--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Come soon, or come late, if you put power…" description: "\"“Come soon, or come late, if you put power in a man's hand, he going make a fist.”\" — Marlon James" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/marlon-james-10052_fist_come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power_2739350.jpg" --- # Come soon, or come late, if you put power in a man's hand… ![“Come soon, or come late, if you put power in a man's hand, he going make a fist.” quote by Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/marlon-james-10052_fist_come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power_2739350.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/marlon-james-10052_fist_come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power_2739350.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/marlon-james-10052_fist_come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power_2739350.jpg) > ““Come soon, or come late, if you put power in a man's hand, he going make a fist.”” [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power placed in a man’s hand inevitably leads to aggression. **In simple terms:** Power breeds fists. Key Takeaway Beware giving unchecked power. Themes power violence human nature Mood cautionary critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - leadership - authoritarianism - social movements - personal relationships Key Concepts political theory psychology Questions to Reflect On - What checks can prevent power abuse? - When does power become protective? A Different Perspective Power can also inspire responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Come Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-late-354802/) [Fist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fist/) [Inevitability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitability/) [Late Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late-power-3015527/) [Make Fist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-fist-1162198/) [Man Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-hand-2117816/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [You know what it takes to win. Just look at my fist. When I make a fist, it's strong and you can't tear it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ara-parseghian/you-know-what-it-takes-to-win-just-look-at-my-fist-when-i-make-a-fist/) [Ara Parseghian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ara-parseghian/) > [“ Making a Fist For the first time, on the road north of Tampico, I felt the life sliding out of me, a drum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/making-a-fist-for-the-first-time-on-the-road-north-of-tampico-i-felt/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [“Will you draw your sword with your free hand?" "I already have. Will you make a fist with yours?" "It's clenched.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/will-you-draw-your-sword-with-your-free-hand-i-already-have-will-you/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [If you make a fist and hold it for two hours, you won't be able to pick up a glass because you'll be so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/if-you-make-a-fist-and-hold-it-for-two-hours-you-won-t-be-able-to/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [When I make a fist, it's strong, and you can't tear it apart. As long as there's unity, there's strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ara-parseghian/when-i-make-a-fist-it-s-strong-and-you-can-t-tear-it-apart-as-long-as/) [Ara Parseghian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ara-parseghian/) > [“Make a fist, Hold your breath— Let it go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-negi/make-a-fist-hold-your-breath-let-it-go/) [Ritu Negi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-negi/) > [“Make a fist. Lightly. Leave enough room for a breath to pass through. Good. Good. All magic proceeds from breath. Remember that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/make-a-fist-lightly-leave-enough-room-for-a-breath-to-pass-through/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Time. It takes control over us and when we realize this, it's often too late. That's again the power of time. See? It's sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-vanluchene/time-it-takes-control-over-us-and-when-we-realize-this-it-s-often-too/) [Tessa Vanluchene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-vanluchene/) > [When I see Almunia's performances, I get angry and have to make a fist in my pocket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-lehmann/when-i-see-almunia-s-performances-i-get-angry-and-have-to-make-a-fist/) [Jens Lehmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-lehmann/) > [Jealousy is a muthafucka when your the man, With the other hand I don't give a shit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eazy-e/jealousy-is-a-muthafucka-when-your-the-man-with-the-other-hand-i-don/) [Eazy-E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eazy-e/) > [It is a blessing for a man to have a hand in determining his own fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blackbeard/it-is-a-blessing-for-a-man-to-have-a-hand-in-determining-his-own-fate/) [Blackbeard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blackbeard/) > [No man will ever put his hand up your dress looking for a library card.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/no-man-will-ever-put-his-hand-up-your-dress-looking-for-a-library-card/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [Whatever is made by the hand of man, by the hand of man may be overturned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/whatever-is-made-by-the-hand-of-man-by-the-hand-of-man-may-be/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [A man without a vote is in this land like a man without a hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-man-without-a-vote-is-in-this-land-like-a-man-without-a-hand/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“The world will end by the doing of man's own hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yefon-isabelle/the-world-will-end-by-the-doing-of-man-s-own-hand/) [Yefon Isabelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yefon-isabelle/) ## More by Marlon James > [“Nobody falls that way without being pushed. I know. And I know how it feels and looks, a body that falls fighting air all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/nobody-falls-that-way-without-being-pushed-i-know-and-i-know-how-it/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [“People think blood red, but blood don't got no colour. Not when blood wash the floor she lying on as she scream for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/people-think-blood-red-but-blood-don-t-got-no-colour-not-when-blood/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [The fiction writer in me likes gaps in stories because I can jump into that gap and try to suggest something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/the-fiction-writer-in-me-likes-gaps-in-stories-because-i-can-jump/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [In 1976, Rastafarians were one of the most violated, persecuted groups in Jamaica. They could be beaten within an inch of their lives, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/in-1976-rastafarians-were-one-of-the-most-violated-persecuted-groups/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [“I miss you, sister," he say. "I miss me too," she say. Always too clever but not clever enough to know when to blow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/i-miss-you-sister-he-say-i-miss-me-too-she-say-always-too-clever-but/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [“Devil has his part to play.