--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't judge my effectiveness by how…" description: "\"I don't judge my effectiveness by how many words I say. I think liberals often see nuances in things... Conservatives tend to see things in black and w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/alan-colmes-12170_black-and-white_i-don-t-judge-my-effectiveness-by-how-ma_2380816.png" --- # I don't judge my effectiveness by how many words I say. I… ![“I don't judge my effectiveness by how many words I say. I think liberals often see nuances in things... Conservatives tend to see things in black and white. It gives them an air of certainty and conviction that might make them more comfortable to watch.” quote by Alan Colmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/alan-colmes-12170_black-and-white_i-don-t-judge-my-effectiveness-by-how-ma_2380816.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/alan-colmes-12170_black-and-white_i-don-t-judge-my-effectiveness-by-how-ma_2380816.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/alan-colmes-12170_black-and-white_i-don-t-judge-my-effectiveness-by-how-ma_2380816.png) > “I don't judge my effectiveness by how many words I say. I think liberals often see nuances in things... Conservatives tend to see things in black and white. It gives them an air of certainty and conviction that might make them more comfortable to watch.” [Alan Colmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-colmes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effectiveness isn’t measured by word count; liberals appreciate nuance, conservatives favor certainty, which can feel comforting. **In simple terms:** Effectiveness ≠ many words; liberals see nuance, conservatives seek certainty. Key Takeaway Value substance over verbosity. Themes politics communication nuance Mood analytical critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - debates - writing - policy analysis Key Concepts cognitive style ideological bias confidence certainty Questions to Reflect On - How can you bridge nuanced and certain perspectives? - What risks arise from certainty? A Different Perspective Over‑simplification can ignore complexity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black and white](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-and-white/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Conservatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatives/) [Liberals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberals/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [Conservatives tend to see the world more in terms of good-versus-evil and, for some of them, the nightmare is a disarmed citizenry that can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/conservatives-tend-to-see-the-world-more-in-terms-of-good-versus-evil/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [Conservatives tend to be very skeptical of change. When something could be improved, they often get in the way of those improvements because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/conservatives-tend-to-be-very-skeptical-of-change-when-something/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [And above all, what does being liberal have to do with opposing, or, uh, supporting the war against terror? Our enemies in the war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/and-above-all-what-does-being-liberal-have-to-do-with-opposing-or-uh/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [ I see \[Lyndon\] Johnson as the war in Vietnam, and the invasion of the Dominican Republic and so on. So I'm not a liberal… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-see-lyndon-johnson-as-the-war-in-vietnam-and-the-invasion-of-the/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [I think the liberals are going to try to blame - and they already are - this entire mess on the right and on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/i-think-the-liberals-are-going-to-try-to-blame-and-they-already-are/) [Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/) > [A lot of theatre people are definitely not conservative, but I don't think liberals get to own the culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gallagher/a-lot-of-theatre-people-are-definitely-not-conservative-but-i-don-t/) [Mike Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gallagher/) > [I really think that most liberals think that the things they think are helping the country. 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I mean, my gosh, what do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gallagher/i-think-liberals-would-love-to-see-the-conservative-party-be-more/) [Mike Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gallagher/) > [I think there are some liberals who are extremely biased about Fox News and wish to shun it or wish to criticize any liberal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-colmes/i-think-there-are-some-liberals-who-are-extremely-biased-about-fox/) [Alan Colmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-colmes/) > [“This leads to a thoroughly fascinating finding—social conservatives tend toward lower thresholds for disgust than liberals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/this-leads-to-a-thoroughly-fascinating-finding-social-conservatives/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [I think liberals should accept that if we want big programs that significantly reduce inequality - and we should - it's going to require…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/i-think-liberals-should-accept-that-if-we-want-big-programs-that/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) > [To understand the workings of American politics, you have to understand this fundamental law: Conservatives think liberals are stupid. Liberals think conservatives are evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/to-understand-the-workings-of-american-politics-you-have-to/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [I think that liberals need to grow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/i-think-that-liberals-need-to-grow-up/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) ## More by Alan Colmes > [To be successful in talk radio, you have to have a conservative audience as well. Not enough liberals listen to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-colmes/to-be-successful-in-talk-radio-you-have-to-have-a-conservative/) [Alan Colmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-colmes/) > [People say to me, 'Why don't you fight fire with fire?' You fight fire with water, not fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-colmes/people-say-to-me-why-don-t-you-fight-fire-with-fire-you-fight-fire/) [Alan Colmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-colmes/) > [I'm quite moderate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-colmes/i-m-quite-moderate/) [Alan Colmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-colmes/) > [Little did I know that the last words I would say on WNBC would be the last ones anyone would say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-colmes/little-did-i-know-that-the-last-words-i-would-say-on-wnbc-would-be/) [Alan Colmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-colmes/) > [I still believe that the Democrats have it right about health care, education, the war in Iraq and, yes the war on terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-colmes/i-still-believe-that-the-democrats-have-it-right-about-health-care/) [Alan Colmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-colmes/) > [There is no asterisk in the Constitution that says 'except for hate speech.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-colmes/there-is-no-asterisk-in-the-constitution-that-says-except-for-hate/) [Alan Colmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-colmes/) > [We live in a liberal country. 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Life is either marvelous or notworth living. School…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pipher/teenage-girls-are-extremists-who-see-the-world-in-black-and-white/) [Mary Pipher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pipher/) > [I remember thinking all TV was black and white, but that was because we had a really old, broken TV. And then I went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-rose/i-remember-thinking-all-tv-was-black-and-white-but-that-was-because/) [Ruby Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-rose/) > [Everything is not black-and-white . I'm really interested in the gray area - not justifying it, not glorifying it, not condoning it, but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/everything-is-not-black-and-white-i-m-really-interested-in-the-gray/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [Anyone who will look at my life from the outside won't see the struggles inside. Sometimes, things are not always as we see or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-kaushik/anyone-who-will-look-at-my-life-from-the-outside-won-t-see-the/) [Chanda Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-kaushik/) > [Light and subject is inseparable. But when it is well integrated, it becomes the work of a fine masterpiece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-chong-hasang/light-and-subject-is-inseparable-but-when-it-is-well-integrated-it/) Paul Chong Hasang > [“Annabelle, if there is one thing I’ve learned over my years watching and protecting humans, it’s that we can talk about black and white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-bartels/annabelle-if-there-is-one-thing-i-ve-learned-over-my-years-watching/) [A.P. 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