--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It isn't a mistake to have strong views…" description: "\"It isn't a mistake to have strong views. The mistake is to have nothing else.\" — Anthony Weston" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/anthony-weston-81256_conflict_it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views_2024896.jpg" --- # It isn't a mistake to have strong views. The mistake is to… ![“It isn't a mistake to have strong views. The mistake is to have nothing else.” quote by Anthony Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/anthony-weston-81256_conflict_it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views_2024896.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/anthony-weston-81256_conflict_it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views_2024896.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/anthony-weston-81256_conflict_it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views_2024896.jpg) > “It isn't a mistake to have strong views. The mistake is to have nothing else.” Anthony Weston ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Holding strong opinions is fine, but lacking openness or nuance is the real error. **In simple terms:** Strong views are okay, but be open to other ideas. Key Takeaway Balance conviction with openness. Themes open‑mindedness critical thinking dialogue Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - debates - team meetings - academic discussions - personal relationships Key Concepts Epistemology cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure you listen while holding a view? - What benefits arise from considering opposing perspectives? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on certainty can stifle learning and collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Healing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healing/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) ## Related quotes > [One must have courage to accept the mistake, strong enough to correct them & wise enough to learn from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/one-must-have-courage-to-accept-the-mistake-strong-enough-to-correct/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [Making the same mistake twice isn't mistake anymore it's a choice!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/making-the-same-mistake-twice-isn-t-mistake-anymore-it-s-a-choice/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you love someone you don't hurt them on purpose, and cheating on someone isn't a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/when-you-love-someone-you-don-t-hurt-them-on-purpose-and-cheating-on-2/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Making a mistake isn't a mistake but repeating a mistake is a mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greatest-kid/making-a-mistake-isn-t-a-mistake-but-repeating-a-mistake-is-a-mistake/) Greatest\_KiD > [A mistake isn’t a mistake unless it can’t be put right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/a-mistake-isn-t-a-mistake-unless-it-can-t-be-put-right/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [“You'll make mistakes because it's impossible to know what is or isn't a mistake until it's made.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/you-ll-make-mistakes-because-it-s-impossible-to-know-what-is-or-isn-t/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“Human Beings cannot see their own mistake unless Gnani Purush (the enlightened one) shows him. This isn’t the only mistake. One is surrounded by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/human-beings-cannot-see-their-own-mistake-unless-gnani-purush-the/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [A mistake isn't a mistake if you learn a lesson from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-brooks/a-mistake-isn-t-a-mistake-if-you-learn-a-lesson-from-it/) [Garth Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-brooks/) > [Failure isn't always a mistake. Sometimes it's the best place to start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/failure-isn-t-always-a-mistake-sometimes-it-s-the-best-place-to-start/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“If they do it often, it isn't a mistake; it’s just their behavior.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/if-they-do-it-often-it-isn-t-a-mistake-it-s-just-their-behavior/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [Michael Flynn not exactly cut from that cloth. Someone who has very strong views about almost everything in the realm of national security and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/michael-flynn-not-exactly-cut-from-that-cloth-someone-who-has-very/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [I can still boss people around. I can still write. I can still read. I can still eat, and I can still have very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-can-still-boss-people-around-i-can-still-write-i-can-still-read-i/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [You have to be willing - you have strong ideas, you have strong views, but you have to be willing also to look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/you-have-to-be-willing-you-have-strong-ideas-you-have-strong-views/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [I have strong views about South African politics and I still don't feel I need to make public statements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zola-budd/i-have-strong-views-about-south-african-politics-and-i-still-don-t/) [Zola Budd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zola-budd/) > [I have pretty strong views about censorship, and I don't like it. I believe that we should be able to monitor our own families…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katey-sagal/i-have-pretty-strong-views-about-censorship-and-i-don-t-like-it-i/) [Katey Sagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katey-sagal/) ## More by Anthony Weston > [“Arguing face to face can be a powerful thing, and done deftly and persistently, it can reinforce and build respect itself, even across major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-weston/arguing-face-to-face-can-be-a-powerful-thing-and-done-deftly-and/) Anthony Weston > [Come to a rousing end. End in style, with flair or a flourish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-weston/come-to-a-rousing-end-end-in-style-with-flair-or-a-flourish/) Anthony Weston Explore all 3 Anthony Weston quotes ## More Conflict quotes > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [There is a conflict in the Middle East between two entities, and they're both right, each in their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/there-is-a-conflict-in-the-middle-east-between-two-entities-and-they/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [Conflict isn't negative, it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-crum/conflict-isn-t-negative-it-just-is/) [Thomas Crum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-crum/) > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [The irrepressible conflict propounded by abolitionism has produced now its legitimate fruits - disunion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-irrepressible-conflict-propounded-by-abolitionism-has-produced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [“While there is battle and hatred men have eyes for nothing save the fact that the enemy is the cause of all the troubles;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-butterfield/while-there-is-battle-and-hatred-men-have-eyes-for-nothing-save-the/) [Herbert Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-butterfield/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [All men have an instinct for conflict: at least, all healthy men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/all-men-have-an-instinct-for-conflict-at-least-all-healthy-men/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) > [“How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/how-we-traverse-the-space-between-us-when-conflict-arises-has-a/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) [Browse all 3,969 Conflict quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It isn't a mistake to have strong views. The mistake is to have nothing else.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthony Weston" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-weston/it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views-the-mistake-is-to-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conflict" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-weston/it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views-the-mistake-is-to-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/anthony-weston-81256_conflict_it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views_2024896.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/anthony-weston-81256_conflict_it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views_2024896.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/anthony-weston-81256_conflict_it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views_2024896.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It isn't a mistake to have strong views. The mistake is to have nothing else.” — Anthony Weston", "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": "Anthony Weston", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-weston/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It isn't a mistake to have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-weston/it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views-the-mistake-is-to-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-weston/it-isn-t-a-mistake-to-have-strong-views-the-mistake-is-to-have/#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 } } ] } ```