--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best way to control people is to…" description: "\"“The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous.”\" — Shunryu Suzuki" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/shunryu-suzuki-1280_encourage_the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-enc_1934520.png" --- # The best way to control people is to encourage them to be… ![“The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous.” quote by Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/shunryu-suzuki-1280_encourage_the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-enc_1934520.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/shunryu-suzuki-1280_encourage_the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-enc_1934520.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/shunryu-suzuki-1280_encourage_the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-enc_1934520.png) > ““The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous.”” [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Control through encouraging mischief exploits human nature’s love of freedom, leading to self‑regulation. **In simple terms:** Encouraging mischief can subtly control people. Key Takeaway Use playful freedom to guide behavior. Themes control freedom human nature Mood playful thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - leadership - parenting - team management Key Concepts psychology social influence Questions to Reflect On - How does playful rebellion affect authority? - When is mischief constructive? A Different Perspective May backfire if mischief becomes harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Even though you try to put people under control, it is impossible. You cannot do it. The best way to control people is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/even-though-you-try-to-put-people-under-control-it-is-impossible-you/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [I'm on this journey to inspire people and to encourage them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissy-metz/i-m-on-this-journey-to-inspire-people-and-to-encourage-them/) [Chrissy Metz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissy-metz/) > [Get around the right people. Associate with positive, goal-oriented people who encourage and inspire you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/get-around-the-right-people-associate-with-positive-goal-oriented/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I don't like to insult people and I encourage them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javed-jaffrey/i-don-t-like-to-insult-people-and-i-encourage-them/) [Javed Jaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javed-jaffrey/) > [I don't have it in my heart to condemn people. I'm here to encourage them. I see myself more as a coach, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-don-t-have-it-in-my-heart-to-condemn-people-i-m-here-to-encourage/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Surround yourself with good people who encourage and love you. There are always ups and downs, no matter how successful you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liana-liberato/surround-yourself-with-good-people-who-encourage-and-love-you-there/) [Liana Liberato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liana-liberato/) > [You need people to encourage you along the way, both during your success and failures, because there will be both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payal-kadakia/you-need-people-to-encourage-you-along-the-way-both-during-your/) [Payal Kadakia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payal-kadakia/) > [Every day, we hear that somebody got saved to our music from all over the world. The music reaches people. It can encourage them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrae-crouch/every-day-we-hear-that-somebody-got-saved-to-our-music-from-all-over/) [Andrae Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrae-crouch/) > [“These are the people who will encourage you to go after your dreams and will inspire you to succeed. Stick to them like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-backley/these-are-the-people-who-will-encourage-you-to-go-after-your-dreams/) [Steve Backley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-backley/) > [I am a shining star, and I surround myself with people who encourage my brightness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-richardson/i-am-a-shining-star-and-i-surround-myself-with-people-who-encourage/) [Cheryl Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-richardson/) > [Every society needs people who can encourage and stimulate and cheer. They are the ones who make the world run. You can be one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-devos/every-society-needs-people-who-can-encourage-and-stimulate-and-cheer/) [Richard M. DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-devos/) > [Good films will happen only if there are people to produce good films and there are people to encourage the endeavour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohanlal/good-films-will-happen-only-if-there-are-people-to-produce-good-films/) [Mohanlal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohanlal/) > [The more lawyers there are, the more people are out there to encourage others not to go to law school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-kelley/the-more-lawyers-there-are-the-more-people-are-out-there-to-encourage/) [David E. Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-kelley/) > [I try to live in my own little positivity bubble and to keep good people around me who encourage me and build me up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-fraser/i-try-to-live-in-my-own-little-positivity-bubble-and-to-keep-good/) [Mat Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-fraser/) > [I have been constantly telling people to encourage people, to question the unquestioned and not to be ashamed to bring up new ideas, new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ratan-tata/i-have-been-constantly-telling-people-to-encourage-people-to-question/) [Ratan Tata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ratan-tata/) ## More by Shunryu Suzuki > [The point we emphasize is strong confidence in our original nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-point-we-emphasize-is-strong-confidence-in-our-original-nature/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [If you continue this simple practice every day, you will obtain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful, but after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/if-you-continue-this-simple-practice-every-day-you-will-obtain-some/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [You want to eliminate your evil desires in order to reveal your Buddha nature, but where will you throw them away?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/you-want-to-eliminate-your-evil-desires-in-order-to-reveal-your/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Ego is a social institution with no physical reality. The ego is simply your symbol of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/ego-is-a-social-institution-with-no-physical-reality-the-ego-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the experts mind, there are few.