--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Pissing people off doesn't mean you're…" description: "\"Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.\" — Colin Powell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/colin-powell-691_doing-right_pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-d_70611.jpg" --- # Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right… ![“Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.” quote by Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/colin-powell-691_doing-right_pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-d_70611.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/colin-powell-691_doing-right_pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-d_70611.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/colin-powell-691_doing-right_pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-d_70611.jpg) > “Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.” [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Doing what is correct often provokes resistance because it challenges the status quo or threatens vested interests. **In simple terms:** Right actions can cause conflict. Key Takeaway Correctness may be unpopular. Themes courage integrity leadership conflict social dynamics Mood defiant reflective Type maxim advice When to use this quote - implementing reform - challenging unfair policies - standing up for truth Key Concepts ethical decision‑making power structures personal responsibility Practical Applications - leadership coaching - organizational change Questions to Reflect On - When have you faced backlash for a principled choice? - How do you balance integrity with stakeholder concerns? A Different Perspective Sometimes unpopular actions are misguided; popularity alone doesn't validate correctness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-right/) [Doing the right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-the-right-thing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/being-responsible-sometimes-means-pissing-people-off/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If you are pissing people off, you know you are doing something right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/if-you-are-pissing-people-off-you-know-you-are-doing-something-right/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Doing the right thing sometimes means pissing people off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/doing-the-right-thing-sometimes-means-pissing-people-off/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm polite. I guess that's the dichotomy within me. I don't like to piss people off just for the sake of pissing them off.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucinda-williams/i-m-polite-i-guess-that-s-the-dichotomy-within-me-i-don-t-like-to/) [Lucinda Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucinda-williams/) > [I have this habit of pissing people off without even trying, or hurting them I'm not really sure why it's just something I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheyenne-delacruz/i-have-this-habit-of-pissing-people-off-without-even-trying-or/) [Cheyenne DeLaCruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheyenne-delacruz/) > [Pissing people off should be a sport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanka/pissing-people-off-should-be-a-sport/) [Priyanka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanka/) > [“Actually, I love pissing people off. Important people, rich people, dangerous people. I’m an equal-opportunity pisser-offer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/actually-i-love-pissing-people-off-important-people-rich-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not an effective protest if it's not pissing people off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/it-s-not-an-effective-protest-if-it-s-not-pissing-people-off/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [We should try to eliminate things that unnecessarily piss people off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-leary/we-should-try-to-eliminate-things-that-unnecessarily-piss-people-off/) [Michael O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-leary/) > [Making changes in life is bound to piss some people off...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/making-changes-in-life-is-bound-to-piss-some-people-off/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We like annoying people. It's a Manchester thing. It's a trait. We just like pissing people off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/we-like-annoying-people-it-s-a-manchester-thing-it-s-a-trait-we-just/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [“I thought I was playing the game of pissing off people who hated me already and eating the consequences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/i-thought-i-was-playing-the-game-of-pissing-off-people-who-hated-me/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“If you really want to seriously piss some people off, follow your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregor-collins/if-you-really-want-to-seriously-piss-some-people-off-follow-your-heart/) [Gregor Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregor-collins/) > [Do I have opinions that might piss people off? Yes - that's what I'm here for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/do-i-have-opinions-that-might-piss-people-off-yes-that-s-what-i-m/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [Socrates was likewise right that pissing people off is how we first, and maybe best, go about the business of provoking thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kingwell/socrates-was-likewise-right-that-pissing-people-off-is-how-we-first/) [Mark Kingwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kingwell/) ## More by Colin Powell > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/effective-leaders-are-made-not-born-they-learn-from-trial-and-error/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Decision-making is lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/decision-making-is-lonely/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. The Security Council resolutions will be enforced - the just demands of peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-purposes-of-the-united-states-should-not-be-doubted-the-security/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [I always like to take my time and examine the two candidates, see not only the two candidates but the policies they will bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-always-like-to-take-my-time-and-examine-the-two-candidates-see-not/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We can seldom get our children to do what we tell them, but they almost never fail to imitate us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-can-seldom-get-our-children-to-do-what-we-tell-them-but-they/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [With respect to where we are now, we have a voluntary army. And if we ever go back to conscription I hope that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/with-respect-to-where-we-are-now-we-have-a-voluntary-army-and-if-we/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Politics is not bean bags. It's serious, tough stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/politics-is-not-bean-bags-it-s-serious-tough-stuff/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [There are no secrets to success: don't waste time looking for them, success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/there-are-no-secrets-to-success-don-t-waste-time-looking-for-them/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [So like any football or basketball coach, you always always believe you're going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/so-like-any-football-or-basketball-coach-you-always-always-believe/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We hope that more assistance will be available to the nations of the region, to include Egypt, on the three pillars that I discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-hope-that-more-assistance-will-be-available-to-the-nations-of-the/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [One of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/one-of-the-most-worrisome-things-that-emerges-from-the-thick/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Be careful what you choose: You may get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/be-careful-what-you-choose-you-may-get-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The best leaders are those who break that mission down into the organization's constituent parts, so that everybody understands their role and how it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-best-leaders-are-those-who-break-that-mission-down-into-the/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) [Explore all 408 Colin Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## More Doing right quotes > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [Money will come to you when you are doing the right thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phillips/money-will-come-to-you-when-you-are-doing-the-right-thing/) [Michael Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phillips/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [Any artist can't get away from the way the world works, which is that it wants to know what you did, and you're only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/any-artist-can-t-get-away-from-the-way-the-world-works-which-is-that/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/quality-means-doing-it-right-when-no-one-is-looking/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [“Because doing what is right is in your bones. Just follow where your bones take you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-x-stork/because-doing-what-is-right-is-in-your-bones-just-follow-where-your/) [Francisco X. Stork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-x-stork/) > [It's all about doing the right things at the right times and I believe I can win everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-cross/it-s-all-about-doing-the-right-things-at-the-right-times-and-i/) [Rob Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-cross/) > [You should never be proud of doing the right thing. You should just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/you-should-never-be-proud-of-doing-the-right-thing-you-should-just-do/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [“Management is about doing things right; leadership is about doing the right things. Peter Drucker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-banfield/management-is-about-doing-things-right-leadership-is-about-doing-the/) [Richard Banfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-banfield/) > [Audiences are hungry for something different. With binge-watching, they're hungry for interesting content they haven't seen before, and they want to be entertained. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-millar/audiences-are-hungry-for-something-different-with-binge-watching-they/) [Miles Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-millar/) > [“Doing better is creativity, doing faster is creativity, doing smarter is creativity, doing right is creativity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/doing-better-is-creativity-doing-faster-is-creativity-doing-smarter/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I went to Oregon to study permaculture and lived in an eco-village for a month outside Eugene. Its called Lost Valley. It was amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/i-went-to-oregon-to-study-permaculture-and-lived-in-an-eco-village/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [Never let making a profit stand in the way of doing the right thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-jenkins/never-let-making-a-profit-stand-in-the-way-of-doing-the-right-thing/) George W. Jenkins > [Knowing what is right is not the same as doing what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-caine/knowing-what-is-right-is-not-the-same-as-doing-what-is-right/) [Christine Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-caine/) [Browse all 734 Doing right quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-right/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Colin Powell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-doing-the-right-things-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doing right" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-doing-the-right-things-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/colin-powell-691_doing-right_pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-d_70611.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/colin-powell-691_doing-right_pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-d_70611.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/colin-powell-691_doing-right_pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-d_70611.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost…” — Colin Powell", "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": "Colin Powell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Pissing people off doesn't mean you're...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-doing-the-right-things-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-doing-the-right-things-but/#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 } } ] } ```