--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The law of unintended consequences rules…" description: "\"“The law of unintended consequences rules, often with deadly silence.”\" — Richard B. McKenzie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6d/richard-b-mckenzie-99697_law_the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules_2412583.jpg" --- # The law of unintended consequences rules, often with… ![“The law of unintended consequences rules, often with deadly silence.” quote by Richard B. McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6d/richard-b-mckenzie-99697_law_the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules_2412583.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6d/richard-b-mckenzie-99697_law_the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules_2412583.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6d/richard-b-mckenzie-99697_law_the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules_2412583.jpg) > ““The law of unintended consequences rules, often with deadly silence.”” [Richard B. McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-b-mckenzie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unintended consequences often arise silently, with potentially deadly outcomes. **In simple terms:** Unplanned effects can be silent and dangerous. Key Takeaway Consider hidden risks before acting. Themes consequences law silence risk Mood cautious analytical Type Law:1 Silence:1 Unintended consequences:1 Law Unintended:0 Deadly Silence:0 Consequences Rules:0 Rules Deadly:0 When to use this quote - legislation drafting - project management - environmental assessment Key Concepts causal analysis ethical decision-making policy planning Questions to Reflect On - What silent risks could your actions create? - How can you mitigate unseen consequences? A Different Perspective Predicting all outcomes is impossible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consequences Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequences-rules-4384520/) [Deadly Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadly-silence-3987326/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law Unintended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-unintended-510977/) [Rules Deadly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-deadly-6079469/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Unintended consequences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unintended-consequences/) ## Related quotes > [The greatest thing that science teaches you is the law of unintended consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-druyan/the-greatest-thing-that-science-teaches-you-is-the-law-of-unintended/) [Ann Druyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-druyan/) > [“Have you ever heard of the law of unintended consequences?” He shook his head. “It basically says that any intervention in a complex system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-hicks/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-law-of-unintended-consequences-he-shook/) [Michael R. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-hicks/) > [The law of unintended consequences is the only real law of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-ferguson/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-is-the-only-real-law-of-history/) [Niall Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niall-ferguson/) > [“as per the law of unintended consequences, no matter what people’s intention when they do something, they rarely know what the ultimate outcome of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/as-per-the-law-of-unintended-consequences-no-matter-what-people-s/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [It is...highly probable that from the very beginning, apart from death, the only ironclad rule of human experience has been the Law of Unintended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-tattersall/it-is-highly-probable-that-from-the-very-beginning-apart-from-death/) [Ian Tattersall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-tattersall/) > [What I have learned from studying counterfactual history is that the law of unintended consequences always kicks in no matter how secure you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavriel-david-rosenfeld/what-i-have-learned-from-studying-counterfactual-history-is-that-the/) [Gavriel David Rosenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavriel-david-rosenfeld/) > [The law of unintended consequences pushes us ceaselessly through the years, permitting no pause for perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schickel/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-pushes-us-ceaselessly-through-the/) [Richard Schickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schickel/) > [...All the wonders of our universe can in effect be captured by simple rules, yet ... there can be no way to know all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-wolfram/all-the-wonders-of-our-universe-can-in-effect-be-captured-by-simple/) [Stephen Wolfram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-wolfram/) > [“A brief rustling that broke off short, as if startled at itself, then deadly silence, that agonising, watchful hush, fraught with its own betrayal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-meyrink/a-brief-rustling-that-broke-off-short-as-if-startled-at-itself-then/) [Gustav Meyrink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustav-meyrink/) > [“The whole world is now one vast uncontrolled experiment - the way it always was, Crake would have said - and the doctrine of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-whole-world-is-now-one-vast-uncontrolled-experiment-the-way-it/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [The A.M.T. is much reviled by tax experts across the political spectrum for its unintended consequences and fiendish complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-b-stewart/the-a-m-t-is-much-reviled-by-tax-experts-across-the-political/) [James B. Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-b-stewart/) > [If we continue to ignore the unintended consequences of our decisions, we will continue to face adverse consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/if-we-continue-to-ignore-the-unintended-consequences-of-our-decisions/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [It is not enough to simply dismiss policy, because it's too complicated or we're scared about what the unintended consequences might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wu/it-is-not-enough-to-simply-dismiss-policy-because-it-s-too/) [Michelle Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wu/) > [Most of us tend to be swayed by what we read. Judges are not superhuman. They, too, are mortals. This is why they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sibal/most-of-us-tend-to-be-swayed-by-what-we-read-judges-are-not/) [Kapil Sibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sibal/) > [As a teenager, my dad taught me about the idea of unintended consequences, and I've had the experience, and how to deal with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-feld/as-a-teenager-my-dad-taught-me-about-the-idea-of-unintended/) [Brad Feld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-feld/) ## More by Richard B. McKenzie > [“people's stupidity probably explains much of what people do and don't do, as I have conceded all along in this book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-b-mckenzie/people-s-stupidity-probably-explains-much-of-what-people-do-and-don-t/) [Richard B. McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-b-mckenzie/) [Explore all 2 Richard B. McKenzie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-b-mckenzie/) ## More Law quotes > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [ \[Islam\] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abul-a-la-maududi/islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislation-in-an-islamic-state-because/) [Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abul-a-la-maududi/) > [The law is like apparel, which alters with the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dodderidge/the-law-is-like-apparel-which-alters-with-the-time/) [John Dodderidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dodderidge/) > [I am convinced that we will never build a democratic state based on rule of law if we do not at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/i-am-convinced-that-we-will-never-build-a-democratic-state-based-on/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [Dictatorship is rule based directly upon force and unrestricted by any laws. The revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat is rule won and maintained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/dictatorship-is-rule-based-directly-upon-force-and-unrestricted-by/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Laws undertake to punish only overt acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/laws-undertake-to-punish-only-overt-acts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [In relations between the rich and the strong, between the rich and the poor, between the master and the servant, it's liberty that grinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-relations-between-the-rich-and-the-strong-between-the-rich-and-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Browse all 16,973 Law quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The law of unintended consequences rules, often with deadly silence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard B. McKenzie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-b-mckenzie/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules-often-with-deadly-silence/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Law" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-b-mckenzie/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules-often-with-deadly-silence/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6d/richard-b-mckenzie-99697_law_the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules_2412583.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6d/richard-b-mckenzie-99697_law_the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules_2412583.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6d/richard-b-mckenzie-99697_law_the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules_2412583.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The law of unintended consequences rules, often with deadly silence.” — Richard B. McKenzie", "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 B. McKenzie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-b-mckenzie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The law of unintended consequences rules,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-b-mckenzie/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules-often-with-deadly-silence/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-b-mckenzie/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-rules-often-with-deadly-silence/#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 } } ] } ```