--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thinking the guy up ahead knows what he's…" description: "\"“Thinking the guy up ahead knows what he's doing is the most dangerous religion there is.”\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/kurt-vonnegut-41_dangerous_thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he_3047751.jpg" --- # Thinking the guy up ahead knows what he's doing is the… ![“Thinking the guy up ahead knows what he's doing is the most dangerous religion there is.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/kurt-vonnegut-41_dangerous_thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he_3047751.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/kurt-vonnegut-41_dangerous_thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he_3047751.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/kurt-vonnegut-41_dangerous_thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he_3047751.jpg) > ““Thinking the guy up ahead knows what he's doing is the most dangerous religion there is.”” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blind trust in others' competence is a dangerous belief, akin to religion. **In simple terms:** Blind trust is risky. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about others' expertise. Themes skepticism trust leadership Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - team management - decision making - risk assessment Key Concepts psychology organizational behavior Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify competence? - When is trust appropriate? A Different Perspective May breed paranoia. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ahead Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahead-knows-1837553/) [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Dangerous Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-religion-3032029/) [Doing Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-dangerous-913559/) [Guy Ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy-ahead-5054029/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [If you can't win your race, make sure the guy ahead of you breaks the record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-prefontaine/if-you-can-t-win-your-race-make-sure-the-guy-ahead-of-you-breaks-the/) [Steve Prefontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-prefontaine/) > [If God has shown us bad times ahead, it's enough for me that He knows about them. That's why He sometimes shows us things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/if-god-has-shown-us-bad-times-ahead-it-s-enough-for-me-that-he-knows/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [“Take it slow. We want to know what’s ahead before what’s ahead knows we’re here”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-e-douglas/take-it-slow-we-want-to-know-what-s-ahead-before-what-s-ahead-knows/) [K.E. 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Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by faith and hope, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/to-be-of-no-church-is-dangerous-religion-of-which-the-rewards-are/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“I can’t tell if you’re serious or not,” said the driver. “I won’t know myself until I find out whether life is serious or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-can-t-tell-if-you-re-serious-or-not-said-the-driver-i-won-t-know/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The Contessa was surely way ahead of her time, too, in believing that men were not only usless and idiotic, but downright dangerous. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-contessa-was-surely-way-ahead-of-her-time-too-in-believing-that/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. 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My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. 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They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) [Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Thinking the guy up ahead knows what he's doing is the most dangerous religion there is.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he-s-doing-is-the-most-dangerous/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dangerous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he-s-doing-is-the-most-dangerous/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/kurt-vonnegut-41_dangerous_thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he_3047751.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/kurt-vonnegut-41_dangerous_thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he_3047751.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/kurt-vonnegut-41_dangerous_thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he_3047751.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thinking the guy up ahead knows what he's doing is the most dangerous religion there is.” — Kurt Vonnegut", "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": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Thinking the guy up ahead knows...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he-s-doing-is-the-most-dangerous/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thinking-the-guy-up-ahead-knows-what-he-s-doing-is-the-most-dangerous/#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 } } ] } ```