--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't give anything away. Never make it…" description: "\"Don't give anything away. Never make it easy for the guys you are trying to beat.\" — Bill Bowerman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c5/bill-bowerman-27013_beats_don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-e_349543.jpg" --- # Don't give anything away. Never make it easy for the guys… ![“Don't give anything away. Never make it easy for the guys you are trying to beat.” quote by Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c5/bill-bowerman-27013_beats_don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-e_349543.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c5/bill-bowerman-27013_beats_don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-e_349543.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c5/bill-bowerman-27013_beats_don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-e_349543.jpg) > “Don't give anything away. Never make it easy for the guys you are trying to beat.” [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He advises keeping competitive secrets hidden and making it hard for rivals to succeed. **In simple terms:** Keep your tactics secret and challenging for opponents. Key Takeaway Guard your strategies and stay tough. Themes competition strategy secrecy Mood strategic cautious Type advice motivational When to use this quote - business competition - sports coaching - product development - marketing campaigns Key Concepts psychology of competition edge tactics Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance openness with competitive advantage? - When is secrecy more harmful than helpful? A Different Perspective Too much secrecy can hinder collaboration and trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) ## Related quotes > [I've had guys on top of me, trying to beat me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-assuncao/i-ve-had-guys-on-top-of-me-trying-to-beat-me-up/) [Raphael Assuncao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-assuncao/) > [I was born as a woman and raised as a woman, so I only know this lifestyle, but I could just imagine how easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-spice/i-was-born-as-a-woman-and-raised-as-a-woman-so-i-only-know-this/) [Ice Spice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-spice/) > [I love it when people make things look fun and easy. Guys like Dane Reynolds and Kelly Slater and Pedro on a skateboard, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-john-florence/i-love-it-when-people-make-things-look-fun-and-easy-guys-like-dane/) [John John Florence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-john-florence/) > [I spent a lot of years trying to beat the system and, in the end, the system kicked my behind good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-rourke/i-spent-a-lot-of-years-trying-to-beat-the-system-and-in-the-end-the/) [Mickey Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-rourke/) > [Shout out to the guys who are trying to get better every day. You give hope to every lady you meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/shout-out-to-the-guys-who-are-trying-to-get-better-every-day-you-give/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Guys are going to be physical, especially with me being the young guy. That tends to happen a lot. It's just guys trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-tatum/guys-are-going-to-be-physical-especially-with-me-being-the-young-guy/) [Jayson Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-tatum/) > [I'm trying beat life because I can't cheat death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/i-m-trying-beat-life-because-i-can-t-cheat-death/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [I'm the one that everyone is trying to beat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-taylor/i-m-the-one-that-everyone-is-trying-to-beat/) [Katie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-taylor/) > [For every single show you do, make sure you go out and literally try to beat what you did the day before. It's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-young/for-every-single-show-you-do-make-sure-you-go-out-and-literally-try/) [Chris Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-young/) > [I never focus on trying to beat somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-carter/i-never-focus-on-trying-to-beat-somebody/) [Michelle Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-carter/) > [I love trying to beat what I've done so far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-love-trying-to-beat-what-i-ve-done-so-far/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [The only way to beat the competition is to stop trying to beat the competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-chan-kim/the-only-way-to-beat-the-competition-is-to-stop-trying-to-beat-the/) [W. Chan Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-chan-kim/) > [Strive to be the very best you can be. Run the race against yourself and not the guy in the other lane. The reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herschel-walker/strive-to-be-the-very-best-you-can-be-run-the-race-against-yourself/) [Herschel Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herschel-walker/) > [I am trying to beat the guy sitting across from me and trying to choose the moves that are most unpleasant for him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-carlsen/i-am-trying-to-beat-the-guy-sitting-across-from-me-and-trying-to/) [Magnus Carlsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-carlsen/) > [I'm always fighting to make the team anyway. I'm always preparing like I'm one of the bottom guys, trying to make the team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/champ-bailey/i-m-always-fighting-to-make-the-team-anyway-i-m-always-preparing-like/) [Champ Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/champ-bailey/) ## More by Bill Bowerman > [Men of Oregon, I invite you to become students of your events. Running, one might say, is basically an absurd past-time upon which to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/men-of-oregon-i-invite-you-to-become-students-of-your-events-running/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [The idea that the harder you work, the better you're going to be is just garbage. The greatest improvement is made by the man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/the-idea-that-the-harder-you-work-the-better-you-re-going-to-be-is/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [This killing of Israel athletes is an act of war. And if there's one place that war doesn't belong, it's here. 1200 years. From…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/this-killing-of-israel-athletes-is-an-act-of-war-and-if-there-s-one/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [A teacher is never too smart to learn from his pupils. But while runners differ, basic principles never change. So it's a matter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/a-teacher-is-never-too-smart-to-learn-from-his-pupils-but-while/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [Now to explore the limits of the one competitor above everyone else you've always loved to face: Steve Prefontaine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/now-to-explore-the-limits-of-the-one-competitor-above-everyone-else/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [If someone says, 'Hey, I ran 100 miles this week. How far did you run?' ignore him! What the hell difference does it make?