--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Charles XII] seldom took a more active…" description: "\"“[Charles XII] seldom took a more active part in the council than to cross his legs upon the table.”\" — Voltaire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdd/voltaire-173_charles_charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-pa_2258697.png" --- # \[Charles XII\] seldom took a more active part in the… ![“[Charles XII] seldom took a more active part in the council than to cross his legs upon the table.” quote by Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdd/voltaire-173_charles_charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-pa_2258697.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdd/voltaire-173_charles_charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-pa_2258697.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdd/voltaire-173_charles_charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-pa_2258697.png) > ““\[Charles XII\] seldom took a more active part in the council than to cross his legs upon the table.”” [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A ruler shows authority by a simple, symbolic gesture, not by active participation. **In simple terms:** Power can be displayed through posture. Key Takeaway Use symbolic actions to convey leadership. Themes authority symbolism leadership Mood wry observational Type historical anecdotal When to use this quote - board meetings - diplomatic negotiations - public ceremonies Key Concepts political theater nonverbal communication Questions to Reflect On - How does body language affect perceived authority? - When is a symbolic act more effective than spoken policy? 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But Charles had no weaknesses; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/if-he-had-wished-he-could-have-annexed-denmark-and-ended-a-thousand/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [“All these outposts were broken in,and that which in other histories would have counted as three victories did not delay the progress of Charles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/all-these-outposts-were-broken-in-and-that-which-in-other-histories/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) ## More by Voltaire > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Fanaticism, to which men are so much inclined, has always served not only to render them more brutalized but more wicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/fanaticism-to-which-men-are-so-much-inclined-has-always-served-not/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [We’re neither pure, nor wise, nor good; we do the best we know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/we-re-neither-pure-nor-wise-nor-good-we-do-the-best-we-know/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is with books as with men: a very small number play a great part, the rest are lost in the multitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-with-books-as-with-men-a-very-small-number-play-a-great-part/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Meslier was the most singular phenomenon ever seen among all the meteors fatal to the Christian religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/meslier-was-the-most-singular-phenomenon-ever-seen-among-all-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." 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"It's all his fault." "You never cared before you met Charles,"… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-speedwell/i-was-never-a-watering-pot-before-i-met-charles-he-tris-sobbed-it-s/) [Rowan Speedwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-speedwell/) > [I stumbled upon Charles White purely by chance while looking through a book 'Great Negroes, Past and Present' in the library at Forty-Ninth Street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-stumbled-upon-charles-white-purely-by-chance-while-looking-through/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [What it means is that some of Charles' press secretaries have been better than others as some of the Queen's press secretaries have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/what-it-means-is-that-some-of-charles-press-secretaries-have-been/) [Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/) > [Charles was most comfortable by himself or, if that wasn't possible, with his pack in the wild. Talking for hours in a crowded auditorium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/charles-was-most-comfortable-by-himself-or-if-that-wasn-t-possible/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“previously been reported. For all three, the association with the Koch brothers' network is likely to provide kindling for their opponents, who have already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/previously-been-reported-for-all-three-the-association-with-the-koch/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Beauclaire, for his part, sank back in the soft material of the couch as if the thought that it would impede him should he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/beauclaire-for-his-part-sank-back-in-the-soft-material-of-the-couch/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Charles is Charles. Wale is Wale. It's two separate entities that have nothing to do with each other and probably will never have anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/charles-is-charles-wale-is-wale-it-s-two-separate-entities-that-have/) [Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/) > [Congratulations to Prince Charles for banning foie gras from all his functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-prince-charles-for-banning-foie-gras-from-all-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Grace commanded the second pew, her whole family jammed together, the six of them sour yet insistent, like the richest people flying coach, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gilbert/grace-commanded-the-second-pew-her-whole-family-jammed-together-the/) [David Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gilbert/) [Browse all 326 Charles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charles/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“[Charles XII] seldom took a more active part in the council than to cross his legs upon the table.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Voltaire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-part-in-the-council-than-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Charles" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-part-in-the-council-than-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdd/voltaire-173_charles_charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-pa_2258697.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdd/voltaire-173_charles_charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-pa_2258697.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdd/voltaire-173_charles_charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-pa_2258697.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[Charles XII] seldom took a more active part in the council than to cross his legs upon the table.” — Voltaire", "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": "Voltaire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“[Charles XII] seldom took a more...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-part-in-the-council-than-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/charles-xii-seldom-took-a-more-active-part-in-the-council-than-to/#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 } } ] } ```