---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One thing both men have in common is a…"
description: "\"One thing both men have in common is a love of golf and a shared knowledge of the word \"mulligan,\" which means a do-over to replace a lousy shot.\" — Ba..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/barack-obama-17_common_one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-l_2804512.jpg"
---

#  One thing both men have in common is a love of golf and a…

![“One thing both men have in common is a love of golf and a shared knowledge of the word &quot;mulligan,&quot; which means a do-over to replace a lousy shot.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/barack-obama-17_common_one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-l_2804512.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/barack-obama-17_common_one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-l_2804512.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/barack-obama-17_common_one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-l_2804512.jpg)

> “One thing both men have in common is a love of golf and a shared knowledge of the word "mulligan," which means a do-over to replace a lousy shot.”

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Golf illustrates how a simple rule can turn a mistake into a fresh start, teaching resilience and humor in competition.

**In simple terms:** Golf shows mistakes can be reset with a fresh start.

Key Takeaway

Embrace do‑overs to stay positive.

Themes

sports resilience humor learning competition

Mood

lighthearted motivational

Type

aphilosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- golf tournaments
- team building
- personal setbacks
- learning new skills

Key Concepts

second chances mindset risk management

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you apply the mulligan mindset to non‑sport challenges?
- When is it better to accept a mistake than to retry?

A Different Perspective

Do‑overs may mask underlying performance issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Golf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf/) [Golf Shared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf-shared-3474237/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Golf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-golf-530848/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mulligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mulligan-1256940/) [Mulligan Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mulligan-means-3474239/) [Mulligans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mulligans/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Shots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shots/) [Word Mulligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-mulligan-3474238/)

## Related quotes

> [Never take a mulligan on a par 3. A "hole in three" is not a fun story to relive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-weiss/never-take-a-mulligan-on-a-par-3-a-hole-in-three-is-not-a-fun-story/)

[Brian Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-weiss/)

> [Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. A yellow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/stately-plump-buck-mulligan-came-from-the-stairhead-bearing-a-bowl-of-2/)

[James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/)

> [Mulligan: invented by an Irishman who wanted to hit one more twenty yard grounder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bishop/mulligan-invented-by-an-irishman-who-wanted-to-hit-one-more-twenty/)

[Jim Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bishop/)

> [We sailed to Italy on the Andrea Doria, a year before it sank, and Zoot (Sims) and I played a lot of ping-pong on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-crow/we-sailed-to-italy-on-the-andrea-doria-a-year-before-it-sank-and-zoot/)

[Bill Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-crow/)

> [“This is my gift to you and your reward, Tom Mulligan, maker of ballads and journeyman worker in fine tales. 'Tis more than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herminie-templeton-kavanagh/this-is-my-gift-to-you-and-your-reward-tom-mulligan-maker-of-ballads/)

[Herminie Templeton Kavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herminie-templeton-kavanagh/)

> [I get mistaken for Amanda Holden; I've had that since I was 12. I get Carey Mulligan, too. We look quite similar, and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-nixon/i-get-mistaken-for-amanda-holden-i-ve-had-that-since-i-was-12-i-get/)

[Kimberley Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-nixon/)

> [“—A pleased bottom. The turnstile. Is that? . . . Blueribboned hat . . . Idly writing . . . What? Looked? . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/a-pleased-bottom-the-turnstile-is-that-blueribboned-hat-idly-writing/)

[James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/)

> [I've been given the mulligan of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seve-ballesteros/i-ve-been-given-the-mulligan-of-my-life/)

[Seve Ballesteros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seve-ballesteros/)

> [Carey Mulligan is completely self-possessed. She knows what she's doing, and again, quite like the big-hitters I was talking about, my job was just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-williams/carey-mulligan-is-completely-self-possessed-she-knows-what-she-s/)

[Olivia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-williams/)

> [“I don’t know even the Mulligan’s town residence. One night, as he bade us adieu in Oxford Street, — ”I live THERE,” says he,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-don-t-know-even-the-mulligan-s-town-residence-one-night-as-he-bade/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [I'm not called Seve Ballesteros, I'm called Seve Mulligan because I've had the luck to be given a mulligan, which in golf is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seve-ballesteros/i-m-not-called-seve-ballesteros-i-m-called-seve-mulligan-because-i-ve/)

[Seve Ballesteros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seve-ballesteros/)

> [“Puck Mulligan footed featly, trilling: I HARDLY HEAR THE PURLIEU CRY OR A TOMMY TALK AS I PASS ONE BY BEFORE MY THOUGHTS BEGIN…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/puck-mulligan-footed-featly-trilling-i-hardly-hear-the-purlieu-cry-or/)

[James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/)

> [Carey Mulligan- I'd love to dress her. And Nicole Kidman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-packham/carey-mulligan-i-d-love-to-dress-her-and-nicole-kidman/)

[Jenny Packham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-packham/)

> [I think my fondest memories would be with Sting, and Steamboat, Dusty and er I made a lot of money wrestling Wahoo McDaniel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-flair/i-think-my-fondest-memories-would-be-with-sting-and-steamboat-dusty/)

[Ric Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-flair/)

> [Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/stately-plump-buck-mulligan-came-from-the-stairhead-bearing-a-bowl-of/)

[James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/)

## More by Barack Obama

> [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

## More Common quotes

> [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/)

[Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/)

> [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/)

[Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/)

> [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/)

[John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/when-you-have-a-cavity-in-your-tooth-and-you-let-it-get-worse/)

[Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/)

> [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down in the mind before you reach eighteen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/common-sense-is-nothing-more-than-a-deposit-of-prejudices-laid-down/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/)

[Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/)

> [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/)

[Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/)

> [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/)

[Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/)

> [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/)

[Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/)

> [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

[Browse all 7,866 Common quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "One thing both men have in common is a love of golf and a shared knowledge of the word \"mulligan,\" which means a do-over to replace a lousy shot.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barack Obama"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-love-of-golf-and-a-shared/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Common"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-love-of-golf-and-a-shared/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/barack-obama-17_common_one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-l_2804512.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/barack-obama-17_common_one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-l_2804512.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/barack-obama-17_common_one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-l_2804512.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“One thing both men have in common is a love of golf and a shared knowledge of the word \"mulligan,\" which…” — Barack Obama",
                "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": "Barack Obama",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "One thing both men have in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-love-of-golf-and-a-shared/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/one-thing-both-men-have-in-common-is-a-love-of-golf-and-a-shared/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
