--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your…" description: "\"“Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed.”\" — Richard Adams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/richard-adams-4326_quote_be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-p_1513582.jpg" --- # Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never… ![“Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed.” quote by Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/richard-adams-4326_quote_be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-p_1513582.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/richard-adams-4326_quote_be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-p_1513582.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/richard-adams-4326_quote_be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-p_1513582.jpg) > ““Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed.”” [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cunning and cleverness protect a community from destruction. **In simple terms:** Being clever protects the group. Key Takeaway Use strategy to safeguard your community. Themes strategy protection leadership Mood cautious thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - political leadership - team management - conflict resolution Key Concepts cunning tactics collective security Questions to Reflect On - When does cunning become manipulation? - How to maintain trust while being strategic? A Different Perspective Overreliance on trickery can erode trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-people-shall-never-be-destroyed/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [Sometimes life likes playing tricks on people. Sometimes things can go very wrong and this can really ruin the plans. But you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/sometimes-life-likes-playing-tricks-on-people-sometimes-things-can-go/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [Nowadays, with technology coming into cricket, people start to analyse, and if you only have one or two tricks, people will start to line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasprit-bumrah/nowadays-with-technology-coming-into-cricket-people-start-to-analyse/) [Jasprit Bumrah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasprit-bumrah/) > [You can play the coolest tricks when people don't know that you have a twin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-play-the-coolest-tricks-when-people-don-t-know-that-you-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I knew that there had been times in the past-terrible times-when people had destroyed others in haste,in fear, and had brought about their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-knew-that-there-had-been-times-in-the-past-terrible-times-when/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-eyes-fail-from-weeping-i-am-in-torment-within-my-heart-is-poured/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Other people must be destroyed. In order that I might truly face the sun, the world itself must be destroyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/other-people-must-be-destroyed-in-order-that-i-might-truly-face-the/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [I've met people who were destroyed by Donald Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-ve-met-people-who-were-destroyed-by-donald-trump/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“Has it ever struck you people how arrogant you are?" it asked, huge hands taking an attitude of query that bordered on accusation. "You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-abraham/has-it-ever-struck-you-people-how-arrogant-you-are-it-asked-huge/) [Daniel Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-abraham/) > [“The thing I didn't see back then is that people can be destroyed by goodness. Damage can be done by hope. If people aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hall/the-thing-i-didn-t-see-back-then-is-that-people-can-be-destroyed-by/) [Barbara Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hall/) > [“That was what had finally broken through her blindness. Her father had saved his people and destroyed himself. As strong as he looked, inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/that-was-what-had-finally-broken-through-her-blindness-her-father-had/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [It is only when the hearts of the Women are in the mud, that the People are destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morning-star/it-is-only-when-the-hearts-of-the-women-are-in-the-mud-that-the/) [Morning Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morning-star/) > [“Oh! What honour for the female sex! It is perfectly obvious that God has special regard for it when all these wretched people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-de-pizan/oh-what-honour-for-the-female-sex-it-is-perfectly-obvious-that-god/) [Christine de Pizan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-de-pizan/) > [If the liberties of the American people are ever destroyed, they will fall by the hands of the clergy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-lafayette/if-the-liberties-of-the-american-people-are-ever-destroyed-they-will/) [Marquis de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-lafayette/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) ## More by Richard Adams > [Men will never rest till they've spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/men-will-never-rest-till-they-ve-spoiled-the-earth-and-destroyed-the/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“Like children in a dark room, like wayfarers passing a graveyard at night, the four men in the canoe filled the surrounding darkness with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/like-children-in-a-dark-room-like-wayfarers-passing-a-graveyard-at/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“Rabbit underground, rabbit safe and sound.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/rabbit-underground-rabbit-safe-and-sound/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“There's terrible evil in the world." It comes from men," said Holly. "All other elil do what they have to do and Frith moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/there-s-terrible-evil-in-the-world-it-comes-from-men-said-holly-all/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“But I have learned that with creatures one loves, suffering is not the only thing for which one may pity them. A rabbit who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/but-i-have-learned-that-with-creatures-one-loves-suffering-is-not-the/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [People who record birdsong generally do it very early-before six o'clock-if they can. Soon after that, the invasion of distant noise in most woodland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/people-who-record-birdsong-generally-do-it-very-early-before-six-o/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“Then El-ahrairah knew that Frith was too clever for him and he was frightened. He thought that the fox and the weasel were coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/then-el-ahrairah-knew-that-frith-was-too-clever-for-him-and-he-was/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“Most of them had not understood Blackberry's discovery of the raft and at once forgot it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/most-of-them-had-not-understood-blackberry-s-discovery-of-the-raft/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“My lord,' replied El-ahrairah, 'I have come to give you my life. My life for my people.' The Black Rabbit drew his claws along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/my-lord-replied-el-ahrairah-i-have-come-to-give-you-my-life-my-life/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“Hazel, like nearly all wild animals, was unaccustomed to look up at the sky. What he thought of as the sky was the horizon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/hazel-like-nearly-all-wild-animals-was-unaccustomed-to-look-up-at-the/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-people-shall-never-be-destroyed/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [Who knows why men do anything?