--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In such a government as ours no man is…" description: "\"In such a government as ours no man is appointed to an office because he is the fittest for it--nor hardly in any other government--because there are s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e7/samuel-johnson-50_connections_in-such-a-government-as-ours-no-man-is-a_56945.png" --- # In such a government as ours no man is appointed to an… ![“In such a government as ours no man is appointed to an office because he is the fittest for it--nor hardly in any other government--because there are so many connections and dependencies to be studied.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e7/samuel-johnson-50_connections_in-such-a-government-as-ours-no-man-is-a_56945.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e7/samuel-johnson-50_connections_in-such-a-government-as-ours-no-man-is-a_56945.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e7/samuel-johnson-50_connections_in-such-a-government-as-ours-no-man-is-a_56945.png) > “In such a government as ours no man is appointed to an office because he is the fittest for it--nor hardly in any other government--because there are so many connections and dependencies to be studied.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques bureaucratic appointments, noting they’re driven by networks and interdependencies rather than merit. **In simple terms:** Appointments are based on connections, not fitness. Key Takeaway Meritocracy is undermined by patronage. Themes politics bureaucracy meritocracy social networks power dynamics Mood critical skeptical Type observation critique When to use this quote - government hiring - corporate promotions - academic tenure decisions - nonprofit board selections Key Concepts institutional bias political patronage organizational behavior Practical Applications - policy reform to prioritize merit - transparent hiring processes Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions reduce favoritism? - What mechanisms ensure competence in appointments? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Dependency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dependency/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [Man was appointed by God to have dominion over the beasts, and everything a man does to an animal is either a lawful exercise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/man-was-appointed-by-god-to-have-dominion-over-the-beasts-and/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [ We've got \[evidence\] of direct Russian government connections with the \[Donald\] Trump campaign, during the campaign, while the Russian government was interfering in our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/we-ve-got-evidence-of-direct-russian-government-connections-with-the/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-most-dangerous-man-to-any-government-is-the-man-who-is-able-to-2/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/the-most-dangerous-man-to-any-government-is-the-man-who-is-able-to-6/) [H.L. 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Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [The man who has half a million of dollars in property... has a much higher interest in the government, than the man who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/the-man-who-has-half-a-million-of-dollars-in-property-has-a-much/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [Government of man by man in every form is oppression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/government-of-man-by-man-in-every-form-is-oppression/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-most-dangerous-man-to-any-government-is-the-man-who-is-able-to/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“All it can see in an original idea is potential change, and hence an invasion of its prerogatives. The most dangerous man, to any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/all-it-can-see-in-an-original-idea-is-potential-change-and-hence-an/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who Is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/the-most-dangerous-man-to-any-government-is-the-man-who-is-able-to-4/) [Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/) > [We take men for what they are worth - and that is why we hate the government of man by man, and that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kropotkin/we-take-men-for-what-they-are-worth-and-that-is-why-we-hate-the/) [Peter Kropotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kropotkin/) > [The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who is able to think things out for himself...Almost inevitably, he comes to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hl-mencken-america-writer/the-most-dangerous-man-to-any-government-is-the-man-who-is-able-to-3/) HL Mencken America Writer > [In all sorts of government man is made to believe himself free, and to be in chains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/in-all-sorts-of-government-man-is-made-to-believe-himself-free-and-to/) [Stanisław I Leszczyński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. 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But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Connections quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. 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