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Daily Inspiration Quote by Thomas Fuller

"Don't let your will roar when your power only whispers"

About this Quote

A warning shot disguised as pastoral advice: ambition loves to shout, but reality has a volume knob. Fuller, a clergyman writing in an age where hierarchy was loud and consequences were louder, is pressing his finger to the lips of the ego. The line is built on a simple acoustic contrast - roar versus whisper - and that sonic imagery does the moral work. “Will” is the inner engine, the thing that wants; “power” is the external capacity, the thing that can. When the first outpaces the second, you don’t get heroism. You get humiliation, or worse, punishment.

The intent isn’t to kill aspiration; it’s to discipline it. Fuller’s church-trained sensibility treats self-command as a virtue because unchecked desire is not merely embarrassing, it’s spiritually hazardous. A roaring will signals pride: the sin that makes people mistake intensity for authority. The whispering power suggests a world of limits - political, social, even physical - where overstatement invites correction by those who actually hold leverage.

Subtext: perform less, read the room more. It’s an early-modern version of “don’t write checks your body can’t cash,” aimed at courtiers, clergy, and anyone tempted to posture their way into influence. Fuller is also hinting at credibility: power doesn’t need to announce itself; it shows. If your will is doing all the talking, you’ve already confessed weakness.

In a culture obsessed with branding and hot takes, the line still lands: volume is not force, and wanting isn’t the same as being able.

Quote Details

TopicHumility
Source
Later attribution: Words of Wisdom (William Safire, Leonard Safir, 1990) modern compilation
Text match: 95.00%   Provider: Google Books
Evidence:
... Thomas Jefferson ( See Peace , Force , Military , Preparedness - Military ). Will. Be master of your will and a ... Don't let your will roar when your power only whispers . -Thomas Fuller 392 Wisdom Wisdom Dare to be wise ! Energy of.
Other candidates (2)
The holy and profane states: By Thomas Fuller (Thomas Fuller, 1841) primary42.5%
not but you will improve the power and honour bestowed on you for the protection
Thomas Fuller (Thomas Fuller) compilation34.2%
he natural defects of any which are not in their power to amend oh t is cruelty
FeaturedThis quote was our Quote of the Day on November 26, 2023
Cite

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Fuller, Thomas. (2026, February 7). Don't let your will roar when your power only whispers. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/dont-let-your-will-roar-when-your-power-only-36307/

Chicago Style
Fuller, Thomas. "Don't let your will roar when your power only whispers." FixQuotes. February 7, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/dont-let-your-will-roar-when-your-power-only-36307/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Don't let your will roar when your power only whispers." FixQuotes, 7 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/dont-let-your-will-roar-when-your-power-only-36307/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.

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Do not Let Your Will Roar, Power Only Whispers - Fuller
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About the Author

Thomas Fuller

Thomas Fuller (June 19, 1608 - August 16, 1661) was a Clergyman from England.

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