--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The worst evils which mankind has ever…" description: "\"The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.\" — Ludwig von Mises" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/ludwig-von-mises-364_anti-war_the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-h_72813.png" --- # The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were… ![“The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.” quote by Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/ludwig-von-mises-364_anti-war_the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-h_72813.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/ludwig-von-mises-364_anti-war_the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-h_72813.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/ludwig-von-mises-364_anti-war_the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-h_72813.png) > “The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.” [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bad governance causes the greatest suffering, outweighing natural disasters or personal misfortunes. **In simple terms:** Government failure is humanity's biggest threat. Key Takeaway Political institutions shape human welfare. Themes politics ethics societal risk governance human suffering Mood concerned critical reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy reform debates - historical analyses of regimes - civic education - comparative politics studies Key Concepts authority policy justice power Practical Applications - designing accountable institutions - advocating for transparent governance Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens hold leaders accountable? - What mechanisms prevent governmental abuse? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-war/) [Antiwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiwar/) [Bad government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-government/) [Bad Governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-governments-951695/) [Endure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endure/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evils/) [Evils Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evils-mankind-951696/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Inflicted Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inflicted-bad-951698/) [Libertarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarian/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Worst Evils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-evils-951697/) ## Related quotes > [The evils of mankind are caused, not by the primary aggressiveness of individuals, but by their self-transcending identification with groups whose common denominator is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-evils-of-mankind-are-caused-not-by-the-primary-aggressiveness-of/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [Much of the most important evils that mankind have to consider are those which they inflict upon each other through stupidity or malevolence or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/much-of-the-most-important-evils-that-mankind-have-to-consider-are/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Bad governments always lie because telling the truth requires honour and courage!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/bad-governments-always-lie-because-telling-the-truth-requires-honour/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [It is bad governments, not bad people, who cause revolutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/it-is-bad-governments-not-bad-people-who-cause-revolutions/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [In rivers and bad governments the lightest things swim at top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-rivers-and-bad-governments-the-lightest-things-swim-at-top/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Only bad religions depend on mysteries, just as bad governments depend on secret police." A character's response to a discussion about eating from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/only-bad-religions-depend-on-mysteries-just-as-bad-governments-depend/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [In rivers and bad governments, the lightest things swim at the top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-rivers-and-bad-governments-the-lightest-things-swim-at-the-top/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The regime which is destroyed by a revolution is almost always an improvement on its immediate predecessor, and experience teaches that the most critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-regime-which-is-destroyed-by-a-revolution-is-almost-always-an/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [In Southern Europe, we have, of course, very bad governments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/in-southern-europe-we-have-of-course-very-bad-governments/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“In reality, hope is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs man’s torments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-reality-hope-is-the-worst-of-all-evils-because-it-prolongs-man-s/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The worst evils of life are those which do not exist except in our imagination. If we had no troubles but real troubles, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-worst-evils-of-life-are-those-which-do-not-exist-except-in-our/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/hope-is-the-worst-of-evils-for-it-prolongs-the-torments-of-man/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [To prevent inquiry is amongst the worst of evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-holcroft/to-prevent-inquiry-is-amongst-the-worst-of-evils/) [Thomas Holcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-holcroft/) > [Hope in reality is the worst of all evils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hope-in-reality-is-the-worst-of-all-evils/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Hope is the worst of evils because it protracts torment.” “Your”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/hope-is-the-worst-of-evils-because-it-protracts-torment-your/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) ## More by Ludwig von Mises > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Changes in human conditions are brought about by the pioneering of the cleverest and most energetic men. They take the lead and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/changes-in-human-conditions-are-brought-about-by-the-pioneering-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [During the 2300 years since Plato, very little opposition has been registered to his ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/during-the-2300-years-since-plato-very-little-opposition-has-been/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“How little one is justified in speaking in this connection of "optimism" and "pessimism" and how much the characterization of liberalism as "optimistic" aims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/how-little-one-is-justified-in-speaking-in-this-connection-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Every step by which an individual substitutes concerted action for isolated action results in an immediate and recognizable improvement in his conditions. The advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/every-step-by-which-an-individual-substitutes-concerted-action-for/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [The capitalistic social order, therefore, is an economic democracy in the strictest sense of the word. In the last analysis, all decisions are dependent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-capitalistic-social-order-therefore-is-an-economic-democracy-in/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Without calculation, economic activity is impossible. Since under Socialism economic calculation is impossible, under Socialism there can be no economic activity in our sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/without-calculation-economic-activity-is-impossible-since-under/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [There is no kind of freedom and liberty other than the kind which the market economy brings about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/there-is-no-kind-of-freedom-and-liberty-other-than-the-kind-which-the/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Peace and not war is the father of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/peace-and-not-war-is-the-father-of-all-things/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [What counts alone is the innovator, the dissenter, the harbinger of things unheard of, the man who rejects the traditional standards and aims at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/what-counts-alone-is-the-innovator-the-dissenter-the-harbinger-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [In reality no food is valued solely for its nutritive power and no garment or house solely for the protection it affords against cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/in-reality-no-food-is-valued-solely-for-its-nutritive-power-and-no/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [All this talk: the state should do this or that, ultimately means: the police should force consumers to behave otherwise than they would behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/all-this-talk-the-state-should-do-this-or-that-ultimately-means-the/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [The most successful businessmen were often uneducated when measured by the scholastic standards of the teaching profession. But they were equal to their social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-most-successful-businessmen-were-often-uneducated-when-measured/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Facts per se can neither prove nor refute anything. Everything is decided by the interpretation and explanation of the facts, by the ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/facts-per-se-can-neither-prove-nor-refute-anything-everything-is/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) [Explore all 637 Ludwig von Mises quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) ## More Anti war quotes > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [In the eyes of empire builders men are not men but instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-the-eyes-of-empire-builders-men-are-not-men-but-instruments/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was involved in the anti-war movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-was-involved-in-the-anti-war-movement/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [My first wish is to see this plague of mankind banished from the earth, and the sons and daughters of this world employed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/my-first-wish-is-to-see-this-plague-of-mankind-banished-from-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [One reason the United States finds itself at the edge of a foreign policy disaster is its underinformed citizenry, a key weakness in democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-halper/one-reason-the-united-states-finds-itself-at-the-edge-of-a-foreign/) [Stefan Halper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-halper/) > [A good soldier is a blind, heartless, soulless, murderous machine. He is not a man. His is not a brute, for brutes kill only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/a-good-soldier-is-a-blind-heartless-soulless-murderous-machine-he-is/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-moral-and-constitutional-obligations-of-our-representatives-in/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [The way I'm going now is to focus on peace, to create peace. As Sister Corita said, "I don't go to anti-war rallies. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-hong-kingston/the-way-i-m-going-now-is-to-focus-on-peace-to-create-peace-as-sister/) [Maxine Hong Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-hong-kingston/) > [Here's the thing. Just because you're pro-troops doesn't mean you're pro-war. And just because you're anti-war doesn't mean you're anti-troops. Just because you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/here-s-the-thing-just-because-you-re-pro-troops-doesn-t-mean-you-re/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/repetition-does-not-transform-a-lie-into-a-truth/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace and on the other dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/you-cannot-be-on-one-hand-dedicated-to-peace-and-on-the-other/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/free-nations-don-t-develop-weapons-of-mass-destruction/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [...Uncalled-for aggression arouses the hatred of the civilian population...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/uncalled-for-aggression-arouses-the-hatred-of-the-civilian-population/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Once conscription was introduced during the First World War, and once Britain's wars ceased being confined to the empire or to continental Europe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-conscription-was-introduced-during-the-first-world-war-and-once/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [If you hold an anti-war rally, I shall not attend. But if you hold a Pro-Peace rally invite me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/if-you-hold-an-anti-war-rally-i-shall-not-attend-but-if-you-hold-a/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) [Browse all 486 Anti war quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-war/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ludwig von Mises" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-had-to-endure-were-inflicted/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anti war" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-had-to-endure-were-inflicted/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/ludwig-von-mises-364_anti-war_the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-h_72813.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/ludwig-von-mises-364_anti-war_the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-h_72813.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/ludwig-von-mises-364_anti-war_the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-h_72813.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.” — Ludwig von Mises", "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": "Ludwig von Mises", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The worst evils which mankind has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-had-to-endure-were-inflicted/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-had-to-endure-were-inflicted/#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 } } ] } ```