"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity."

Power

Create & Download Quote Graphic

Customize Image

1. Canvas Aspect Ratio

2. Palette Theme

Thematic Reflection

This quotation examines the core nature of Power as articulated by Robert A. Heinlein. Within historical and literary traditions, reflections on Power provide actionable mental models, challenging individuals to evaluate personal ethics, self-discipline, and daily actions.

Explore all Power quotes → Browse all wisdom by Robert A. Heinlein →

About Robert A. Heinlein

Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. His published works, both fiction and non-fiction, express admiration for competence and emphasize the value of critical thinking. His plots often presented provocative situations which challenged conventional social mores. His work continues to have an influence on the science fiction genre and on modern culture more generally.

View all quotes by Robert A. Heinlein →
Editorial Integrity: Curated and fact-checked under our Editorial Standards to eliminate misattributions and preserve historical authenticity.
Learn about our methodology →

More by Robert A. Heinlein

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."

— Robert A. Heinlein
Read more →

"Sex without love is merely healthy exercise."

— Robert A. Heinlein
Read more →

"A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity."

— Robert A. Heinlein
Read more →

"By cultivating the beautiful we scatter the seeds of heavenly flowers, as by doing good we cultivate those that belong to humanity."

— Robert A. Heinlein
Read more →

More about Power

"I'm totally into new age and self-help books. I used to work in a bookstore and that's the section they gave me, and I got way into it. I just loved the power of positive thinking, letting yourself go."

— Jason Mraz
Read more →

"It is a subtle truth that rise early, act with intent, and let your accomplishments speak with silent authority — an essential principle for the reflective life."

— Rudolfo Anaya
Read more →

"There is some information that an actor doesn't need, and that's okay. I can't control everything. I don't want to control everything. Sometimes, you want to control everything, and you want to know the size of the lens and stuff like that. I am so relaxed as an actor because I don't want to control everything. I just want to control my part."

— Javier Camara
Read more →

"I think what's really amazing is that given the scale of the web and getting the compute power we have today, we're starting to see things that appear intelligent but actually aren't semantically intelligent."

— Marissa Mayer
Read more →
Browse all Power quotes →