--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Power is like a knife. It can be used to…" description: "\"“Power is like a knife. It can be used to cut bread to share with your neighbor or stab you in the back.”\" — Sadiqua Hamdan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/sadiqua-hamdan-19568_inspirational_power-is-like-a-knife-it-can-be-used-to_35519.jpg" --- # Power is like a knife. It can be used to cut bread to… ![“Power is like a knife. It can be used to cut bread to share with your neighbor or stab you in the back.” quote by Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/sadiqua-hamdan-19568_inspirational_power-is-like-a-knife-it-can-be-used-to_35519.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/sadiqua-hamdan-19568_inspirational_power-is-like-a-knife-it-can-be-used-to_35519.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/sadiqua-hamdan-19568_inspirational_power-is-like-a-knife-it-can-be-used-to_35519.jpg) > ““Power is like a knife. It can be used to cut bread to share with your neighbor or stab you in the back.”” [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power is a neutral force; its moral value depends on how individuals wield it, either to benefit others or to betray them. **In simple terms:** Power's impact hinges on intent. Key Takeaway Power can uplift or harm. Themes Power dynamics Ethics Responsibility Trust Choice Mood Reflective Cautious Type aphor Moral observation When to use this quote - Leadership decisions - Negotiations - Community building - Conflict resolution Key Concepts Authority Morality Interpersonal relations Practical Applications - Ethical leadership training - Team-building workshops Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure power serves collective good? - What safeguards prevent power abuse? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [“The word is “like a knife” because it can be used as a tool or weapon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/the-word-is-like-a-knife-because-it-can-be-used-as-a-tool-or-weapon/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [Religion is like a knife: you can either use it to cut bread, or stick in someone's back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either-use-it-to-cut-bread-or-stick/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [“A knife can be used both to heal and hurt. Wether in the hands of a surgeon or the hands of a criminal it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-fox-cabane/a-knife-can-be-used-both-to-heal-and-hurt-wether-in-the-hands-of-a/) [Olivia Fox Cabane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-fox-cabane/) > [God created the world just like a knife and left it up to us to take it by the handle or the blade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-langenhoven/god-created-the-world-just-like-a-knife-and-left-it-up-to-us-to-take/) [C.J. Langenhoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-langenhoven/) > [A knife, it felt like a knife, and I'd discovered that despite everything that's happened, I still had an endless untapped potential for getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/a-knife-it-felt-like-a-knife-and-i-d-discovered-that-despite/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [At that level, every goal is like a knife in the ribs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-banks/at-that-level-every-goal-is-like-a-knife-in-the-ribs/) Gordon Banks > [I can offer you only: this world like a knife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berryman/i-can-offer-you-only-this-world-like-a-knife/) [John Berryman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berryman/) > [“Religion is like a knife. If you use it the wrong way you can cut yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/religion-is-like-a-knife-if-you-use-it-the-wrong-way-you-can-cut/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [It cut me like a knife, when you walked right out of my life, but no matter what, you'll never see me cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-cut-me-like-a-knife-when-you-walked-right-out-of-my-life-but-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I really feel like knife skills - not just in the kitchen, but in life - are really critical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/i-really-feel-like-knife-skills-not-just-in-the-kitchen-but-in-life/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [“God made the world like a knife. We have the choice to take it by the handle or the blade.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-langenhoven/god-made-the-world-like-a-knife-we-have-the-choice-to-take-it-by-the/) [C.J. Langenhoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-langenhoven/) > [“In this love you are like a knife with which I explore myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/in-this-love-you-are-like-a-knife-with-which-i-explore-myself/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Someone once told me that religion is like a knife: You can stab someone with it, or you can slice bread with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-farmiga/someone-once-told-me-that-religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-stab/) [Vera Farmiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-farmiga/) > [It cuts like a knife, but it feels so right...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-adams/it-cuts-like-a-knife-but-it-feels-so-right/) [Bryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-adams/) > [“Sharing his memories felt like handing over a sharp knife. A knife that others might handle carelessly. A knife that could be used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-j-kirby/sharing-his-memories-felt-like-handing-over-a-sharp-knife-a-knife/) [Matthew J. Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-j-kirby/) ## More by Sadiqua Hamdan > [“Only when we acknowledge ourselves as we really are can we begin to take inventory of the physical, mental, and emotional clutter that no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/only-when-we-acknowledge-ourselves-as-we-really-are-can-we-begin-to/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“At a certain age, I come to understand all roads led to my vagina. I have no idea why this is the case. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/at-a-certain-age-i-come-to-understand-all-roads-led-to-my-vagina-i/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“Be a follower. Be a leader. Learn what it means to be both. Don’t follow a follower. Follow your heart. Be careful of frauds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/be-a-follower-be-a-leader-learn-what-it-means-to-be-both-don-t-follow/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“The thought of holy comes before holy is built. Focusing on thinking healthy, positive thoughts is a precursor to the Universe channeling divine energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/the-thought-of-holy-comes-before-holy-is-built-focusing-on-thinking/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“Change is its own reward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/change-is-its-own-reward/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“Magazine and television advertisements have me subconsciously believing that a sexy airbrushed image can sell a lot more canned tomatoes than without this image.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/magazine-and-television-advertisements-have-me-subconsciously/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“It’s not just on specific days or times to be conscious of God’s presence, but all the time. 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He incorporates his love into an LLC called God’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/to-illustrate-toaster-righteousness-let-s-say-god-decides-to-use/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“God's love is greater than any one religion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/god-s-love-is-greater-than-any-one-religion/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“Your positions in life are not understood until you stand firmly in them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/your-positions-in-life-are-not-understood-until-you-stand-firmly-in/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“Waiting to live life is not worth it. Waiting for someone to figure out how to live with you is not worth waiting for.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/waiting-to-live-life-is-not-worth-it-waiting-for-someone-to-figure/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) [Explore all 32 Sadiqua Hamdan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) ## More Inspirational quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) [Browse all 114,561 Inspirational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Power is like a knife. 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