--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is an unvarying rule for those in…" description: "\"“It is an unvarying rule for those in power that, when it comes to heads, it is best to cut them off before they start to think, afterward, it might be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jos-saramago-208_too-late_it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-pow_1776102.png" --- # It is an unvarying rule for those in power that, when it… ![“It is an unvarying rule for those in power that, when it comes to heads, it is best to cut them off before they start to think, afterward, it might be too late.” quote by José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jos-saramago-208_too-late_it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-pow_1776102.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jos-saramago-208_too-late_it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-pow_1776102.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jos-saramago-208_too-late_it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-pow_1776102.png) > ““It is an unvarying rule for those in power that, when it comes to heads, it is best to cut them off before they start to think, afterward, it might be too late.”” [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Those in power cut off dissent before it forms, fearing it may become dangerous later. **In simple terms:** Leaders suppress opposition early to avoid future threats. Key Takeaway Guard against suppressive actions in leadership. Themes power control prevention Mood critical serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - organizational policy - government oversight - activism Key Concepts authoritarianism political strategy ethics Questions to Reflect On - What are the risks of silencing dissent? - How can healthy debate be encouraged? A Different Perspective Suppression can stifle innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) ## Related quotes > [“It is an unwavering rule for those in power that, when it comes to heads, it is best to cut them off before they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-is-an-unwavering-rule-for-those-in-power-that-when-it-comes-to/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [That's what I look at some people for. I like to know about them. I think them over afterward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/that-s-what-i-look-at-some-people-for-i-like-to-know-about-them-i/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [Some persons do first, think afterward, and then repent forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-secker/some-persons-do-first-think-afterward-and-then-repent-forever/) [Thomas Secker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-secker/) > [I always write a thing first and think about it afterward, which is not a bad procedure because the easiest way to have consequential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/i-always-write-a-thing-first-and-think-about-it-afterward-which-is/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [“Governance is the oversight system that removes the people and the processes if they aren’t working well. It is the process that checks and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/governance-is-the-oversight-system-that-removes-the-people-and-the/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [The desire to rule over others, the will to power, is one of the greatest crimes that man has committed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-desire-to-rule-over-others-the-will-to-power-is-one-of-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Always remember the first rule of power tactics; power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/always-remember-the-first-rule-of-power-tactics-power-is-not-only/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [How shall I be able to rule over others, that have not full power and command of myself?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/how-shall-i-be-able-to-rule-over-others-that-have-not-full-power-and/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [My first big mistake was made when, in a moment of weakness, I consented to learn the game; for a man who can frankly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/my-first-big-mistake-was-made-when-in-a-moment-of-weakness-i/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [God alone knows how great it is. All I hope is that it is not too late. I am very much afraid that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/god-alone-knows-how-great-it-is-all-i-hope-is-that-it-is-not-too-late/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Love is all a matter of timing. It's no good meeting the right person too soon or too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/love-is-all-a-matter-of-timing-it-s-no-good-meeting-the-right-person/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [The right decision is the wrong decision if it's made too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-right-decision-is-the-wrong-decision-if-it-s-made-too-late/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [“If you go to bed too early and get up too late you probably won't sleep especially well. This could show up as either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-a-lewis/if-you-go-to-bed-too-early-and-get-up-too-late-you-probably-won-t/) [Penelope A. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-a-lewis/) > [“4. THE CRUMBLING WALL (Hamburger, prepared medium well, with bacon and barbecue sauce. Courtesy of that place on Solano, where, it should be mentioned,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/4-the-crumbling-wall-hamburger-prepared-medium-well-with-bacon-and/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) ## More by José Saramago > [“We are born, and at that moment, it is as if we had signed a pact for the rest of our life, but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/we-are-born-and-at-that-moment-it-is-as-if-we-had-signed-a-pact-for/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [It takes little or nothing to undo reputations, the merest trifle makes and remakes them, it is simply a question of finding the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-takes-little-or-nothing-to-undo-reputations-the-merest-trifle/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [One can show no greater respect than to weep for a stranger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/one-can-show-no-greater-respect-than-to-weep-for-a-stranger/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [I am not a prophet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/i-am-not-a-prophet/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [With the passage of time, as well as the social evolution and genetic exchange, we ended up putting our conscience in the color of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/with-the-passage-of-time-as-well-as-the-social-evolution-and-genetic/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“Al día siguiente no murió nadie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/al-d-a-siguiente-no-muri-nadie/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“E se as histórias para crianças passassem a ser de leitura obrigatória para os adultos? Seriam eles capazes de aprender realmente o que há…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/e-se-as-hist-rias-para-crian-as-passassem-a-ser-de-leitura-obrigat/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [In a king, modesty would be a sign of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/in-a-king-modesty-would-be-a-sign-of-weakness/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“the inmates of the second ward in the right