Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Saying ·279 of 348
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
They never said that.
What people say
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
What was actually said
"When bad men combine, the good must associate ... (no verbatim match)." Edmund Burke (attributed) — Attributed to Edmund Burke (c. 1770)
Why it stuck
Popularly attributed to Burke. Not in his works. The nearest Burke passage is about honest men standing aside.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.