--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To permit irresponsible authority is to…" description: "\"To permit irresponsible authority is to sell disaster.\" — Robert A. Heinlein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/robert-a-heinlein-209_authority_to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to_1675651.jpg" --- # To permit irresponsible authority is to sell disaster. ![“To permit irresponsible authority is to sell disaster.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/robert-a-heinlein-209_authority_to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to_1675651.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/robert-a-heinlein-209_authority_to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to_1675651.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/robert-a-heinlein-209_authority_to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to_1675651.jpg) > “To permit irresponsible authority is to sell disaster.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Granting unchecked power leads inevitably to catastrophe. **In simple terms:** Giving power without limits causes disaster. Key Takeaway Limit authority to prevent disaster. Themes responsibility power consequences Mood cautious serious Type advisory warning When to use this quote - government decisions - corporate leadership - community governance Key Concepts political theory risk management Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure checks on authority? - What safeguards prevent disaster? A Different Perspective Power can be misused even with good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) ## Related quotes > [“To permit irresponsible authority is to sow disaster; to hold a man responsible for anything he does not control is to behave with blind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to-sow-disaster-to-hold-a-man/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Both for practical reasons and for mathematically verifiable moral reasons, authority and responsibility must be equal - else a balancing takes place as surely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/both-for-practical-reasons-and-for-mathematically-verifiable-moral/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Contemplation must bring forth right action in order to permit further growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/contemplation-must-bring-forth-right-action-in-order-to-permit/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Do this. Don't do that. Stay back in line. Where's tax receipt? Fill out form. Let's see license. Submit six copies. Exit only. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/do-this-don-t-do-that-stay-back-in-line-where-s-tax-receipt-fill-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Whenever women have insisted on absolute equality with men, they have invariably wound up with the dirty end of the stick. What they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/whenever-women-have-insisted-on-absolute-equality-with-men-they-have/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [It is the individual's task to differentiate himself from all the others and stand on his own feet. All collective identities . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/it-is-the-individual-s-task-to-differentiate-himself-from-all-the/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [“I do my job,” Mikodez said, “because after all the trouble I went to get it, it would be irresponsible not to.” He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoon-ha-lee/i-do-my-job-mikodez-said-because-after-all-the-trouble-i-went-to-get/) [Yoon Ha Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoon-ha-lee/) > [I vote Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/i-vote-democrat-because-i-m-way-too-irresponsible-to-own-a-gun-and-i/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [All nations that have nuclear weapons think that they are responsible and it is the other guys who are irresponsible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-cirincione/all-nations-that-have-nuclear-weapons-think-that-they-are-responsible/) Joseph Cirincione > [WikiLeaks is irritating and annoying for Germany, but not a threat. From an international perspective, I see their actions as totally irresponsible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-maiziere/wikileaks-is-irritating-and-annoying-for-germany-but-not-a-threat/) [Thomas de Maiziere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-maiziere/) > [Iran, Libya and Syria are irresponsible states, which must be disarmed of weapons of mass destruction, and a successful American move in Iraq as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-sharon/iran-libya-and-syria-are-irresponsible-states-which-must-be-disarmed/) [Ariel Sharon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-sharon/) > [I was kind of like chasing my tail and trying to do the right thing, and was a little bit stupid. 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It ignores the health needs of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/it-is-irresponsible-to-set-an-arbitrary-cap-on-how-much-therapy-a/) [John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## 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. 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