--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When contemplated in its extreme, almost…" description: "\"When contemplated in its extreme, almost any power looks dangerous.\" — Ruth Bader Ginsburg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/ruth-bader-ginsburg-1906_dangerous_when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost_1273752.jpg" --- # When contemplated in its extreme, almost any power looks… ![“When contemplated in its extreme, almost any power looks dangerous.” quote by Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/ruth-bader-ginsburg-1906_dangerous_when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost_1273752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/ruth-bader-ginsburg-1906_dangerous_when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost_1273752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/ruth-bader-ginsburg-1906_dangerous_when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost_1273752.jpg) > “When contemplated in its extreme, almost any power looks dangerous.” [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even the most powerful entities can become threatening when taken to extremes, reminding us to temper power with responsibility. **In simple terms:** Extreme power feels dangerous. Key Takeaway Balance power with responsibility. Themes power danger responsibility Mood analytical serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - leadership decisions - government policy - corporate authority Key Concepts politics ethics Questions to Reflect On - When is power justified? - How can we ensure power remains accountable? A Different Perspective Power can be necessary for protection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) ## Related quotes > [Being physically close to extreme power causes one to experience a giddiness, an intoxication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/being-physically-close-to-extreme-power-causes-one-to-experience-a/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I always try to be safe; even when something looks dangerous, it actually isn't to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-always-try-to-be-safe-even-when-something-looks-dangerous-it/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [“Maybe sometimes we don’t do the right thing because the wrong thing looks more dangerous, and we don’t want to look scared, so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/maybe-sometimes-we-don-t-do-the-right-thing-because-the-wrong-thing/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [I don't like to risk - I'm actually not a tough guy at all, make no mistake about it, so I'm not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-don-t-like-to-risk-i-m-actually-not-a-tough-guy-at-all-make-no/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [Extreme things are like miracles. Nothing is as boring as a person who is just okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-peter-witkin/extreme-things-are-like-miracles-nothing-is-as-boring-as-a-person-who/) [Joel-Peter Witkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-peter-witkin/) > [I was an extreme tomboy. I did competitive gymnastics for over 10 years. I cut my hair like Winona Ryder, with that little pixie cut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serinda-swan/i-was-an-extreme-tomboy-i-did-competitive-gymnastics-for-over-10/) [Serinda Swan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serinda-swan/) > [I by no means intend to simplify the challenges women face in any culture. Women are marginalized in all cultures in my opinion, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zainab-salbi/i-by-no-means-intend-to-simplify-the-challenges-women-face-in-any/) [Zainab Salbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zainab-salbi/) > [I've never broken a bone in my body, even though I've done some extreme things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/i-ve-never-broken-a-bone-in-my-body-even-though-i-ve-done-some/) [Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/) > [The extreme always makes an impression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/the-extreme-always-makes-an-impression/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [Extreme fear can neither fight nor fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/extreme-fear-can-neither-fight-nor-fly/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The extreme always seems to make an impression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-slater/the-extreme-always-seems-to-make-an-impression/) [Christian Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-slater/) > [We, as human beings, have the capacity for extreme cruelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/we-as-human-beings-have-the-capacity-for-extreme-cruelty/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [Working is the best thing for me because I'm borderline ADHD, so I need some kind of focus or I go a bit extreme.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-winstone/working-is-the-best-thing-for-me-because-i-m-borderline-adhd-so-i/) [Jaime Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-winstone/) > [I've always had a very extreme personality, which gets me into major trouble, I'm always all or nothing, and I don't know the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/i-ve-always-had-a-very-extreme-personality-which-gets-me-into-major/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [My childhood was extreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/my-childhood-was-extreme/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) ## More by Ruth Bader Ginsburg > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [Work hard on each opinion, but once the case is decided, don't look back; go on to the next case and give it your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/work-hard-on-each-opinion-but-once-the-case-is-decided-don-t-look/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [Racial discrimination in elections in Texas is no mere historical artifact. To the contrary, Texas has been found in violation of the Voting Rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/racial-discrimination-in-elections-in-texas-is-no-mere-historical/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [The Democrats do fine in presidential elections; their problem is they can't get out the vote in the midterm elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/the-democrats-do-fine-in-presidential-elections-their-problem-is-they/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [In sum, the Court's conclusion that a constitutionally adequate recount is impractical is a prophecy the Court's own judgment will not allow to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/in-sum-the-court-s-conclusion-that-a-constitutionally-adequate/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [I think our system is being polluted by money,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/i-think-our-system-is-being-polluted-by-money/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We will never see a day when women of means are not able to get a safe abortion in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/we-will-never-see-a-day-when-women-of-means-are-not-able-to-get-a/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [The entering class I joined in 1956 included just nine women, up from five in the then second-year class, and only one African American.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/the-entering-class-i-joined-in-1956-included-just-nine-women-up-from/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If you ask judges, do you always agree on everything? 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Because it wasn't until 1981 that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/it-s-a-facet-of-the-gay-rights-movement-that-people-don-t-think-about/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it. 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And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/my-mother-told-me-to-be-a-lady-and-for-her-that-meant-be-your-own/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) [Explore all 200 Ruth Bader Ginsburg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) ## 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": "When contemplated in its extreme, almost any power looks dangerous.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ruth Bader Ginsburg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost-any-power-looks-dangerous/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dangerous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost-any-power-looks-dangerous/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/ruth-bader-ginsburg-1906_dangerous_when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost_1273752.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/ruth-bader-ginsburg-1906_dangerous_when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost_1273752.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/ruth-bader-ginsburg-1906_dangerous_when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost_1273752.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When contemplated in its extreme, almost any power looks dangerous.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg", "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": "Ruth Bader Ginsburg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When contemplated in its extreme, almost...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost-any-power-looks-dangerous/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/when-contemplated-in-its-extreme-almost-any-power-looks-dangerous/#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 } } ] } ```