My hands are clean, but not because I wasn't prepared to bloody them.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker has not caused harm yet, but was willing to do so if necessary.
- In plain terms
- I didn't do anything wrong, but I was ready to if I had to.
- What can you take from it?
- Being prepared to act decisively matters more than staying clean.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When would you choose to get your hands dirty?
- What line would you not cross?
Another view
Sometimes avoiding harm means refusing to get dirty at all.
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