--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To permit irresponsible authority is to…" description: "\"“To permit irresponsible authority is to sow disaster; to hold a man responsible for anything he does not control is to behave with blind idiocy.”\" — R..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fb/robert-a-heinlein-209_power_to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to_988728.jpg" --- # To permit irresponsible authority is to sow disaster; to… ![“To permit irresponsible authority is to sow disaster; to hold a man responsible for anything he does not control is to behave with blind idiocy.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fb/robert-a-heinlein-209_power_to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to_988728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fb/robert-a-heinlein-209_power_to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to_988728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fb/robert-a-heinlein-209_power_to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to_988728.jpg) > ““To permit irresponsible authority is to sow disaster; to hold a man responsible for anything he does not control is to behave with blind idiocy.”” [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. Irresponsible authority leads to disaster; blaming people for uncontrollable events is foolish. **In simple terms:** Bad leadership and unfair blame cause harm. Key Takeaway Avoid blaming others for things they cannot control. Themes leadership responsibility justice Mood critical serious Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political decisions - workplace management - family dynamics - legal rulings Key Concepts authority blame idiocy Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders be held accountable? - What systems prevent unfair blame? A Different Perspective Blind blame can ignore systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blind Idiocy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind-idiocy-2010859/) [Irresponsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irresponsible/) [Irresponsible Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irresponsible-authority-904944/) [Man Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-responsible-258633/) [Permit Irresponsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permit-irresponsible-904946/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [To permit irresponsible authority is to sell disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to-sell-disaster/) [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/) > [By the age of forty, a man is responsible for his face. And his fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/by-the-age-of-forty-a-man-is-responsible-for-his-face-and-his-fate/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Marriages may be made in heaven, but man is responsible for the maintenance work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/marriages-may-be-made-in-heaven-but-man-is-responsible-for-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Of all the evils for which man has made himself responsible, none is so degrading, so shocking, or so brutal as his abuse of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/of-all-the-evils-for-which-man-has-made-himself-responsible-none-is/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“He’d been kidnapped, betrayed, almost fed to a Diamondscale —yes, a Diamondscale— and now, just to top things off, he was on the run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ford-elward/he-d-been-kidnapped-betrayed-almost-fed-to-a-diamondscale-yes-a/) [Ruth Ford Elward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ford-elward/) > [Responsibility is a unique concept... You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-you-may-share-it-with-others-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Man is responsible not only for every deed, but also for every idle word and thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/man-is-responsible-not-only-for-every-deed-but-also-for-every-idle/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [Every man is responsible only for his own acts. The sons do not inherit the sins of the fathers. But can we say: that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksander-kwasniewski/every-man-is-responsible-only-for-his-own-acts-the-sons-do-not/) [Aleksander Kwasniewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksander-kwasniewski/) > [“he told me that a man must be responsible for any seed he sows, for it’s his duty to take care of a woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/he-told-me-that-a-man-must-be-responsible-for-any-seed-he-sows-for-it/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [ He \[Brian Fraser\] told me that a man must be responsible for any see he sows, for it's his duty to take care of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/he-brian-fraser-told-me-that-a-man-must-be-responsible-for-any-see-he/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“every man is responsible for his own actions and the consequences or rewards they may bring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-dalzelle/every-man-is-responsible-for-his-own-actions-and-the-consequences-or/) [Joshua Dalzelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-dalzelle/) > [Clearly I miss Him, having been brought up in religion. But now a man must be responsible to himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/clearly-i-miss-him-having-been-brought-up-in-religion-but-now-a-man/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [No man is responsible for his father. That was entirely his mother's affair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-turnbull/no-man-is-responsible-for-his-father-that-was-entirely-his-mother-s/) [Margaret Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-turnbull/) > [The man who refuses to judge, who neither agrees nor disagrees, who declares that there are no absolutes and believes that he escapes responsibility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-man-who-refuses-to-judge-who-neither-agrees-nor-disagrees-who/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) ## 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 Irresponsible quotes > [It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. 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/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [I was kind of like chasing my tail and trying to do the right thing, and was a little bit stupid. Or irresponsible, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-downey-jr/i-was-kind-of-like-chasing-my-tail-and-trying-to-do-the-right-thing/) [Robert Downey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-downey-jr/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-cirincione/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [And the point is, is it possible for the mind to be totally free from suffering and yet not become indifferent, callous, irresponsible, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/and-the-point-is-is-it-possible-for-the-mind-to-be-totally-free-from/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [A coach is often responsible to an irresponsible public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-zuppke/a-coach-is-often-responsible-to-an-irresponsible-public/) [Robert Zuppke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-zuppke/) > [The Bush administration continues to coddle China, despite its continuing crackdown on democratic reform, its brutal subjugation of Tibet, its irresponsible export of nuclear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/the-bush-administration-continues-to-coddle-china-despite-its/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [You've got a great chance in college to do all sorts of terrible irresponsible things, and you should totally do them. I mean, make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/you-ve-got-a-great-chance-in-college-to-do-all-sorts-of-terrible/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Today's tax cuts provide yet another illustration of the Republicans' fiscally irresponsible economic policies that ignore the needs of America's middle class, students, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-tauscher/today-s-tax-cuts-provide-yet-another-illustration-of-the-republicans/) [Ellen Tauscher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-tauscher/) [Browse all 387 Irresponsible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irresponsible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To permit irresponsible authority is to sow disaster; to hold a man responsible for anything he does not control is to behave with blind idiocy.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert A. 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