Personality Quote by Vernon Howard
“Some folks hesitate to seize additional strength because they think it wrong or dangerous to be a powerful individual. Somehow they have acquired the false notion that tyranny or dictatorship or cruelty are the outcomes of a powerful personality. These characteristics are not power. They are weaknesses disguised as power.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Thoughts for a Better Life, Vernon Howard, 1974
Power is often mistaken for domination; true strength lies in integrity, not oppression.
In simple terms: Strength is about character, not control.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate ethical influence.
Themes
power
integrity
leadership
ethics
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- corporate leadership
- political office
- personal relationships
- community activism
Key Concepts
character
self‑mastery
responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate healthy confidence from harmful dominance?
- What safeguards can prevent power from becoming tyranny?
A Different Perspective
Power can be misused if not checked by accountability.
![“Together he [Girolamo Savonarola] and his archenemy Lorenzo [de' Medici] would have been the stuff of gargoyles. One could almost imagine the diptych in which their profiles confronted each other, their noses as powerful as their personalities.” quote by Sarah Dunant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c90/sarah-dunant-22065_gargoyles_together-he-girolamo-savonarola-and-his_5490.jpg)