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/devil-has-his-part-to-play/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [What I find, particularly with young writers and readers, is that they don't want complicated feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/what-i-find-particularly-with-young-writers-and-readers-is-that-they/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [At 28 years old, seven years out of college, I was so convinced that my voice outed me as a fag that I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/at-28-years-old-seven-years-out-of-college-i-was-so-convinced-that-my/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [“The white man say we’re fighting for freedom from totalitarianism, terrorism and tyranny, but nobody know what he mean. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/the-white-man-say-we-re-fighting-for-freedom-from-totalitarianism/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [“Nineteen seventy-six come and bring an election with it. The man who bring guns to the ghetto made it clear, that there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/nineteen-seventy-six-come-and-bring-an-election-with-it-the-man-who/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [“She not black, she mulatto. Mulatto, mulatto, mulatto. Maybe she be family to both and to hurt white man just as bad as hurting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/she-not-black-she-mulatto-mulatto-mulatto-mulatto-maybe-she-be-family/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [“Shiny like new zinc holding up a roof or a fence right beside old zinc, the material itself a living history of when last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/shiny-like-new-zinc-holding-up-a-roof-or-a-fence-right-beside-old/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [I'm really interested in how non-American countries process race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/i-m-really-interested-in-how-non-american-countries-process-race/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [“People think it way past the time when anybody can remember who start things first, but don’t get the history of the ghetto twist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/people-think-it-way-past-the-time-when-anybody-can-remember-who-start/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [“We don't own truth. Truth is truth and nothing you can do about it even if you hide it, or kill it, or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/we-don-t-own-truth-truth-is-truth-and-nothing-you-can-do-about-it/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) [Explore all 67 Marlon James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) ## More Fist quotes > [You hit somebody with your fist and not with your fingers spread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-guderian/you-hit-somebody-with-your-fist-and-not-with-your-fingers-spread/) [Heinz Guderian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-guderian/) > [Well this is just a fist. But when I start throwing it around I can leave one hell of a mess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/well-this-is-just-a-fist-but-when-i-start-throwing-it-around-i-can/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [“When a woman with an iron fist tells you to get out there and clean spit off the door, you do it. Especially when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/when-a-woman-with-an-iron-fist-tells-you-to-get-out-there-and-clean/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“you will die with a clenched fist and a tense jaw, the epitome of hatred and struggle, because you are not a symbol but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernesto-che-guevara/you-will-die-with-a-clenched-fist-and-a-tense-jaw-the-epitome-of/) [Ernesto Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernesto-che-guevara/) > [As individual fingers we can easily be broken, but all together we make a mighty fist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sitting-bull/as-individual-fingers-we-can-easily-be-broken-but-all-together-we/) [Sitting Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sitting-bull/) > [The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/the-right-to-swing-my-fist-ends-where-the-other-man-s-nose-begins/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [I'm not the type of guy to go out and just say, 'Hey, I'm raising my fist to do this and do that.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-m-not-the-type-of-guy-to-go-out-and-just-say-hey-i-m-raising-my/) [Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/) > [You know what it takes to win. Just look at my fist. When I make a fist, it's strong and you can't tear it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ara-parseghian/you-know-what-it-takes-to-win-just-look-at-my-fist-when-i-make-a-fist/) [Ara Parseghian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ara-parseghian/) > [“Have you ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist, wrapped in blood! Go fuck yourself!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-marber/have-you-ever-seen-a-human-heart-it-looks-like-a-fist-wrapped-in/) [Patrick Marber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-marber/) > [“A strong mind is greater than a strong fist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-strong-mind-is-greater-than-a-strong-fist/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [The man who raises a fist has run out of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/the-man-who-raises-a-fist-has-run-out-of-ideas/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [Being an activist is about getting things done. It's not about standing around shaking your fist in anger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-quinn/being-an-activist-is-about-getting-things-done-it-s-not-about/) [Christine Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-quinn/) > [Fighting is fighting. You close your fist and it's all pretty much the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-shamrock/fighting-is-fighting-you-close-your-fist-and-it-s-all-pretty-much-the/) [Frank Shamrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-shamrock/) > [“(The only time making a fist around the fork helps is when you want to stab someone because he’s stealing your food. Now I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elder-robison/the-only-time-making-a-fist-around-the-fork-helps-is-when-you-want-to/) [John Elder Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elder-robison/) > [“\*fist bump\* \*high five\* \*bottom pat\* … too far?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/fist-bump-high-five-bottom-pat-too-far/) [Penny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-reid/) [Browse all 190 Fist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Come soon, or come late, if you put power in a man's hand, he going make a fist.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marlon James" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power-in-a-man-s-hand-he-going-make/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power-in-a-man-s-hand-he-going-make/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/marlon-james-10052_fist_come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power_2739350.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/marlon-james-10052_fist_come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power_2739350.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/marlon-james-10052_fist_come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power_2739350.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Come soon, or come late, if you put power in a man's hand, he going make a fist.” — Marlon James", "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": "Marlon James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Come soon, or come late, if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power-in-a-man-s-hand-he-going-make/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/come-soon-or-come-late-if-you-put-power-in-a-man-s-hand-he-going-make/#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 } } ] } ```