wing have decided, at long last, to bury their dead, at least we shall be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/the-inmates-of-the-second-ward-in-the-right-wing-have-decided-at-long/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“Stretching one arm behind him, the man passed his hand over the horse's coat, his own skin transformed, or skin which had transformed into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/stretching-one-arm-behind-him-the-man-passed-his-hand-over-the-horse/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [I think we are blind. Blind people who can see, but do not see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/i-think-we-are-blind-blind-people-who-can-see-but-do-not-see/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [...you have to leave the island in order to see the island, that we can't see ourselves unless we become free of ourselves, Unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/you-have-to-leave-the-island-in-order-to-see-the-island-that-we-can-t/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [anyone who gets up early by inclination or has been forced to rise early out of necessity finds it intolerable that others should go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/anyone-who-gets-up-early-by-inclination-or-has-been-forced-to-rise/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [Society has to change, but the political powers we have at the moment are not enough to effect this change. The whole democratic system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/society-has-to-change-but-the-political-powers-we-have-at-the-moment/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“... aborrece os odores nocturnos, aquelas expansões do corpo a que nem poetas escapam".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/aborrece-os-odores-nocturnos-aquelas-expans-es-do-corpo-a-que-nem/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) [Explore all 487 José Saramago quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) ## More Too late quotes > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“4. THE CRUMBLING WALL (Hamburger, prepared medium well, with bacon and barbecue sauce. Courtesy of that place on Solano, where, it should be mentioned,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/4-the-crumbling-wall-hamburger-prepared-medium-well-with-bacon-and/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“If you go to bed too early and get up too late you probably won't sleep especially well. This could show up as either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-a-lewis/if-you-go-to-bed-too-early-and-get-up-too-late-you-probably-won-t/) [Penelope A. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-a-lewis/) > [The right decision is the wrong decision if it's made too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-right-decision-is-the-wrong-decision-if-it-s-made-too-late/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [Love is all a matter of timing. It's no good meeting the right person too soon or too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/love-is-all-a-matter-of-timing-it-s-no-good-meeting-the-right-person/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [God alone knows how great it is. All I hope is that it is not too late. I am very much afraid that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/god-alone-knows-how-great-it-is-all-i-hope-is-that-it-is-not-too-late/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [My first big mistake was made when, in a moment of weakness, I consented to learn the game; for a man who can frankly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/my-first-big-mistake-was-made-when-in-a-moment-of-weakness-i/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [Hang on, did you just call me Angel?” I asked. “If I did?” “I don’t like it.” He grinned. “It stays. Angel.” He leaned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/hang-on-did-you-just-call-me-angel-i-asked-if-i-did-i-don-t-like-it/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [“And I can tell you, without question, that it’s too late for any man who goes to war. Even if he lives, he’ll never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-nelle-patrick/and-i-can-tell-you-without-question-that-it-s-too-late-for-any-man/) [J. Nelle Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-nelle-patrick/) > [“How can you love someone when you know they will never truly love you back because they can’t ever love you back? Your brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-moore/how-can-you-love-someone-when-you-know-they-will-never-truly-love-you/) [Portia Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-moore/) > [Everything in this world has a hidden meaning, I thought. Men, animals, trees, stars, they are all hieroglyphics; woe to anyone who begins to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/everything-in-this-world-has-a-hidden-meaning-i-thought-men-animals/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [“Apply the blacksmith's homely principle when you are speaking. If you feel deeply about your subject you will be able to think of little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/apply-the-blacksmith-s-homely-principle-when-you-are-speaking-if-you/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [It is not too late. You are not too old. You are right on time-And you are better than you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/it-is-not-too-late-you-are-not-too-old-you-are-right-on-time-and-you/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“I think what everyone should be doing, before it's too late, is committing themselves to what they really want to do with their lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthieu-ricard/i-think-what-everyone-should-be-doing-before-it-s-too-late-is/) [Matthieu Ricard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthieu-ricard/) > [“No matter how broken you think you are always remember that there’re worse stories than yours out there and it’s never too late to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pantelis-kassotis/no-matter-how-broken-you-think-you-are-always-remember-that-there-re/) Pantelis Kassotis [Browse all 3,405 Too late quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is an unvarying rule for those in power that, when it comes to heads, it is best to cut them off before they start to think, afterward, it might be too late.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "José Saramago" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-power-that-when-it-comes-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Too late" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-power-that-when-it-comes-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jos-saramago-208_too-late_it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-pow_1776102.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jos-saramago-208_too-late_it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-pow_1776102.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jos-saramago-208_too-late_it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-pow_1776102.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is an unvarying rule for those in power that, when it comes to heads, it is best to cut them off before…” — José Saramago", "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": "José Saramago", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is an unvarying rule for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-power-that-when-it-comes-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-is-an-unvarying-rule-for-those-in-power-that-when-it-comes-to/#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 } } ] } ```