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/in-the-beginner-s-mind-there-are-many-possibilities-in-the-experts/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The seed has no idea of being some particular plant, but it has its own form and is in perfect harmony with the ground,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-seed-has-no-idea-of-being-some-particular-plant-but-it-has-its/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Whereever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/whereever-you-are-you-are-one-with-the-clouds-and-one-with-the-sun/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [When we become truly ourselves, we just become a swinging door, and we are purely independent of, and at the same time, dependent upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/when-we-become-truly-ourselves-we-just-become-a-swinging-door-and-we/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/zen-is-not-some-fancy-special-art-of-living-our-teaching-is-just-to/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [So the secret is just to say 'Yes!' and jump off from here. Then there is no problem. It means to be yourself, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/so-the-secret-is-just-to-say-yes-and-jump-off-from-here-then-there-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Our tendency is to be interested in something that is growing in the garden, not in the bare soil itself. But if you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/our-tendency-is-to-be-interested-in-something-that-is-growing-in-the/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The world is its own magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-world-is-its-own-magic/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [People say that practicing Zen is difficult, but there is a misunderstanding as to why. It is not difficult because it is hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/people-say-that-practicing-zen-is-difficult-but-there-is-a/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Each one of us must make his own true way, and when we do, that way will express the universal way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/each-one-of-us-must-make-his-own-true-way-and-when-we-do-that-way/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The purpose of our practice is just to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-purpose-of-our-practice-is-just-to-be-yourself/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) [Explore all 262 Shunryu Suzuki quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## More Encourage quotes > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [Meditate on your God-given strengths and learn to encourage yourself, for much of the time nobody else will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melania/meditate-on-your-god-given-strengths-and-learn-to-encourage-yourself/) [Melania](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melania/) > [When we built Roomba, we explicitly designed it to not have a face. We didn't want to think it was cute; we wanted people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-angle/when-we-built-roomba-we-explicitly-designed-it-to-not-have-a-face-we/) [Colin Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-angle/) > [Though there may be people in your life that support you and encourage you we have to realize that people are only human, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/though-there-may-be-people-in-your-life-that-support-you-and/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Stock your mind, stock your mind. You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stock-your-mind-stock-your-mind-you-might-be-poor-your-shoes-might-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Find apartner who wil encourage you to grow,who will let you go to the world,and trust that you will come back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princealanz/find-apartner-who-wil-encourage-you-to-grow-who-will-let-you-go-to/) Princealanz > [I direct with energy. I believe in energy. I think energy is an electric thing in actors. I try to inspire, encourage, and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lillard/i-direct-with-energy-i-believe-in-energy-i-think-energy-is-an/) [Matthew Lillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lillard/) > [With breast cancer, it's all about detection. You have to educate young women and encourage them to do everything they have to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-rancic/with-breast-cancer-it-s-all-about-detection-you-have-to-educate-young/) [Bill Rancic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-rancic/) > [“Soar to heights where you may view the world from a new perspective.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fennel-hudson/soar-to-heights-where-you-may-view-the-world-from-a-new-perspective/) [Fennel Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fennel-hudson/) > [Having kids is the deal-breaker on shyness! Once you have a baby, you learn to speak up loud and clear to protect them, defend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/having-kids-is-the-deal-breaker-on-shyness-once-you-have-a-baby-you/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [“At this time of the year it seems that everything ought to be creative, not destructive, and that we should encourage things to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/at-this-time-of-the-year-it-seems-that-everything-ought-to-be/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [Strong leaders encourage you to do things for your own benefit, not just theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tebow/strong-leaders-encourage-you-to-do-things-for-your-own-benefit-not/) [Tim Tebow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tebow/) > [“Be happy with yourself to encourage others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/be-happy-with-yourself-to-encourage-others/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Mitch," he said, "the culture doesn't encourage you to think about such things until you're about to die. We're so wrapped up in egotistical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/mitch-he-said-the-culture-doesn-t-encourage-you-to-think-about-such/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [If you know how to encourage dishearten person and pray for him, the words you speak become Gods will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-bansal/if-you-know-how-to-encourage-dishearten-person-and-pray-for-him-the/) [Kishore Bansal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-bansal/) Browse all 609 Encourage quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shunryu Suzuki" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-encourage-them-to-be-mischievous/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Encourage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-encourage-them-to-be-mischievous/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/shunryu-suzuki-1280_encourage_the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-enc_1934520.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/shunryu-suzuki-1280_encourage_the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-enc_1934520.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/shunryu-suzuki-1280_encourage_the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-enc_1934520.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous.” — Shunryu Suzuki", "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": "Shunryu Suzuki", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The best way to control people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-encourage-them-to-be-mischievous/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-best-way-to-control-people-is-to-encourage-them-to-be-mischievous/#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 } } ] } ```