All things Quote by Sophocles
“Men whose wit has been mother of villainy once have learned from it to be evil in all things.”
About This Quote
Source Tragedy: Oedipus Rex, 429 BC
A clever mind can birth villainy; learning from it can lead to pervasive evil.
In simple terms: Wit can create evil, and learning may spread it.
Beware letting cleverness breed malice.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- political leadership
- personal ambition
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Can intelligence be inherently dangerous?
- How to channel wit constructively?
Might overstate causality.