--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is extreme arrogance for one to think…" description: "\"It is extreme arrogance for one to think he is the only one who can govern his country and nobody else can do it. We're all human. After 10, 15 years y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/kofi-annan-799_arrogance_it-is-extreme-arrogance-for-one-to-think_3230756.png" --- # It is extreme arrogance for one to think he is the only… ![“It is extreme arrogance for one to think he is the only one who can govern his country and nobody else can do it. We're all human. After 10, 15 years you get tired, you run out of steam and ideas, you have to give a chance to somebody else. And whether you yourself are inclined to stay on, all…” quote by Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/kofi-annan-799_arrogance_it-is-extreme-arrogance-for-one-to-think_3230756.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/kofi-annan-799_arrogance_it-is-extreme-arrogance-for-one-to-think_3230756.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/kofi-annan-799_arrogance_it-is-extreme-arrogance-for-one-to-think_3230756.png) > “It is extreme arrogance for one to think he is the only one who can govern his country and nobody else can do it. We're all human. After 10, 15 years you get tired, you run out of steam and ideas, you have to give a chance to somebody else. And whether you yourself are inclined to stay on, all those around you are pushing you to stay on for what they will gain. One has to have the strength of character to say the time has come to move on...unless you are a king.” [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Warns against power concentration, urging leadership renewal and humility for sustainable governance. **In simple terms:** Power must be shared; leaders need rest. Key Takeaway Rotate leaders, respect limits. Themes leadership humility succession Mood reflective serious Type political advice When to use this quote - Corporate board - government term limits - non‑profit leadership Key Concepts Governance political fatigue power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - When should a leader step down? - How to balance continuity with fresh ideas? A Different Perspective New leaders may lack experience, causing instability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) [Arrogance Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance-think-2176701/) [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Extreme Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extreme-arrogance-3701196/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Govern Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/govern-country-1008735/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Pushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pushing/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Steam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steam/) [Strength of character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-of-character/) [Think Govern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-govern-1330778/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tired/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [It is extreme arrogance for one to think he...and it's usually he, is the only one who can govern his country and nobody else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/it-is-extreme-arrogance-for-one-to-think-he-and-it-s-usually-he-is/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [“It requires an act of extreme arrogance to think that we can - through God or science - learn even the most fundamental secrets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/it-requires-an-act-of-extreme-arrogance-to-think-that-we-can-through/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [Those who think govern those who labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-sylver/those-who-think-govern-those-who-labor/) [Marshall Sylver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-sylver/) > [For just experience tells, in every soil, That those that think must govern those that toil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/for-just-experience-tells-in-every-soil-that-those-that-think-must/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Let the people think they govern and they will be governed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/let-the-people-think-they-govern-and-they-will-be-governed/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Those who think must govern those that toil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/those-who-think-must-govern-those-that-toil/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [For just experience tells, in every soil, That those who think must govern those who toil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/for-just-experience-tells-in-every-soil-that-those-who-think-must/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [You have the same mandate whether it's a close result or - you're the President of the United States, you have to act like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/you-have-the-same-mandate-whether-it-s-a-close-result-or-you-re-the/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [The government should do its job. The government's job is, in fact, to run the country, to manage the country, to govern the country.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ratan-tata/the-government-should-do-its-job-the-government-s-job-is-in-fact-to/) [Ratan Tata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ratan-tata/) > [“How can you govern a country with two hundred thirty-eight varieties of cheese?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-mitterrand/how-can-you-govern-a-country-with-two-hundred-thirty-eight-varieties/) [François Mitterrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-mitterrand/) > [When you govern a country, and especially a country so vast and complex as India, you never arrive at anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/when-you-govern-a-country-and-especially-a-country-so-vast-and/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [And under our system, much like you see in the U.K., of course, a party working with another party can form a coalition and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-mercer/and-under-our-system-much-like-you-see-in-the-u-k-of-course-a-party/) [Rick Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-mercer/) > [I don't believe a committee can write a book. It can, oh, govern a country, perhaps, but I don't believe it can write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-toynbee/i-don-t-believe-a-committee-can-write-a-book-it-can-oh-govern-a/) [Arnold Toynbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-toynbee/) > [How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/how-can-you-govern-a-country-which-has-246-varieties-of-cheese/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [If you believe in the existence of fairies at the bottom of the garden you are deemed fit for the bin. If you believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-meades/if-you-believe-in-the-existence-of-fairies-at-the-bottom-of-the/) [Jonathan Meades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-meades/) ## More by Kofi Annan > [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-were-all-children-once-and-we-all-share-the-desire-for-the-well/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [You will recall that for months after 9/11, there was incredible support and sympathy for the US. I really hoped and wished they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/you-will-recall-that-for-months-after-9-11-there-was-incredible/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [A nation has the right to defend itself, but when it comes to the broader issue of peace and security, the legitimacy rests only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/a-nation-has-the-right-to-defend-itself-but-when-it-comes-to-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Sometimes when you take a tough action against one side in the conflict, they see you as part of the conflict and they attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/sometimes-when-you-take-a-tough-action-against-one-side-in-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Some have suggested that ideally there must be some international body that would treat areas like the Arctic as a global commerce, a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/some-have-suggested-that-ideally-there-must-be-some-international/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [In an age of interdependence, global citizenship - based on trust and sense of shared responsibility - is a crucial pillar of progress. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/in-an-age-of-interdependence-global-citizenship-based-on-trust-and/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [We knew the Syrian situation was complex and there were lots of divisions, particularly on the side of the opposition... This is a tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-knew-the-syrian-situation-was-complex-and-there-were-lots-of/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [The question is the morning after. What sort of Iraq do we wake up to after the bombing? What happens in the region? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-question-is-the-morning-after-what-sort-of-iraq-do-we-wake-up-to/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [I laugh a lot inside and outside, and at myself sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/i-laugh-a-lot-inside-and-outside-and-at-myself-sometimes/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Can the state, which represents the whole of society and has the duty of protecting society, fulfill that duty by lowering itself to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/can-the-state-which-represents-the-whole-of-society-and-has-the-duty/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [As long as inequality and other social problems plague us, populists will try to exploit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/as-long-as-inequality-and-other-social-problems-plague-us-populists/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Developing and newer democracies are much more susceptible to the tactics of populists and demagogues - they often do not have strong institutions, free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/developing-and-newer-democracies-are-much-more-susceptible-to-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [The young and dynamic and idealistic people in the square do not have the chance to organise themselves politically, to be able to follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-young-and-dynamic-and-idealistic-people-in-the-square-do-not-have/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) [Explore all 366 Kofi Annan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) ## More Arrogance quotes > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [wishes for sons by Lucille Clifton i wish them cramps. i wish them a strange town and the last tampon. I wish them no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-clifton/wishes-for-sons-by-lucille-clifton-i-wish-them-cramps-i-wish-them-a/) [Lucille Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-clifton/) > [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/) [Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/) > [What you see of me on TV and all of that, that is me - that's truly how I feel. I'm just multiplying it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-corbin/what-you-see-of-me-on-tv-and-all-of-that-that-is-me-that-s-truly-how/) [Baron Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-corbin/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Never mistake someones quietness for their arrogance as you can surely miss out on an awsome personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-mistake-someones-quietness-for-their-arrogance-as-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/most-of-us-think-of-pride-as-self-centeredness-conceit-boastfulness/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“I was consumed by a selfishness and arrogance that I didn't dare let go of until I found a new persona to hide behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-was-consumed-by-a-selfishness-and-arrogance-that-i-didn-t-dare-let/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [Arrogance is the outgrowth of prosperity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/arrogance-is-the-outgrowth-of-prosperity/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [Timing and arrogance are decisive factors in the successful use of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-mannes/timing-and-arrogance-are-decisive-factors-in-the-successful-use-of/) [Marya Mannes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-mannes/) > [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/) [Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/) > [Closed some doors, not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenz-jeffrey/closed-some-doors-not-because-of-pride-incapacity-or-arrogance-but/) [Frenz Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenz-jeffrey/) > [My success isn't a result of arrogance - it's a result of belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/my-success-isn-t-a-result-of-arrogance-it-s-a-result-of-belief/) [Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/) > [“...a great man who is vicious will only be a great doer of evil, and a rich man who is not liberal will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cervantes/a-great-man-who-is-vicious-will-only-be-a-great-doer-of-evil-and-a/) [Miguel Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cervantes/) > [An increasing number of people are growing uncomfortable with the gulf between the world's rich and the poor. Ostentatiously splashing your money around simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalle-lasn/an-increasing-number-of-people-are-growing-uncomfortable-with-the/) [Kalle Lasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalle-lasn/) [Browse all 1,418 Arrogance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is extreme arrogance for one to think he is the only one who can govern his country and nobody else can do it. We're all human. After 10, 15 years you get tired, you run out of steam and ideas, you have to give a chance to somebody else. And whether you yourself are inclined to stay on, all those around you are pushing you to stay on for what they will gain. 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