-that-i-was-not-the-best-looking-girl-in-the/) [Erin O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-connor/) > [It is ordained that to the ambitious, who derive no satisfaction from the gifts of life and the beauty of the world, life shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/it-is-ordained-that-to-the-ambitious-who-derive-no-satisfaction-from/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [To talk only about national security, national defense, means to be selfish, ambitious. It is discrimination, isolation. "It is just me. What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/to-talk-only-about-national-security-national-defense-means-to-be/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) [Browse all 1,269 Ambitious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It would be stupid tameness, and unaccountable folly, for whole nations to suffer one unreasonable, ambitious and cruel man, to wanton and riot in their misery", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan Mayhew" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccountable-folly-for-whole-nations/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ambitious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccountable-folly-for-whole-nations/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/jonathan-mayhew-25167_ambitious_it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccoun_1460900.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/jonathan-mayhew-25167_ambitious_it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccoun_1460900.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/jonathan-mayhew-25167_ambitious_it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccoun_1460900.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It would be stupid tameness, and unaccountable folly, for whole nations to suffer one unreasonable…” — Jonathan Mayhew", "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": "Jonathan Mayhew", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It would be stupid tameness, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccountable-folly-for-whole-nations/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/it-would-be-stupid-tameness-and-unaccountable-folly-for-whole-nations/#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 } } ] } ```