“Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own.”

Rectorial Address, St. Andrew's (3 May 1922)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own." by J. M. Barrie?

J. M. Barrie49

Scottish writer 1860–1937

Related quotes

“In general, we do well to let an opponent's motives alone. We are seldom just to them. Our own motives on such occasions are often worse than those we assail.”

William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) United States Unitarian clergyman

Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 420

“With their propagandistic frame of mind, feminist leaders never admitted that their opponents could be equally motivated by ethics.”

Camille Paglia (1947) American writer

Source: Vamps and Tramps (1994), "No Law in the Arena: A Pagan Theory of Sexuality", p. 39

“Throwing down your own sword is also an art of war. If you have attained mastery of swordlessness, you will never lack for a sword. The opponent's sword is your sword. This is acting at the vanguard of the moment.”

Yagyū Munenori (1571–1646) samurai and daimyo of the early Edo period

As quoted in Soul of the Samurai (2005) by Thomas Cleary, p. 28
Variant translation: If you have attained mastery of swordlessness, you will never be without a sword.

“Nothing can motivate me any more than I'm already motivated. It just can't happen. Me being motivated was never a factor. Never.”

Dave Bautista (1969) American actor and professional wrestler

unsourced

“It is your own bad strategies, not the unfair opponent, that are to blame for your failures. You are responsible for the good and bad in your life.”

Robert Greene The 33 Strategies of War

Source: The 33 Strategies of War

“Give the opponents more than one reason to stare at your feet.”

Lionel Messi (1987) Argentine association football player

“Actually, there are never motives behind actions. All actions are fixed. What we call motives evidently are rationalizations by the helpless observing consciousness, which is intelligent enough to smell an event coming—and, since it cannot avert the event, instead cooks up reasons for wanting it to happen…or ascribes it to the malice of God or man.”

James Blish book The Quincunx of Time

Source: The Quincunx of Time (1973), Chapter 8, “The Courtship of Posi and Nega” (p. 84; ellipsis in the original)

“1) Never go offside on a three on two or two on one.
2) Never go backwards in your own end except on a powerplay.
3) Never throw a puck out blindly from behind your opponent's net.
4) Never pass diagonally across ice in your own end unless 100 percent certain.
5) Wings on wings in neutral zone—unless intercepting a pass.
6) Second man goes all the way in for a rebound.
7) Defense with puck at opponents' blueline—look at each teammate before shooting.
8) Wing in front of opponents' net must face puck and lean on stick.
9) Puck carrier over center with no room and no one to pass to must shoot puck in.
10) No forward must ever turn his back on the puck.
11) No player must be more than two zones away from puck.
12) Never be outnumbered in defensive zone.
13) On delayed penalty puck carrier must look for extra man.
14) Be alert to time left on opponent's penalty.”

Fred Shero (1925–1990) Former ice hockey player and coach

Shero's "bible" <br class="br"> Flyers Hall of Fame Profile, Flyers History, 2012-07-26 http://www.flyershistory.net/cgi-bin/hofprof.cgi?007,

“Anger is stupid, and stupidity will kill you more surely than your opponent's blade.”

Patricia Briggs (1965) American writer

Source: Dragon Bones

“Never take your eyes off your opponent. And never think you don’t have to work for a victory. Even now, you could surprise me. (Takeshi)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Acheron

“Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own.”

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

J. M. Barrie49

Related quotes

Related topics