Fate Quote by Joseph Conrad
““Fate looks at nothing. It has no discretion. He no longer considered it eminently desirable all round to establish publicly the identity of the man who had blown himself up that morning with such horrible completeness. But he was not certain of the view his department would take. A department is to those it employs a complex personality with ideas and even fads of its own. It depends on the loyal devotion of its servants, and the devoted loyalty of trusted servants is associated with a certain amount of affectionate contempt, which keeps it sweet, as it were. By a benevolent provision of Nature no man is a hero to his valet, or else the heroes would have to brush their own clothes. Likewise no department appears perfectly wise to the intimacy of its workers. A department does not know so much as some of its servants. Being a dispassionate organism, it can never be perfectly informed. It would not be good for its efficiency to know too much. Chief Inspector Heat got out of the train in a state of thoughtfulness entirely untainted with disloyalty, but not quite free of that jealous mistrust which so often springs on the ground of perfect devotion, whether to women or to institutions.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, 1907
The passage critiques bureaucratic structures, noting they lack true insight and rely on loyal yet contemptuous servants, highlighting the paradox of authority and ignorance.
In simple terms: Departments are blind to their own flaws and depend on loyal staff who both respect and mock them.
Recognize limits of institutional knowledge and value critical perspectives.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- government agencies
- corporate offices
- military units
- nonprofits
- academic departments
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does blind loyalty affect decision making?
- Can institutions balance knowledge with humility?
Institutions may become inefficient if they overreach and try to know everything.