“Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explaine…” — Who Said It? Misattributed to Napoleon Bonaparte

Original artwork, not a still

Misattributed to Napoleon Bonaparte

Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.

Behind the line

Our interpretation.

Before assuming someone meant harm, consider that simple incompetence often explains what went wrong.

Context reviewed 29 September 2026