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/who-knows-why-men-do-anything/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“A wild animal that feels that it no longer has any reason to live reaches in the end a point when its remaining energies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/a-wild-animal-that-feels-that-it-no-longer-has-any-reason-to-live/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“Think yourself lucky,” said Bigwig, bleeding and cursing, “that I don’t kill you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/think-yourself-lucky-said-bigwig-bleeding-and-cursing-that-i-don-t/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“Black Rabbit: Hazel... Hazel... you know me, don't you? Hazel: I don't know. \[the apparition reveals himself to be the Black Rabbit, and Hazel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/black-rabbit-hazel-hazel-you-know-me-don-t-you-hazel-i-don-t-know-the/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) [Explore all 109 Richard Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) ## More Cunning quotes > [Charm is a cunning self-forgetfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/charm-is-a-cunning-self-forgetfulness/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [Life is a battle of wits, and many people have to fight it unarmed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/life-is-a-battle-of-wits-and-many-people-have-to-fight-it-unarmed/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [It is a pity that, commonly, more care is had--yea, and that among very wise men--to find out rather a cunning man for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ascham/it-is-a-pity-that-commonly-more-care-is-had-yea-and-that-among-very/) [Roger Ascham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ascham/) > [The terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind masks of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-terrible-immoralities-are-the-cunning-ones-hiding-behind-masks-of/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [That humanity and sincerity which dispose men to resist injustice and tyranny render them unfit to cope with the cunning and power of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-humanity-and-sincerity-which-dispose-men-to-resist-injustice-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why do some die and some live? The answer was clearly, that on the whole the best fitted live. From the effects of disease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-russel-wallace/why-do-some-die-and-some-live-the-answer-was-clearly-that-on-the/) [Alfred Russel Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-russel-wallace/) > [Art is the final cunning of the human soul which would rather do anything than face the gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/art-is-the-final-cunning-of-the-human-soul-which-would-rather-do/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Treason and murder ever kept together, As two yoke-devils sworn to either's purpose, Working so grossly in a natural cause That admiration did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/treason-and-murder-ever-kept-together-as-two-yoke-devils-sworn-to/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Till swollen with cunning, of a self-conceit, His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And melting heavens conspired his overthrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/till-swollen-with-cunning-of-a-self-conceit-his-waxen-wings-did-mount/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Stratagem is the right hand of cunning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-william-curtis/stratagem-is-the-right-hand-of-cunning/) [George William Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-william-curtis/) > [“When a man possesses the innocence of a child, we call him a fool. When a child possesses the cunning of a man, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/when-a-man-possesses-the-innocence-of-a-child-we-call-him-a-fool-when/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [“Would you like to sit?" Kellen asked her. "You'd better do it soon," Owen whispered close to her ear, "or I'm going to bend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-cunning/would-you-like-to-sit-kellen-asked-her-you-d-better-do-it-soon-owen/) [Olivia Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-cunning/) > [I am defined by my will to survive, not by intelligence or cunning or money or good looks. The Creator didn't see her way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaune-quick-to-see-smith/i-am-defined-by-my-will-to-survive-not-by-intelligence-or-cunning-or/) [Jaune Quick–to–See Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaune-quick-to-see-smith/) > [A cunning mind emphatically delights in its own cunning, and is the ready prey of cunning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-brownell-jameson/a-cunning-mind-emphatically-delights-in-its-own-cunning-and-is-the/) [Anna Brownell Jameson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-brownell-jameson/) Browse all 535 Cunning quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Adams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-people-will-never-be-destroyed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cunning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-people-will-never-be-destroyed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/richard-adams-4326_quote_be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-p_1513582.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/richard-adams-4326_quote_be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-p_1513582.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/richard-adams-4326_quote_be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-p_1513582.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed.” — Richard Adams", "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": "Richard Adams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Be cunning, and full of tricks,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-people-will-never-be-destroyed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/be-cunning-and-full-of-tricks-and-your-people-will-never-be-destroyed/#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 } } ] } ```