--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no danger greater for the State…" description: "\"“There is no danger greater for the State than that of self-styled intellectuals. You would have been better off remaining illiterate. - King Hassan II..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/marilyn-hacker-13845_anti-intellectualism_there-is-no-danger-greater-for-the-state_3119174.png" --- # There is no danger greater for the State than that of… ![“There is no danger greater for the State than that of self-styled intellectuals. You would have been better off remaining illiterate. - King Hassan II of Morocco, quoted in the Preface” quote by Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/marilyn-hacker-13845_anti-intellectualism_there-is-no-danger-greater-for-the-state_3119174.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/marilyn-hacker-13845_anti-intellectualism_there-is-no-danger-greater-for-the-state_3119174.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/marilyn-hacker-13845_anti-intellectualism_there-is-no-danger-greater-for-the-state_3119174.png) > ““There is no danger greater for the State than that of self-styled intellectuals. You would have been better off remaining illiterate. - King Hassan II of Morocco, quoted in the Preface”” [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑styled intellectuals threaten the state more than external foes; ignorance can be a protective shield. **In simple terms:** Intellectual arrogance harms society; sometimes ignorance is safer. Key Takeaway Beware of elitist rhetoric; value practical wisdom. Themes politics power intellectualism societal risk Mood cautious critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - government policy debates - educational reform - media criticism - public discourse Key Concepts elitism state security knowledge control Questions to Reflect On - How does intellectual elitism affect governance? - When is ignorance truly protective? A Different Perspective Such statements can justify censorship and suppress critical thought. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti-intellectualism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-intellectualism/) [Authoritarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarianism/) [Illiterate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illiterate/) [Illiterate King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illiterate-king-5469171/) [King Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king-hassan-5469174/) [Morocco Quoted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morocco-quoted-5469172/) [Quoted Preface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quoted-preface-5469173/) ## Related quotes > [“And I wonder, therefore, how James Atlas can have been so indulgent in his recent essay ‘The Changing World of New York Intellectuals.’ This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/and-i-wonder-therefore-how-james-atlas-can-have-been-so-indulgent-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“The fact that the stupid person is often stubborn must not blind us to the fact that he is not independent. 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The whole idea is regarded as a novelty, or an oddity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/the-phenomenon-of-university-creative-writing-programs-doesn-t-exist/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [“From Orient Point The art of living isn't hard to muster: Enjoy the hour, not what it might portend. When someone makes you promises,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/from-orient-point-the-art-of-living-isn-t-hard-to-muster-enjoy-the/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [Translation makes me look at how a poem is put together in a different way, without the personal investment of the poem I'm writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/translation-makes-me-look-at-how-a-poem-is-put-together-in-a/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [“imagine that it were given back to me to be the child who knew departure would be sweet, the boy who drew square-rigged ships,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/imagine-that-it-were-given-back-to-me-to-be-the-child-who-knew/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [As a teacher you are more or less obliged to pay the same amount of attention to everything. That can wear you down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/as-a-teacher-you-are-more-or-less-obliged-to-pay-the-same-amount-of/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [“Nearly a Valediction" You happened to me. 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