--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cunning is the dwarf of wisdom." description: "\"Cunning is the dwarf of wisdom.\" — William Rounseville Alger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/william-rounseville-alger-1637_cunning_cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom-1727200_1727200.jpg" --- # Cunning is the dwarf of wisdom. ![“Cunning is the dwarf of wisdom.” quote by William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/william-rounseville-alger-1637_cunning_cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom-1727200_1727200.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/william-rounseville-alger-1637_cunning_cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom-1727200_1727200.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/william-rounseville-alger-1637_cunning_cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom-1727200_1727200.jpg) > “Cunning is the dwarf of wisdom.” [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cunning is a lesser form of wisdom, lacking depth and moral insight. **In simple terms:** Cunning is shallow wisdom. Key Takeaway Seek deeper understanding over clever tricks. Themes wisdom cunning ethics Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - leadership - education - conflict negotiation Key Concepts philosophy moral development Questions to Reflect On - When is cleverness preferable to wisdom? - How can we develop both? A Different Perspective Cunning can be useful in short‑term goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/) [Cunning Dwarf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning-dwarf-1394568/) [Dwarf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dwarf/) [Dwarf Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dwarf-wisdom-1394569/) [Dwarfs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dwarfs/) [Dwarves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dwarves/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [A dwarf can stand on a mountain, he's no taller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/a-dwarf-can-stand-on-a-mountain-he-s-no-taller/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Dwarf is dwarf even at the top of the mountain; giant is giant even at the bottom of the well!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/dwarf-is-dwarf-even-at-the-top-of-the-mountain-giant-is-giant-even-at/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [To be a dwarf in peace is more honourable than to be a giant in war!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/to-be-a-dwarf-in-peace-is-more-honourable-than-to-be-a-giant-in-war/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I loved 'Dungeons & Dragons.' Actually, not so much the actual playing as the creation of characters and the opportunity to roll twenty-sided dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/i-loved-dungeons-dragons-actually-not-so-much-the-actual-playing-as/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [If you want to be called a dwarf you must be in immediate possession of a battle axe cause otherwise your just a midget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/if-you-want-to-be-called-a-dwarf-you-must-be-in-immediate-possession/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [Man is the dwarf of himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/man-is-the-dwarf-of-himself/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Sleep! I feel the need of it, as never I thought any dwarf could , riding is tiring work. Yet my axe is restless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/sleep-i-feel-the-need-of-it-as-never-i-thought-any-dwarf-could-riding/) [J. R. R. 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It will just be starting to live and everything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/when-the-sun-shrinks-to-a-dull-red-dwarf-it-will-not-be-dying-it-will/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [A stirring dwarf we do allowance give Before a sleeping giant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-stirring-dwarf-we-do-allowance-give-before-a-sleeping-giant/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The insane little dwarf, Bush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/the-insane-little-dwarf-bush/) [Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/) > [And what about you? You must be some kind of beardless dwarf?...You mean to say, that you're a daughter of Eve?...Y-yes, but, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/and-what-about-you-you-must-be-some-kind-of-beardless-dwarf-you-mean/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) ## More by William Rounseville Alger > [A blue eye is a true eye; Mysterious is a dark one, Which flashes like a spark sun! A black eye is the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/a-blue-eye-is-a-true-eye-mysterious-is-a-dark-one-which-flashes-like/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Nemesis is one of God's handmaids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/nemesis-is-one-of-god-s-handmaids/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Willmott, the English essayist, says poetry is the natural religion of literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/willmott-the-english-essayist-says-poetry-is-the-natural-religion-of/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Keep your working power at its maximum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/keep-your-working-power-at-its-maximum/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [God hands gifts to some, whispers them to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/god-hands-gifts-to-some-whispers-them-to-others/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Proverbs are mental gems gathered in the diamond districts of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/proverbs-are-mental-gems-gathered-in-the-diamond-districts-of-the-mind/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [The most terrible of all things is terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/the-most-terrible-of-all-things-is-terror/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Tears are the tribute of humanity to its destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/tears-are-the-tribute-of-humanity-to-its-destiny/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [The God of merely traditional believers is the great Absentee of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/the-god-of-merely-traditional-believers-is-the-great-absentee-of-the/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Beware the deadly fumes of that insane elation Which rises from the cup of mad impiety, And go, get drunk with that divine intoxication…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/beware-the-deadly-fumes-of-that-insane-elation-which-rises-from-the/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Polite beggary is too common.