---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing the British hate more than…"
description: "\"The thing the British hate more than anything else is people who are getting above themselves. There are a hundred different expressions for it all aro..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/monty-don-5037_authority_the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-any_138479.jpg"
---

#  The thing the British hate more than anything else is…

![“The thing the British hate more than anything else is people who are getting above themselves. There are a hundred different expressions for it all around the country, but it comes down to the same thing: this inherent mistrust of authority, and trying to topple people off a pedestal.” quote by Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/monty-don-5037_authority_the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-any_138479.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/monty-don-5037_authority_the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-any_138479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/monty-don-5037_authority_the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-any_138479.jpg)

> “The thing the British hate more than anything else is people who are getting above themselves. There are a hundred different expressions for it all around the country, but it comes down to the same thing: this inherent mistrust of authority, and trying to topple people off a pedestal.”

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

British people distrust authority, especially those perceived as overconfident, leading to a tendency to challenge perceived elites.

**In simple terms:** Brits dislike overconfident authority figures.

Key Takeaway

Question and balance power structures.

Themes

politics social psychology authority British culture

Mood

skeptical thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- political debates
- leadership training
- media commentary
- public policy discussions

Key Concepts

mistrust elitism social dynamics cultural critique

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do societies resist perceived elitism?
- How can leaders earn genuine trust?

A Different Perspective

Generalization may not apply to all individuals.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/)

## Related quotes

> [“Liberalism is a creation of the seventeenth century, fathered by British philosopher John Locke (1632–1704). For Locke, liberalism means limited government, the rule of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/liberalism-is-a-creation-of-the-seventeenth-century-fathered-by/)

[Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/)

> [I think Americans still can't help but respond to the natural authority of this voice. Deep down they long to be told what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-think-americans-still-can-t-help-but-respond-to-the-natural/)

[John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/)

> [ By 18th century standards, they \[Great Britain\] were the freest, most dynamic, most willing to challenge tradition and authority. They had the highest wages… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-morris/by-18th-century-standards-they-great-britain-were-the-freest-most/)

[Charles R. Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-morris/)

> [I hated sports. I hated sports, and I hated people who played them, and I hated people who watched them, and I hated people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-hated-sports-i-hated-sports-and-i-hated-people-who-played-them-and/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Being Hated And Envied Is Actually A Compliment Because People Only Hate People They Cannot Be...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/being-hated-and-envied-is-actually-a-compliment-because-people-only/)

Pacifiersucker

> [Hahaha,Oh gosh,I hate people.-.- Most people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-laura/hahaha-oh-gosh-i-hate-people-most-people/)

[Jasmine Laura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-laura/)

> [I hate when people forget what they were in the past and only becasue they have lots of things now they become big headed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie/i-hate-when-people-forget-what-they-were-in-the-past-and-only-becasue/)

[Rosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie/)

> [I really hate the people who aren't deserve my opinion .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anison/i-really-hate-the-people-who-aren-t-deserve-my-opinion/)

[Anison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anison/)

> [I hate people who only call you when they want something...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-people-who-only-call-you-when-they-want-something/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I've never hosted a party in my life, not even my own birthday party. I'd feel really uncomfortable saying, 'Hey everybody, let's celebrate me!'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessia-cara/i-ve-never-hosted-a-party-in-my-life-not-even-my-own-birthday-party-i/)

[Alessia Cara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessia-cara/)

> [I hate people that act like they're NEVER wrong...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerett-parker/i-hate-people-that-act-like-they-re-never-wrong/)

[Jerett Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerett-parker/)

> [I hate being labeled, I hate people who think they know me when they don't even know the half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-being-labeled-i-hate-people-who-think-they-know-me-when-they/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I hate it when people come up to me on trains and ask 'Are you Soulja Boy?' If people want pictures or autographs, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soulja-boy/i-hate-it-when-people-come-up-to-me-on-trains-and-ask-are-you-soulja/)

[Soulja Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soulja-boy/)

> [People say they hate having fake people around, but when you keep it real, they hate you even more. People don't like the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demarcus-cousins/people-say-they-hate-having-fake-people-around-but-when-you-keep-it/)

[DeMarcus Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demarcus-cousins/)

