---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You put deadlines on people you really…"
description: "\"You put deadlines on people you really don't want, because that's how you feel about them.\" — Al Leiter"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/al-leiter-38347_deadline_you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-d_277299.jpg"
---

#  You put deadlines on people you really don't want, because…

![“You put deadlines on people you really don't want, because that's how you feel about them.” quote by Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/al-leiter-38347_deadline_you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-d_277299.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/al-leiter-38347_deadline_you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-d_277299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/al-leiter-38347_deadline_you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-d_277299.jpg)

> “You put deadlines on people you really don't want, because that's how you feel about them.”

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People set deadlines for those they dislike to control or distance themselves from them.

**In simple terms:** Deadlines can be a manipulation tool.

Key Takeaway

Beware of using deadlines as a relational weapon.

Themes

relationships control boundaries

Mood

reflective critical

Type

interpersonal advice

When to use this quote

- team management
- personal relationships
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

Psychology of deadlines power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do you impose deadlines on certain people?
- How can you set healthy expectations?

A Different Perspective

Not all deadlines are malicious; some are necessary for progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [I think setting goals is critical; having deadlines for ourselves- how much by when? Too many people have these big dreams where they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/i-think-setting-goals-is-critical-having-deadlines-for-ourselves-how/)

[Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/)

> [All writers are forced to live within deadlines, and deadlines determine how good they can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/all-writers-are-forced-to-live-within-deadlines-and-deadlines/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [To be perfectly honest the old habits, specifically deadlines, still very much inform what I do. I am brutally disciplined about getting manuscripts in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-winchester/to-be-perfectly-honest-the-old-habits-specifically-deadlines-still/)

[Simon Winchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-winchester/)

> [Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/deadlines-just-aren-t-real-to-me-until-i-m-staring-one-in-the-face/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [Meeting external deadlines is much harder than meeting internal ones. On the other hand, internal deadlines sometimes don't feel real, and are therefore easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/meeting-external-deadlines-is-much-harder-than-meeting-internal-ones/)

[James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/)

> [To be honest with you, I'd rather not be working. When you work, there are all sorts of deadlines and pressures. I like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benicio-del-toro/to-be-honest-with-you-i-d-rather-not-be-working-when-you-work-there/)

[Benicio Del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benicio-del-toro/)

> [I no longer feel I'll be dead by thirty; now it's sixty. I suppose these deadlines we set for ourselves are really a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-no-longer-feel-i-ll-be-dead-by-thirty-now-it-s-sixty-i-suppose/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [The danger of having too close deadlines... It could lead you to just accept an avenue that's not quite good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-weir/the-danger-of-having-too-close-deadlines-it-could-lead-you-to-just/)

[Judith Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-weir/)

> [I am one of those people who thrive on deadlines. Nothing brings on inspiration more readily than desperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-am-one-of-those-people-who-thrive-on-deadlines-nothing-brings-on/)

[Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/)

> [Deadlines concentrate the mind. But deadlines should not be dogmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/deadlines-concentrate-the-mind-but-deadlines-should-not-be-dogmas/)

[Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/)

> [A harsh reality of newspaper editing is that the deadlines don't allow for the polish that you expect in books or even magazines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walsh/a-harsh-reality-of-newspaper-editing-is-that-the-deadlines-don-t/)

[Bill Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walsh/)

> [There are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic deadlines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/there-are-no-unrealistic-goals-only-unrealistic-deadlines/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Publishing is, by its nature, about deadlines, and deadlines are toxic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/publishing-is-by-its-nature-about-deadlines-and-deadlines-are-toxic/)

[Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/)

> [Nothing focuses attention like a real deadline. If you are in a field where life and death, or having a job or not having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry/nothing-focuses-attention-like-a-real-deadline-if-you-are-in-a-field/)

[John Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry/)

> [ We remind ourselves that it's a hobby \[The Esemblist\]; nobody is setting these deadlines for us, except us. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikka-graff-lanzarone/we-remind-ourselves-that-it-s-a-hobby-the-esemblist-nobody-is-setting/)

[Nikka Graff Lanzarone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikka-graff-lanzarone/)

## More by Al Leiter

> [But I'm still not 100% convinced that Roger Clemens took steroids. I'm not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/but-i-m-still-not-100-convinced-that-roger-clemens-took-steroids-i-m/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

> [The pitcher setting up the batter. It's chess, and you play with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/the-pitcher-setting-up-the-batter-it-s-chess-and-you-play-with-it/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

> [I love the game very much, but when you were a certain type of player for a few years, being a front-end starter, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/i-love-the-game-very-much-but-when-you-were-a-certain-type-of-player/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

> [I think the World Cup is going to be bigger than what a lot of people are anticipating. At this stage in my career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/i-think-the-world-cup-is-going-to-be-bigger-than-what-a-lot-of-people/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

