--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The words of authority are corrupted by…" description: "\"“The words of authority are corrupted by those who speak them.”\" — Virginia Woolf" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/virginia-woolf-49_language_the-words-of-authority-are-corrupted-by_2074981.jpg" --- # The words of authority are corrupted by those who speak… ![“The words of authority are corrupted by those who speak them.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/virginia-woolf-49_language_the-words-of-authority-are-corrupted-by_2074981.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/virginia-woolf-49_language_the-words-of-authority-are-corrupted-by_2074981.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/virginia-woolf-49_language_the-words-of-authority-are-corrupted-by_2074981.jpg) > ““The words of authority are corrupted by those who speak them.”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authority can be twisted by those who wield it, distorting truth. **In simple terms:** Power can corrupt speech. Key Takeaway Question authority critically. Themes power language corruption Mood skeptical critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political speech - media commentary - legal proceedings Key Concepts political theory ethics Questions to Reflect On - Who benefits from the corrupted words? - How can we safeguard truth? A Different Perspective Authority may also be used responsibly for good. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ## Related quotes > [“I have been stained by you and corrupted. 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My stone-casting credibility had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-simsion/i-could-no-longer-be-equated-with-the-virgin-mary-i-had-been/) [Graeme Simsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-simsion/) > [Oh how unhappy is the prince served by such men who are so easily corrupted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/oh-how-unhappy-is-the-prince-served-by-such-men-who-are-so-easily/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Hey you.Fix your corrupted mind before you trying to fix me! You sucks. Yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farishta/hey-you-fix-your-corrupted-mind-before-you-trying-to-fix-me-you-sucks/) [Farishta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farishta/) > [I am corrupted to the bone with the beauty of this forsaken world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/i-am-corrupted-to-the-bone-with-the-beauty-of-this-forsaken-world/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [Have you ever found in history, one single example of a nation, thoroughly corrupted, that was afterwards restored to virtue? 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It is not about regular people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-schmidt/the-government-is-corrupted-it-s-corrupted-it-is-not-about-regular/) [Steve Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-schmidt/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? 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She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. 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This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. 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