--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is impossible to reign innocently." description: "\"It is impossible to reign innocently.\" — Louis Antoine de Saint-Just" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/louis-antoine-de-saint-just-20_impossible_it-is-impossible-to-reign-innocently-255_2553812.jpg" --- # It is impossible to reign innocently. ![“It is impossible to reign innocently.” quote by Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/louis-antoine-de-saint-just-20_impossible_it-is-impossible-to-reign-innocently-255_2553812.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/louis-antoine-de-saint-just-20_impossible_it-is-impossible-to-reign-innocently-255_2553812.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/louis-antoine-de-saint-just-20_impossible_it-is-impossible-to-reign-innocently-255_2553812.jpg) > “It is impossible to reign innocently.” [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One cannot act without moral compromise; innocence is unattainable in governance. **In simple terms:** No pure innocence. Key Takeaway Accept moral complexity in leadership. Themes politics ethics power Mood cynical thoughtful Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - government decisions - policy making - leadership training Key Concepts moral philosophy realpolitik Questions to Reflect On - What compromises are justified in leadership? - Can true innocence exist in politics? A Different Perspective Idealism may clash with practical needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Impossible Reign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible-reign-1544318/) [Innocently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocently/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Reign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reign/) [Reign Innocently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reign-innocently-1544317/) ## Related quotes > [One cannot reign innocently: the insanity of doing so is evident. Every king is a rebel and a usurper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/one-cannot-reign-innocently-the-insanity-of-doing-so-is-evident-every/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [Monarchy is an outrage which even the blind of an entire people cannot justify... all men hold from nature the secret mission to destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/monarchy-is-an-outrage-which-even-the-blind-of-an-entire-people/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [One should make movies innocently - the way Adam and Eve named the animals, their first day in the garden. Learn from your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/one-should-make-movies-innocently-the-way-adam-and-eve-named-the/) [Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/) > [“Luc blinked innocently. That little fuck. "I gave you a piece of opal and a Luxen to nom-nom on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/luc-blinked-innocently-that-little-fuck-i-gave-you-a-piece-of-opal/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [No one has a right to obstruct another exercising his faculties innocently for the relief of sensibilities made a part of his nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/no-one-has-a-right-to-obstruct-another-exercising-his-faculties/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“I knelt and locked the door. I locked the door locking the world and time outside. I stretched my body across the mattress and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/i-knelt-and-locked-the-door-i-locked-the-door-locking-the-world-and/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [The happy are an exception who enjoy innocently their simple happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/the-happy-are-an-exception-who-enjoy-innocently-their-simple-happiness/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [Women should set themselves forth attractively but innocently, like a cat. A cat is never a presentation, but an innocent happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alwin-nikolais/women-should-set-themselves-forth-attractively-but-innocently-like-a/) [Alwin Nikolais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alwin-nikolais/) > [“Hey, Mike," he said innocently. "I thought girls weren't allowed to spend the night?" "Watch it." "At least your not wearing her shirt." "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-kemmerer/hey-mike-he-said-innocently-i-thought-girls-weren-t-allowed-to-spend/) [Brigid Kemmerer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-kemmerer/) > [Things said and done innocently should never be used as weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-maberry/things-said-and-done-innocently-should-never-be-used-as-weapons/) [Jonathan Maberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-maberry/) > [“there, then?’ Kevin asked innocently.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-chambers/there-then-kevin-asked-innocently/) [Kimberley Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-chambers/) > [“Never had we ever kissed as lovers; if we touched lips it was as brother and sister. In one moment of emotion, our lips…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/never-had-we-ever-kissed-as-lovers-if-we-touched-lips-it-was-as/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [Who I am gets in the way of people looking innocently at the parts I play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rickman/who-i-am-gets-in-the-way-of-people-looking-innocently-at-the-parts-i/) [Alan Rickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-rickman/) > [Turns out that in real life, whistling innocently and slowly moving away from the scene of the crime is actually a dead giveaway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/turns-out-that-in-real-life-whistling-innocently-and-slowly-moving/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think I'm innocently representing a certain belief in motion pictures, and, well OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/i-think-i-m-innocently-representing-a-certain-belief-in-motion/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) ## More by Louis Antoine de Saint-Just > [One cannot reign innocently: the insanity of doing so is evident. Every king is a rebel and a usurper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/one-cannot-reign-innocently-the-insanity-of-doing-so-is-evident-every/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [A nation regenerates itself only upon heaps of corpses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/a-nation-regenerates-itself-only-upon-heaps-of-corpses/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [It is time that we labored for the happiness of the people. Legislators who are to bring light and order into the world must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/it-is-time-that-we-labored-for-the-happiness-of-the-people/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [It has always seemed to me that the social order was implicit in the very nature of things, and required nothing more from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/it-has-always-seemed-to-me-that-the-social-order-was-implicit-in-the/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [What produces the general good is always terrible or seems bizarre when begun too soon. 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The exercise of terror has made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/the-revolution-has-grown-cold-all-its-principles-are-weakened-there/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [Most arts have produced miracles, while the art of government has produced nothing but monsters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/most-arts-have-produced-miracles-while-the-art-of-government-has/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [When a people, having become free, establish wise laws, their revolution is complete... Peace and prosperity, public virtue, victory, everything is in the vigor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/when-a-people-having-become-free-establish-wise-laws-their-revolution/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [When a people, having become free, establish wise laws, their revolution is complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/when-a-people-having-become-free-establish-wise-laws-their-revolution-2/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [In the circumstances in which the Republic finds itself, the constitution cannot be inaugurated; it would destroy itself. The provisional government of France is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/in-the-circumstances-in-which-the-republic-finds-itself-the/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [The legislator commands the future; to be feeble will avail him nothing: it is for him to will what is good and to perpetuate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/the-legislator-commands-the-future-to-be-feeble-will-avail-him/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [Keep cool and you command everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/keep-cool-and-you-command-everybody/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [Happiness is a new idea in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/happiness-is-a-new-idea-in-europe/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [You who make the laws, the vices and the virtues of the people will be your work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/you-who-make-the-laws-the-vices-and-the-virtues-of-the-people-will-be/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [I have not found a single good man in government; I have found good only in the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/i-have-not-found-a-single-good-man-in-government-i-have-found-good/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) [Explore all 31 Louis Antoine de Saint-Just quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) ## More Impossible quotes > [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [All Germany was in turmoil. 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