> [Announcers don't do enough of the cat-and-mouse strategy and all the work that goes into it. You watch a broadcast and guys get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/announcers-don-t-do-enough-of-the-cat-and-mouse-strategy-and-all-the/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

> [Pitches are like pages of a book; they're so important. The chess game; how I set you up early, and how I'll do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/pitches-are-like-pages-of-a-book-they-re-so-important-the-chess-game/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

> [I like starting. It's pretty cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/i-like-starting-it-s-pretty-cool/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

> [For seven years, I was in this fishbowl with this intensity, with all the stuff that went on with the Mets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/for-seven-years-i-was-in-this-fishbowl-with-this-intensity-with-all/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

> [I did not want to leave the Mets and I did not want to leave New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/i-did-not-want-to-leave-the-mets-and-i-did-not-want-to-leave-new-york/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

> [I look at this as a second life. Every game feels like an event. Every pitch matters. I need that. It elevates your aggressiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/i-look-at-this-as-a-second-life-every-game-feels-like-an-event-every/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

> [It's a very big mental game, all day leading up to warm-ups. You're not sure if your curveball will break, or will you be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/it-s-a-very-big-mental-game-all-day-leading-up-to-warm-ups-you-re-not/)

[Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

[Explore all 12 Al Leiter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/)

## More Deadline quotes

> [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/)

[Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/)

> [Two things you need to know about taxes. They've extended the deadline to April 18, and when you write your check, just make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/two-things-you-need-to-know-about-taxes-they-ve-extended-the-deadline/)

[David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/)

> [All writers are forced to live within deadlines, and deadlines determine how good they can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/all-writers-are-forced-to-live-within-deadlines-and-deadlines/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [I always think the most important thing for a writer is a deadline, and it's the same with a house. They say you shouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/i-always-think-the-most-important-thing-for-a-writer-is-a-deadline/)

[Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/)

> [“Pakiramdam ko e andami kong naiisip na dehins magawa dahil alang deadline. Nasanay ata ko sa school tsaka sa trabaho na lahat may deadline.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manix-abrera/pakiramdam-ko-e-andami-kong-naiisip-na-dehins-magawa-dahil-alang/)

Manix Abrera

> [Everybody in the real world will agree - the moment a project is behind deadline, quality assurance tends to go out the window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cox/everybody-in-the-real-world-will-agree-the-moment-a-project-is-behind/)

Alan Cox

> [Nero wasn't worried at all when he heard the utterance of the Delphic Oracle: "Beware the age of seventy-three." Plenty of time to enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-p-cavafy/nero-wasn-t-worried-at-all-when-he-heard-the-utterance-of-the-delphic/)

[C.P. Cavafy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-p-cavafy/)

> [Nothing focuses attention like a real deadline. If you are in a field where life and death, or having a job or not having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry/nothing-focuses-attention-like-a-real-deadline-if-you-are-in-a-field/)

[John Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry/)

> [“There is one surefire way to produce bad writing: submit to the slavery of a deadline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavia-id/there-is-one-surefire-way-to-produce-bad-writing-submit-to-the/)

Flavia Idà

> [I think setting goals is critical; having deadlines for ourselves- how much by when? Too many people have these big dreams where they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/i-think-setting-goals-is-critical-having-deadlines-for-ourselves-how/)

[Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/)

> [Publishing is, by its nature, about deadlines, and deadlines are toxic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/publishing-is-by-its-nature-about-deadlines-and-deadlines-are-toxic/)

[Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/)

> [There are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic deadlines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/there-are-no-unrealistic-goals-only-unrealistic-deadlines/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Without deadlines and restrictions I just tend to become preoccupied with other things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/without-deadlines-and-restrictions-i-just-tend-to-become-preoccupied/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [Most lawsuits against the EPA historically have come either because of the agency's lack of regard for a statute or because the EPA failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/most-lawsuits-against-the-epa-historically-have-come-either-because/)

[Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/)

> [“The deadline is at midnight in America; dawn, 5 A.M., in England, and 8:00 A.M., early morning, in Iraq. The Americans tie yellow ribbons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betool-khedairi/the-deadline-is-at-midnight-in-america-dawn-5-a-m-in-england-and-8-00/)

Betool Khedairi

Browse all 405 Deadline quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You put deadlines on people you really don't want, because that's how you feel about them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Al Leiter"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-don-t-want-because-that-s-how/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Deadline"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-don-t-want-because-that-s-how/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/al-leiter-38347_deadline_you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-d_277299.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/al-leiter-38347_deadline_you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-d_277299.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/al-leiter-38347_deadline_you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-d_277299.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You put deadlines on people you really don't want, because that's how you feel about them.” — Al Leiter",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Al Leiter",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You put deadlines on people you...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-don-t-want-because-that-s-how/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-don-t-want-because-that-s-how/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