……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/if-someone-says-hey-i-ran-100-miles-this-week-how-far-did-you-run/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [If at the end of a race you know yourself that you have done your best, you're a winner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/if-at-the-end-of-a-race-you-know-yourself-that-you-have-done-your/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [The magic is in the man, not the 100 miles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/the-magic-is-in-the-man-not-the-100-miles/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [Victory is in having done your best. If you've done your best, you've won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/victory-is-in-having-done-your-best-if-you-ve-done-your-best-you-ve/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [God determines how fast you're going to run; I can help only with the mechanics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/god-determines-how-fast-you-re-going-to-run-i-can-help-only-with-the/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [God determines how fast you're going to run; I can only help with the mechanics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/god-determines-how-fast-you-re-going-to-run-i-can-only-help-with-the/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [The athlete makes himself, the coach doesn't make the athlete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/the-athlete-makes-himself-the-coach-doesn-t-make-the-athlete/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [I still bother with runners I call hamburgers. They're never going to run any record times, but they can always fulfill their own potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/i-still-bother-with-runners-i-call-hamburgers-they-re-never-going-to/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [There is no bad weather, just soft runners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/there-is-no-bad-weather-just-soft-runners/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) > [It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/it-s-easier-to-beg-forgiveness-than-ask-permission/) [Bill Bowerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) [Explore all 21 Bill Bowerman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/) ## More Beats quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [I usually write from the rhythm section...If a drummer got a funky beat on some things - like a half-shuffle or a shuffle or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-usually-write-from-the-rhythm-section-if-a-drummer-got-a-funky-beat/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [If you don't like club beats take a HIT OF E and you will love the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/if-you-don-t-like-club-beats-take-a-hit-of-e-and-you-will-love-the/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [Every pitcher can beat you, it doesn't matter how good you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-bonds/every-pitcher-can-beat-you-it-doesn-t-matter-how-good-you-are/) [Barry Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-bonds/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) Chaz Brenchley > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I don't know about the rest of the world, but I know in our region everyone is gunning to beat us. We have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landon-donovan/i-don-t-know-about-the-rest-of-the-world-but-i-know-in-our-region/) [Landon Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landon-donovan/) > [Grand business plans are all very well, but nothing beats dipping your toe in the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-bilimoria-karan-bilimoria/grand-business-plans-are-all-very-well-but-nothing-beats-dipping-your/) Baron Bilimoria Karan Bilimoria > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I don't like small birds. They hop around so merrily outside my window, looking so innocent. but I know that secretly, they're watching my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-like-small-birds-they-hop-around-so-merrily-outside-my-window/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 3,311 Beats quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don't give anything away. Never make it easy for the guys you are trying to beat.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Bowerman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-easy-for-the-guys-you-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beats" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-easy-for-the-guys-you-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c5/bill-bowerman-27013_beats_don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-e_349543.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c5/bill-bowerman-27013_beats_don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-e_349543.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c5/bill-bowerman-27013_beats_don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-e_349543.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don't give anything away. Never make it easy for the guys you are trying to beat.” — Bill Bowerman", "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": "Bill Bowerman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowerman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Don't give anything away. Never make...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-easy-for-the-guys-you-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowerman/don-t-give-anything-away-never-make-it-easy-for-the-guys-you-are/#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 } } ] } ```