It is astonishing with how little wisdom mankind can be governed, when that little wisdom is its own.

Inge’s aphorism turns on a paradox: effective government may require only a small measure of “wisdom,” but it must be perceived as belonging to the governed rather than imposed from above. The line suggests that legitimacy and consent can substitute for technocratic brilliance—people will accept modest, even minimal, guidance if they recognize their own values, interests, or agency reflected in it. Conversely, even superior “wisdom” can fail politically if it is experienced as alien, paternalistic, or coercive. The quote thus speaks to democratic self-rule, the psychology of authority, and the importance of participation and identification in sustaining stable governance.