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About this quote

What does it mean?
People often create complex reasons to justify their foolish actions.
In plain terms
It is easy to make up reasons for being stupid.
What can you take from it?
Watch out for excuses that hide poor judgment.

Where it applies

  • workplace errors
  • personal failures
  • arguments

Putting it to work

  • identify excuses
  • challenge bad reasoning

Questions to consider

  • How do I justify my mistakes?
  • When am I being an idiot?

Another view

Everyone makes mistakes without intending to.

More from Orson Scott Card

  1. Sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth. -Ender's Game

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  2. Only one rabbi dared to expect of us such a perfect balance that we could preserve the law and still forgive the deviation. So, of course, we killed him. (Spea…

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  3. And it came into Hooch's mind that when both parties are lying and they both know the other party's lying, it comes powerful close to being the same thing as t…

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