--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you try to give an…" description: "\"If you try to give an on-the-one-hand-or-the-other- hand answer, only one of the hands tends to get quoted.\" — Alan Blinder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/alan-blinder-47927_answers_if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or_1446434.jpg" --- # If you try to give an on-the-one-hand-or-the-other- hand… ![“If you try to give an on-the-one-hand-or-the-other- hand answer, only one of the hands tends to get quoted.” quote by Alan Blinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/alan-blinder-47927_answers_if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or_1446434.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/alan-blinder-47927_answers_if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or_1446434.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/alan-blinder-47927_answers_if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or_1446434.jpg) > “If you try to give an on-the-one-hand-or-the-other- hand answer, only one of the hands tends to get quoted.” [Alan Blinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-blinder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Offering a binary answer forces bias, causing one side to dominate the narrative. **In simple terms:** Choosing one side silences the other. Key Takeaway Seek balanced perspectives. Themes bias communication decisionmaking Mood thoughtful analytical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - team meetings - media interviews - personal relationships Key Concepts cognitive bias selection bias Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure all viewpoints are heard? - What strategies prevent one side from dominating? A Different Perspective Complex issues often require nuanced answers, not simple binaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) ## Related quotes > [“The girl is not yours, or mine, or anyone’s. 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Then you can let other people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/try-your-hand-at-everything-figure-out-what-your-space-in-the-world/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [As you get older, I think everyone feels that, no matter what the job: to try a hand at running the business as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/as-you-get-older-i-think-everyone-feels-that-no-matter-what-the-job/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [I would love to direct - or try my hand at it, anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitriona-balfe/i-would-love-to-direct-or-try-my-hand-at-it-anyway/) [Caitriona Balfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitriona-balfe/) > [I'd love to try my hand at something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/i-d-love-to-try-my-hand-at-something-else/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [You don't have to be a renowned artist like Q-Tip to try your hand at poetry. You don't need any special equipment - that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-renowned-artist-like-q-tip-to-try-your-hand-at/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I try to do what is there in my hand. I try to do well wherever I play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasprit-bumrah/i-try-to-do-what-is-there-in-my-hand-i-try-to-do-well-wherever-i-play/) [Jasprit Bumrah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasprit-bumrah/) > [I've never been given an opportunity to direct, but man, I would love to try my hand at that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiya-sircar/i-ve-never-been-given-an-opportunity-to-direct-but-man-i-would-love/) [Tiya Sircar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiya-sircar/) > [“And if you can’t say yes, answer anyway. Because I’d rather live with the answer than die with the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ellis/and-if-you-can-t-say-yes-answer-anyway-because-i-d-rather-live-with/) Jon Ellis > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) > [What you are is a question only you can answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/what-you-are-is-a-question-only-you-can-answer/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## More by Alan Blinder > ['Murphys law of economic policy': Economists have the least influence on policy where they know the most and are most agreed; they have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-blinder/murphys-law-of-economic-policy-economists-have-the-least-influence-on/) [Alan Blinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-blinder/) > [And the maestro surely wielded the chairman's baton with extraordinary skill. His stellar record suggests that the only right answer to the age-old question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-blinder/and-the-maestro-surely-wielded-the-chairman-s-baton-with/) [Alan Blinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-blinder/) > [The last duty of a central banker is to tell the public the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-blinder/the-last-duty-of-a-central-banker-is-to-tell-the-public-the-truth/) [Alan Blinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-blinder/) > [Life is not a multiple choice test, it's an open-book essay exam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-blinder/life-is-not-a-multiple-choice-test-it-s-an-open-book-essay-exam/) [Alan Blinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-blinder/) > [In the classic old business cycle, there would be a diminution in sales; it would take a little while for this information to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-blinder/in-the-classic-old-business-cycle-there-would-be-a-diminution-in/) [Alan Blinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-blinder/) > [There is a kind of a cascading chain, ... 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I recognize good questions, because I can come up with them myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-brust/those-are-good-questions-i-recognize-good-questions-because-i-can/) [Steven Brust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-brust/) > [My answer is bring 'em on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-answer-is-bring-em-on/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'll answer anything... I'm brutally honest, actually, which gets me in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/i-ll-answer-anything-i-m-brutally-honest-actually-which-gets-me-in/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [“...I guess I can put two and two together." 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But I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-mcguinness/i-play-along-myself-even-though-i-can-t-help-the-player-so-i-can-t/) [Paddy McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-mcguinness/) > [Sometimes the question is complicated, but the answers are simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-suess/sometimes-the-question-is-complicated-but-the-answers-are-simple/) [Dr Suess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-suess/) Browse all 2,090 Answer quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you try to give an on-the-one-hand-or-the-other- hand answer, only one of the hands tends to get quoted.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Blinder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-blinder/if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or-the-other-hand-answer-only/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-blinder/if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or-the-other-hand-answer-only/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/alan-blinder-47927_answers_if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or_1446434.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/alan-blinder-47927_answers_if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or_1446434.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/alan-blinder-47927_answers_if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or_1446434.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you try to give an on-the-one-hand-or-the-other- hand answer, only one of the hands tends to get quoted.” — Alan Blinder", "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": "Alan Blinder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-blinder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you try to give an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-blinder/if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or-the-other-hand-answer-only/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-blinder/if-you-try-to-give-an-on-the-one-hand-or-the-other-hand-answer-only/#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 } } ] } ```