--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a discussion, the difficulty lies, not…" description: "\"In a discussion, the difficulty lies, not in being able to defend your opinion, but to know it.\" — Andre Maurois" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/andre-maurois-3217_able_in-a-discussion-the-difficulty-lies-not_1773242.jpg" --- # In a discussion, the difficulty lies, not in being able to… ![“In a discussion, the difficulty lies, not in being able to defend your opinion, but to know it.” quote by Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/andre-maurois-3217_able_in-a-discussion-the-difficulty-lies-not_1773242.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/andre-maurois-3217_able_in-a-discussion-the-difficulty-lies-not_1773242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/andre-maurois-3217_able_in-a-discussion-the-difficulty-lies-not_1773242.jpg) > “In a discussion, the difficulty lies, not in being able to defend your opinion, but to know it.” [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding your own view is harder than defending it against others. **In simple terms:** Knowing yourself is tougher than arguing. Key Takeaway Reflect before you argue. Themes self-awareness communication debate Mood introspective thoughtful Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - personal relationships - public speaking - conflict resolution Key Concepts cognitive bias critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions underlie your opinion? - How can you test your belief? A Different Perspective It may be easy to defend a shallow stance without deep insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Defend Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend-opinion-1575238/) [Difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty/) [Difficulty Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty-lies-923709/) [Discussion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discussion/) [Discussion Difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discussion-difficulty-1798781/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) ## Related quotes > [The difficult part in an argument is not to defend one's opinion but rather to know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/the-difficult-part-in-an-argument-is-not-to-defend-one-s-opinion-but/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [In the middle of a difficulty lies opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-middle-of-a-difficulty-lies-opportunity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to defend, in my opinion, when you play one-on-one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/it-s-easy-to-defend-in-my-opinion-when-you-play-one-on-one/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [It is only when someone cannot defend his opinion, and is not interested in believing the truth, that he will attempt to stifle discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-whyte/it-is-only-when-someone-cannot-defend-his-opinion-and-is-not/) [Jamie Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-whyte/) > [“The difficulty lies within the man for whom God has not yet become everything. If God were everything, the man would get along well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-difficulty-lies-within-the-man-for-whom-god-has-not-yet-become/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/in-the-midst-of-difficulty-lies-opportunity/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/in-the-middle-of-every-difficulty-lies-opportunity/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/in-the-middle-of-difficulty-lies-opportunity/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones, which ramify, for those brought up as most of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-difficulty-lies-not-in-the-new-ideas-but-in-escaping-the-old-ones/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Difficulty lies, in finding out an exact Measure but eat for Necessity, not Pleasure, for Lust knows not where Necessity ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-difficulty-lies-in-finding-out-an-exact-measure-but-eat-for/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/the-difficulty-lies-not-in-the-new-ideas-but-in-escaping-from-the-old/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [“in the middle of difficulty lies oportunity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wright/in-the-middle-of-difficulty-lies-oportunity/) [Joshua Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wright/) > [“The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping the old ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/the-difficulty-lies-not-so-much-in-developing-new-ideas-as-in-2/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [The difficulty lies, not in finding a producer, but in finding a consumer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-say/the-difficulty-lies-not-in-finding-a-producer-but-in-finding-a/) [Jean-Baptiste Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-say/) > [“The difficulty lies in the simplicity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-anna-van-driel/the-difficulty-lies-in-the-simplicity/) [Maria Anna van Driel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-anna-van-driel/) ## More by Andre Maurois > [Style is the outcome of constraint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/style-is-the-outcome-of-constraint/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [To reason with poorly chosen words is like using a pair of scales with inaccurate weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/to-reason-with-poorly-chosen-words-is-like-using-a-pair-of-scales/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [No one can be profoundly original who does not avoid eccentricity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/no-one-can-be-profoundly-original-who-does-not-avoid-eccentricity/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [It is not events and the things one sees and enjoys that produce happiness, but a state of mind which can endow events with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/it-is-not-events-and-the-things-one-sees-and-enjoys-that-produce/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [One has very little influence upon one's children. Their characters are what they are and one can do nothing to change them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/one-has-very-little-influence-upon-one-s-children-their-characters/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [The art of growing old is the art of being regarded by the oncoming generations as a support and not as a stumbling-block...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/the-art-of-growing-old-is-the-art-of-being-regarded-by-the-oncoming/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [“O mare dragoste nu este de ajuns pentru a lega de tine fiinta pe care o iubesti, daca nu te pricepi sa umpli viata…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/o-mare-dragoste-nu-este-de-ajuns-pentru-a-lega-de-tine-fiinta-pe-care/) [André Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [Sincerity is glass, discretion is diamond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/sincerity-is-glass-discretion-is-diamond/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [“Old age is far more than white hair, wrinkles, the feeling that it is too late and the game is finished, that the stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/old-age-is-far-more-than-white-hair-wrinkles-the-feeling-that-it-is/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [It is often said that in prosperity we have many friends, but that we are usually neglected when things go badly. 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I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. 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