--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have always taken the view that one…" description: "\"I have always taken the view that one should never hold against a man anything he says after twelve o'clock at night or after a glass or two of anythin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_clock_i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-sh_2301693.png" --- # I have always taken the view that one should never hold… ![“I have always taken the view that one should never hold against a man anything he says after twelve o'clock at night or after a glass or two of anything.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_clock_i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-sh_2301693.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_clock_i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-sh_2301693.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_clock_i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-sh_2301693.png) > “I have always taken the view that one should never hold against a man anything he says after twelve o'clock at night or after a glass or two of anything.” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests forgiving late‑night remarks, especially after drinks, as they’re often less serious. **In simple terms:** Excuse late‑night words after a drink. Key Takeaway Practice leniency with drunken talk. Themes forgiveness humor social etiquette Mood lighthearted thoughtful Type advice observational When to use this quote - friendship - conflict resolution - social gatherings - casual conversations Key Concepts night‑time behavior alcohol influence Questions to Reflect On - When should you hold someone accountable for late‑night words? - How does alcohol affect honesty? A Different Perspective Excuses can enable disrespectful speech. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Glasses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glasses/) [Hold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold/) [Hold Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold-man-1002214/) [Man Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-says/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Night Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night-glass-4405795/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Twelve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twelve/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [By night the Glass Of Galileo ... observes Imagin'd Land and Regions in the Moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/by-night-the-glass-of-galileo-observes-imagin-d-land-and-regions-in/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“Her teeth had the nice shiny look that comes from standing all night in a glass of solution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/her-teeth-had-the-nice-shiny-look-that-comes-from-standing-all-night/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [The best way to hold a man is in your arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/the-best-way-to-hold-a-man-is-in-your-arms/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) > [“A brick could be used to help you keep your job. 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A man's job in a romantic dynamic is not to be your butler, bank account or your father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-chan/hold-yourself-on-your-own-a-man-s-job-in-a-romantic-dynamic-is-not-to/) [Amy Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-chan/) > [I hold that a man had better be dead than alive when his work is done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-cary/i-hold-that-a-man-had-better-be-dead-than-alive-when-his-work-is-done/) [Alice Cary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-cary/) > [The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/the-rung-of-a-ladder-was-never-meant-to-rest-upon-but-only-to-hold-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. 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It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? 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I can see things that once happened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-rayner/time-is-to-put-it-in-its-most-impressive-and-some-might-say-poncy/) [Jacqueline Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-rayner/) > [Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/time-travel-offends-our-sense-of-cause-and-effect-but-maybe-the/) [Edward M. 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If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/) [Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/) > [I don't know if it's just me or everyone, but the whole vibe with skiing is not so much thriving on competition against others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/picabo-street/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-just-me-or-everyone-but-the-whole-vibe-with/) [Picabo Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/picabo-street/) > [Time goes on, even when yer not looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/time-goes-on-even-when-yer-not-looking/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/clock-n-a-machine-of-great-moral-value-to-man-allaying-his-concern/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) [Browse all 2,738 Clock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have always taken the view that one should never hold against a man anything he says after twelve o'clock at night or after a glass or two of anything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander McCall Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-should-never-hold-against-a-man/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clock" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-should-never-hold-against-a-man/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_clock_i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-sh_2301693.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_clock_i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-sh_2301693.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_clock_i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-sh_2301693.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have always taken the view that one should never hold against a man anything he says after twelve o'clock…” — Alexander McCall Smith", "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": "Alexander McCall Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have always taken the view...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-should-never-hold-against-a-man/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/i-have-always-taken-the-view-that-one-should-never-hold-against-a-man/#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 } } ] } ```