---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An efficient government is dangerous in…"
description: "\"An efficient government is dangerous in the hands of the wrong man. Sadly, the right sort of man never seems interested in the job.\" — Nathan Myhrvold"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/nathan-myhrvold-3298_dangerous_an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in_192307.png"
---

#  An efficient government is dangerous in the hands of the…

![“An efficient government is dangerous in the hands of the wrong man. Sadly, the right sort of man never seems interested in the job.” quote by Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/nathan-myhrvold-3298_dangerous_an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in_192307.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/nathan-myhrvold-3298_dangerous_an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in_192307.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/nathan-myhrvold-3298_dangerous_an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in_192307.png)

> “An efficient government is dangerous in the hands of the wrong man. Sadly, the right sort of man never seems interested in the job.”

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

## About This Quote

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

An efficient government can be dangerous if controlled by the wrong person, and the right person rarely seeks power.

**In simple terms:** Efficiency alone isn’t enough; leadership matters.

Key Takeaway

Seek ethical leaders, not just efficient ones.

Themes

politics government efficiency leadership ethics

Mood

cautious analytical

Type

critical philosophical

When to use this quote

- policy making
- public administration
- leadership selection
- government reform
- civic engagement

Key Concepts

power dynamics bureaucracy public trust

Questions to Reflect On

- What safeguards prevent misuse of efficient governance?
- How can we attract ethical leaders?

A Different Perspective

Efficient systems can be misused without moral guardrails.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/)

## Related quotes

> [To the media, I have become a symbolic figure, critical of China. According to the government, I am a dangerous threat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/to-the-media-i-have-become-a-symbolic-figure-critical-of-china/)

[Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/)

> [The Roman Catholics must know as well as we do that 'Popery' when encouraged by government has always been dangerous to the liberties of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-george-gordon/the-roman-catholics-must-know-as-well-as-we-do-that-popery-when/)

Lord George Gordon

> [The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-efficient-government-begins-at-home/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [I'm interested in helping people obtain the benefits enjoyed by the First World of efficient government. I want people in sub-Saharan Africa and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-getty/i-m-interested-in-helping-people-obtain-the-benefits-enjoyed-by-the/)

[Mark Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-getty/)

> [Whenever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/whenever-you-have-an-efficient-government-you-have-a-dictatorship/)

[Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/)

> [Chaos and ineptitude are anti-human; but so too is a superlatively efficient government, equipped with all the products of a highly developed technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/chaos-and-ineptitude-are-anti-human-but-so-too-is-a-superlatively/)

[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [What we can do in Singapore may not be doable elsewhere. Some things you know you need: you want efficient government, you want clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/what-we-can-do-in-singapore-may-not-be-doable-elsewhere-some-things/)

[Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/)

> [When you have an efficient government, you have a dictatorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/when-you-have-an-efficient-government-you-have-a-dictatorship/)

[Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/)

> [The consensual seduction of the mainstream media by and with the government is one of the most dangerous toxins at work in America today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/the-consensual-seduction-of-the-mainstream-media-by-and-with-the/)

[Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/)

> [Potentially, a government is the most dangerous threat to man's rights; it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/potentially-a-government-is-the-most-dangerous-threat-to-man-s-rights-2/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Government is never more dangerous than when our desire to have it help us blinds us to its great power to harm us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/government-is-never-more-dangerous-than-when-our-desire-to-have-it/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Potentially, a government is the most dangerous threat to man's rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/potentially-a-government-is-the-most-dangerous-threat-to-man-s-rights/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [A government is the most dangerous threat to man's rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/a-government-is-the-most-dangerous-threat-to-man-s-rights-it-holds-a/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [A government is the most dangerous threat to man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/a-government-is-the-most-dangerous-threat-to-man/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Whenever you have efficient government, you have a dictatorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/whenever-you-have-efficient-government-you-have-a-dictatorship/)

[Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/)

## More by Nathan Myhrvold

> [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Our reactor actually burns nuclear waste as fuel. So not only is it safe and powerful, it solves an important issue: It actually reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/our-reactor-actually-burns-nuclear-waste-as-fuel-so-not-only-is-it/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Food, like anything else, lives in the physical world and obeys the laws of physics. When you whisk together some oil and a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/food-like-anything-else-lives-in-the-physical-world-and-obeys-the/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [If people don't find what you are doing threatening, then it is probably not very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/if-people-don-t-find-what-you-are-doing-threatening-then-it-is/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Among modern occupations, only cult leaders and TV weathermen rival the technological visionary's ability to retain credibility despite all evidence to the contrary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/among-modern-occupations-only-cult-leaders-and-tv-weathermen-rival/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Crazy ideas sometimes work, and the technological society that we have is built on a foundation of those crazy ideas that work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/crazy-ideas-sometimes-work-and-the-technological-society-that-we-have/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people in cookbook publishing would have said, 'This is insane.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-think-most-people-in-cookbook/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [One of the greatest things that Apple and Jobs were very good at doing was daring to do the very different thing. It's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/one-of-the-greatest-things-that-apple-and-jobs-were-very-good-at/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [The first thing that is not obvious to people is global warming is a less-than-1% effect. It's like being shortchanged at the bank by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/the-first-thing-that-is-not-obvious-to-people-is-global-warming-is-a/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Ultimately, my Ph.D. is in mathematical physics, focusing on quantum field theory and curved space-time, and I worked with Stephen Hawking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/ultimately-my-ph-d-is-in-mathematical-physics-focusing-on-quantum/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [The way Moore's Law occurs in computing is really unprecedented in other walks of life. If the Boeing 747 obeyed Moore's Law, it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/the-way-moore-s-law-occurs-in-computing-is-really-unprecedented-in/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [If you talk about sous-vide, then you have to talk about food safety, and microbiology, and heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/if-you-talk-about-sous-vide-then-you-have-to-talk-about-food-safety/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [A person's basic humanity is not governed by how he or she came into this world, or whether somebody else happens to have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/a-person-s-basic-humanity-is-not-governed-by-how-he-or-she-came-into/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Software-industry battles are fought by highly paid and out-of-shape nerds furiously pounding computer keyboards while they guzzle diet Coke. The stakes aren't very dramatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/software-industry-battles-are-fought-by-highly-paid-and-out-of-shape/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

[Explore all 134 Nathan Myhrvold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

## More Dangerous quotes

> [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/)

[Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/)

> [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/)

[Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/)

> [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/)

[Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/)

> [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/)

[Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/)

> [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/)

[Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/)

> [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/)

[Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/)

> [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/)

[George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/)

> [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/)

[Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/)

> [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/)

[Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/)

> [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/)

[Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/)

Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "An efficient government is dangerous in the hands of the wrong man. Sadly, the right sort of man never seems interested in the job.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nathan Myhrvold"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in-the-hands-of-the-wrong-man/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dangerous"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in-the-hands-of-the-wrong-man/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/nathan-myhrvold-3298_dangerous_an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in_192307.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/nathan-myhrvold-3298_dangerous_an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in_192307.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/nathan-myhrvold-3298_dangerous_an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in_192307.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“An efficient government is dangerous in the hands of the wrong man. Sadly, the right sort of man never seems…” — Nathan Myhrvold",
                "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": "Nathan Myhrvold",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "An efficient government is dangerous in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in-the-hands-of-the-wrong-man/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in-the-hands-of-the-wrong-man/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