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/polite-beggary-is-too-common/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Ignorance is the mother of suspicion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/ignorance-is-the-mother-of-suspicion/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Common sense is the average sensibility and intelligence of men undisturbed by individual peculiarities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/common-sense-is-the-average-sensibility-and-intelligence-of-men/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Courage makes a man more than himself; for he is then himself plus his valor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/courage-makes-a-man-more-than-himself-for-he-is-then-himself-plus-his/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [How sublime is the audacious tautology of Mohammed, God is God!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/how-sublime-is-the-audacious-tautology-of-mohammed-god-is-god/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) [Explore all 40 William Rounseville Alger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) ## More Cunning quotes > [Charm is a cunning self-forgetfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/charm-is-a-cunning-self-forgetfulness/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [Life is a battle of wits, and many people have to fight it unarmed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/life-is-a-battle-of-wits-and-many-people-have-to-fight-it-unarmed/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [It is a pity that, commonly, more care is had--yea, and that among very wise men--to find out rather a cunning man for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ascham/it-is-a-pity-that-commonly-more-care-is-had-yea-and-that-among-very/) [Roger Ascham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ascham/) > [The terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind masks of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-terrible-immoralities-are-the-cunning-ones-hiding-behind-masks-of/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [That humanity and sincerity which dispose men to resist injustice and tyranny render them unfit to cope with the cunning and power of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-humanity-and-sincerity-which-dispose-men-to-resist-injustice-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why do some die and some live? The answer was clearly, that on the whole the best fitted live. From the effects of disease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-russel-wallace/why-do-some-die-and-some-live-the-answer-was-clearly-that-on-the/) [Alfred Russel Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-russel-wallace/) > [Art is the final cunning of the human soul which would rather do anything than face the gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/art-is-the-final-cunning-of-the-human-soul-which-would-rather-do/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Treason and murder ever kept together, As two yoke-devils sworn to either's purpose, Working so grossly in a natural cause That admiration did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/treason-and-murder-ever-kept-together-as-two-yoke-devils-sworn-to/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Till swollen with cunning, of a self-conceit, His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And melting heavens conspired his overthrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/till-swollen-with-cunning-of-a-self-conceit-his-waxen-wings-did-mount/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Stratagem is the right hand of cunning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-william-curtis/stratagem-is-the-right-hand-of-cunning/) [George William Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-william-curtis/) > [“When a man possesses the innocence of a child, we call him a fool. When a child possesses the cunning of a man, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/when-a-man-possesses-the-innocence-of-a-child-we-call-him-a-fool-when/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [“Would you like to sit?" Kellen asked her. "You'd better do it soon," Owen whispered close to her ear, "or I'm going to bend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-cunning/would-you-like-to-sit-kellen-asked-her-you-d-better-do-it-soon-owen/) [Olivia Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-cunning/) > [I am defined by my will to survive, not by intelligence or cunning or money or good looks. The Creator didn't see her way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaune-quick-to-see-smith/i-am-defined-by-my-will-to-survive-not-by-intelligence-or-cunning-or/) [Jaune Quick–to–See Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaune-quick-to-see-smith/) > [A cunning mind emphatically delights in its own cunning, and is the ready prey of cunning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-brownell-jameson/a-cunning-mind-emphatically-delights-in-its-own-cunning-and-is-the/) [Anna Brownell Jameson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-brownell-jameson/) [Browse all 535 Cunning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Cunning is the dwarf of wisdom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Rounseville Alger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cunning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/william-rounseville-alger-1637_cunning_cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom-1727200_1727200.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/william-rounseville-alger-1637_cunning_cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom-1727200_1727200.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/william-rounseville-alger-1637_cunning_cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom-1727200_1727200.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Cunning is the dwarf of wisdom.” — William Rounseville Alger", "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": "William Rounseville Alger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Cunning is the dwarf of wisdom.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/cunning-is-the-dwarf-of-wisdom/#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 } } ] } ```