--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The wonder is not that the world is so…" description: "\"The wonder is not that the world is so easily governed, but that so small a number of persons will suffice for the purpose. There are dead weights in p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/william-gilmore-simms-12905_answers_the-wonder-is-not-that-the-world-is-so-e_190845.jpg" --- # The wonder is not that the world is so easily governed… ![“The wonder is not that the world is so easily governed, but that so small a number of persons will suffice for the purpose. There are dead weights in political and legislative bodies as in clocks, and hundreds answer as pulleys who would never do for politicians.” quote by William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/william-gilmore-simms-12905_answers_the-wonder-is-not-that-the-world-is-so-e_190845.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/william-gilmore-simms-12905_answers_the-wonder-is-not-that-the-world-is-so-e_190845.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/william-gilmore-simms-12905_answers_the-wonder-is-not-that-the-world-is-so-e_190845.jpg) > “The wonder is not that the world is so easily governed, but that so small a number of persons will suffice for the purpose. There are dead weights in political and legislative bodies as in clocks, and hundreds answer as pulleys who would never do for politicians.” [William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote observes that governance is easily controlled by a few, while many officials serve as ineffective, decorative parts. **In simple terms:** Few people control government; many are useless. Key Takeaway Recognize and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy. Themes politics efficiency power dynamics Mood skeptical critical reflective Type analytical political commentary When to use this quote - legislative reform - organizational audits - public accountability - leadership training Key Concepts bureaucracy governance elite control Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure essential voices are heard? - What mechanisms prevent token officials from becoming mere placeholders? A Different Perspective It may overlook the value of diverse representation and debate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Pulleys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulleys/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Democracy is a political method, that is to say, a certain type of institutional arrangement for arriving at political - legislative and administrative -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-a-schumpeter/democracy-is-a-political-method-that-is-to-say-a-certain-type-of/) [Joseph A. Schumpeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-a-schumpeter/) > [A woman is easily governed, if a man takes her in hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-woman-is-easily-governed-if-a-man-takes-her-in-hand/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [An educated people can be easily governed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/an-educated-people-can-be-easily-governed/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [Men are more easily governed through their vices than through their virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/men-are-more-easily-governed-through-their-vices-than-through-their/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular, but because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/i-want-to-be-famous-in-the-way-a-pulley-is-famous-or-a-buttonhole-not/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [In India, crossbreeding programs aimed at mimicking the milk yields of Western cows like the Jerseys and the Holsteins actually breed out the capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vandana-shiva/in-india-crossbreeding-programs-aimed-at-mimicking-the-milk-yields-of/) [Vandana Shiva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vandana-shiva/) > [When we relate to our bodies as having soul, we attend to their beauty, their poetry and their expressiveness. Our very habit of treating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/when-we-relate-to-our-bodies-as-having-soul-we-attend-to-their-beauty/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [“…With pulleys and ropes and time to plan one could move anything. Now that she thought of it, why couldn’t anyone do anything he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/with-pulleys-and-ropes-and-time-to-plan-one-could-move-anything-now/) [Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/) > [And the kittykats would have to erect scaffolding and a pulley to get him down. Mind you, I wouldn't put that past them. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-rennison/and-the-kittykats-would-have-to-erect-scaffolding-and-a-pulley-to-get/) [Louise Rennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-rennison/) > [Nicholas Temelcoff is famous on the bridge, a daredevil. He is given all the difficult jobs and he takes them. 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The vegetable world begins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-was-that-period-in-the-vernal-quarter-when-we-may-suppose-the/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-bull/coincidence-is-the-word-we-use-when-we-can-t-see-the-levers-and/) [Emma Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-bull/) > [The height of the pulleys from the ground was twelve yards, and consequently, when the weights had descended through that distance, they had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-prescott-joule/the-height-of-the-pulleys-from-the-ground-was-twelve-yards-and/) [James Prescott Joule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-prescott-joule/) ## More by William Gilmore Simms > [Distinction is an eminence that is attained but too frequently at the expense of a fireside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gilmore-simms/distinction-is-an-eminence-that-is-attained-but-too-frequently-at-the/) [William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/) > [I believe that economists put decimal points in their forecasts to show they have a sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gilmore-simms/i-believe-that-economists-put-decimal-points-in-their-forecasts-to/) [William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/) > [Today's public opinion, though it may appear as light as air, may be tomorrow's legislation-for better or for worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gilmore-simms/today-s-public-opinion-though-it-may-appear-as-light-as-air-may-be/) [William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/) > [Tact is one of the first mental virtues, the absence of which is often fatal to the best of talents; it supplies the place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gilmore-simms/tact-is-one-of-the-first-mental-virtues-the-absence-of-which-is-often/) [William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/) > [Ambition is frequently the only refuge which life has left to the denied or mortified affections. 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The dread of censure is the death of genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gilmore-simms/he-who-would-acquire-fame-must-not-show-himself-afraid-of-censure-the/) [William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/) > [What we call vice in our neighbor may be nothing less than a crude virtue. To him who knows nothing more of precious stones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gilmore-simms/what-we-call-vice-in-our-neighbor-may-be-nothing-less-than-a-crude/) [William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/) > [The birth of a child is the imprisonment of a soul. 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