> [You can have examples of reasons to hate people, but if you analyze those reasons it's like, Oh, I'm hating that person based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlyne-yi/you-can-have-examples-of-reasons-to-hate-people-but-if-you-analyze/)

[Charlyne Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlyne-yi/)

## More by Monty Don

> [Gardening is easy. Stick it in the ground the right way up and most plants will grow perfectly well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/gardening-is-easy-stick-it-in-the-ground-the-right-way-up-and-most/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [My favourite thorn belongs to the rose with a name like a mouthful of broken teeth, Rosa sericea pteracantha. It is grown almost entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/my-favourite-thorn-belongs-to-the-rose-with-a-name-like-a-mouthful-of/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [I love filming. I love the teamwork. It's a tight-knit group spending months on the road together. All the experience is shared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/i-love-filming-i-love-the-teamwork-it-s-a-tight-knit-group-spending/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [People are increasingly realising that what they eat is important. You can't put junk food in your body and be healthy. All sorts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/people-are-increasingly-realising-that-what-they-eat-is-important-you/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [I do wear gloves for things that sting a lot or prick a lot. But I just like to feel with my hands. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/i-do-wear-gloves-for-things-that-sting-a-lot-or-prick-a-lot-but-i/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [I often eat cakes while my fingers are caked in soil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/i-often-eat-cakes-while-my-fingers-are-caked-in-soil/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [We know that gardening is good for you. It is fantastic, all-round exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/we-know-that-gardening-is-good-for-you-it-is-fantastic-all-round/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [The key to our oldest woodland is that it has been cut down and regrown, in some cases as often as 50 or 60…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/the-key-to-our-oldest-woodland-is-that-it-has-been-cut-down-and/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [When you plant something, you invest in a beautiful future amidst a stressful, chaotic and, at times, downright appalling world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/when-you-plant-something-you-invest-in-a-beautiful-future-amidst-a/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [The farm uses up a lot of my creative urges. It's a sort of rough and ready space, I don't film there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/the-farm-uses-up-a-lot-of-my-creative-urges-it-s-a-sort-of-rough-and/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [I was brought up a strict Christian. My father was a lay preacher, my mother a church warden. The rhythm and ritual of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/i-was-brought-up-a-strict-christian-my-father-was-a-lay-preacher-my/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [Organic is loaded with a sense of rightness, with a set of rules. I would much rather someone bought food that was local and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/organic-is-loaded-with-a-sense-of-rightness-with-a-set-of-rules-i/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [Ground elder, introduced by the Romans as a vegetable, is difficult to get rid of because it regrows from the smallest trace of root.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/ground-elder-introduced-by-the-romans-as-a-vegetable-is-difficult-to/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [We are extremely uncomfortable with the spiritual aspects of gardening, and yet most people feel it in some form or other, even if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/we-are-extremely-uncomfortable-with-the-spiritual-aspects-of/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [My gardening apprenticeship was similar to the way a chimney sweep is pushed up a chimney. It was enforced by my parents, non-negotiable -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/my-gardening-apprenticeship-was-similar-to-the-way-a-chimney-sweep-is/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

[Explore all 104 Monty Don quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

## More Authority quotes

> [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/)

[Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/)

[Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/)

> [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/)

[Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/)

> [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/)

[Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/)

> [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/)

[Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/)

> [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/)

[Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/)

> [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/)

[Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/)

> [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/)

[Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/)

> [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/)

[Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/)

> [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/)

[Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/)

[Browse all 4,003 Authority quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The thing the British hate more than anything else is people who are getting above themselves. There are a hundred different expressions for it all around the country, but it comes down to the same thing: this inherent mistrust of authority, and trying to topple people off a pedestal.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Monty Don"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-anything-else-is-people-who-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Authority"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-anything-else-is-people-who-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/monty-don-5037_authority_the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-any_138479.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/monty-don-5037_authority_the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-any_138479.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/monty-don-5037_authority_the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-any_138479.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The thing the British hate more than anything else is people who are getting above themselves. There are a…” — Monty Don",
                "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": "Monty Don",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The thing the British hate more...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-anything-else-is-people-who-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/the-thing-the-british-hate-more-than-anything-else-is-people-who-are/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
