--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every time I talk about ground rules…" description: "\"“Every time I talk about ground rules someone inevitably takes these to mean that the strategy is about being nice to people. I've heard everything fro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a8/david-akadjian-24797_ground-rules_every-time-i-talk-about-ground-rules-som_2916910.jpg" --- # Every time I talk about ground rules someone inevitably… ![“Every time I talk about ground rules someone inevitably takes these to mean that the strategy is about being nice to people. I've heard everything from “You catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar” to people attacking me for what they perceive as being nice to an enemy.” quote by David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a8/david-akadjian-24797_ground-rules_every-time-i-talk-about-ground-rules-som_2916910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a8/david-akadjian-24797_ground-rules_every-time-i-talk-about-ground-rules-som_2916910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a8/david-akadjian-24797_ground-rules_every-time-i-talk-about-ground-rules-som_2916910.jpg) > ““Every time I talk about ground rules someone inevitably takes these to mean that the strategy is about being nice to people. I've heard everything from “You catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar” to people attacking me for what they perceive as being nice to an enemy.”” [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being kind is often misinterpreted as weakness; strategic kindness must be purposeful. **In simple terms:** Kindness can be misread as weakness. Key Takeaway Use kindness strategically. Themes leadership ethics strategy Mood cautious thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - business negotiations - team building - conflict resolution Key Concepts principled influence perception management Questions to Reflect On - When does kindness become a liability? - How can you set boundaries while staying kind? A Different Perspective Kindness may be exploited if not paired with firmness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attacking Perceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacking-perceive-4230249/) [Ground rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ground-rules/) [Mean Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-strategy-4230247/) [Nice Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice-enemy-4230248/) [Strategy Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy-nice-4230246/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It is easy to be nice, even to an enemy - from lack of character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dag-hammarskj-ld/it-is-easy-to-be-nice-even-to-an-enemy-from-lack-of-character/) [Dag Hammarskjold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dag-hammarskj-ld/) > [“(...) just being nice is not a winning strategy. Nice sends a message that the woman is willing to sacrifice pay to be liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/just-being-nice-is-not-a-winning-strategy-nice-sends-a-message-that/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [No citizen of this nation is worthy of the name unless he bears unswerving loyalty to the system under which he lives, the system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-citizen-of-this-nation-is-worthy-of-the-name-unless-he-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Oh, I should probably set a few ground rules before we do this.” “Oh?” I turn at the waist and look at him curiously.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/oh-i-should-probably-set-a-few-ground-rules-before-we-do-this-oh-i/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) > [Our global institutional arrangements - the basic ground rules that govern our world economy - are human-made. They don't exist naturally, nor are they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/our-global-institutional-arrangements-the-basic-ground-rules-that/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [What we say here every day is that our success is really based on our members' success, our community's success. We've created an infrastructure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-omidyar/what-we-say-here-every-day-is-that-our-success-is-really-based-on-our/) [Pierre Omidyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-omidyar/) > [Revision has its own peculiar pleasures and its own peculiar frustrations. The ground rules are already established; the characters already exist. You don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-seth/revision-has-its-own-peculiar-pleasures-and-its-own-peculiar/) [Vikram Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-seth/) > [Parents must lay down ground rules for their children to help them to grow up and to learn responsibility for their actions. They must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rae/parents-must-lay-down-ground-rules-for-their-children-to-help-them-to/) [Charlotte Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rae/) > [Though editorialists at The New York Times and The Washington Post still don't get it, most Democrats in Congress finally do: Today's trade disputes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/though-editorialists-at-the-new-york-times-and-the-washington-post/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [Usually when reporting on powerful public figures, the press advisor and I would have had a conversation that established what journalists call 'ground rules,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/usually-when-reporting-on-powerful-public-figures-the-press-advisor/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [I use the rules to frustrate the law. But I didn't set up the ground rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lee-bailey/i-use-the-rules-to-frustrate-the-law-but-i-didn-t-set-up-the-ground/) [F. Lee Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lee-bailey/) > [I learned that if you're going to move in with a friend, it's important to establish ground rules immediately so there aren't any misunderstandings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinsley-mortimer/i-learned-that-if-you-re-going-to-move-in-with-a-friend-it-s/) [Tinsley Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinsley-mortimer/) > [Professionalism is environmental. Amateurism is anti environmental. Professionalism merges the individual into patterns of total environment. Amateurism seeks the development of the total awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/professionalism-is-environmental-amateurism-is-anti-environmental-2/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [Even if we remain flexible, we need ground rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horst-seehofer/even-if-we-remain-flexible-we-need-ground-rules/) [Horst Seehofer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horst-seehofer/) > [I begin with confession not in order to feel miserable, rather to call to mind a reality I often ignore. When I acknowledge where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to-feel-miserable-rather-to-call/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) ## More by David Akadjian > [“Focus on winning people over and teaching (rather than winning arguments). Recognize”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/focus-on-winning-people-over-and-teaching-rather-than-winning/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“Why are people who don't believe in government running for office? If elected, why would these people ever do anything for the people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/why-are-people-who-don-t-believe-in-government-running-for-office-if/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“I find it amazing that people who talk so much about how great America is and what a great country we have, don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/i-find-it-amazing-that-people-who-talk-so-much-about-how-great/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“When the facts don't fit the frame, the frame stays and the facts are ignored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/when-the-facts-don-t-fit-the-frame-the-frame-stays-and-the-facts-are/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“Everyone is familiar with the right/left game. It's a series of escalations where one side calls the other some form of “liberal” and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/everyone-is-familiar-with-the-right-left-game-it-s-a-series-of/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“Why don't more politicians list democracy as a belief?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/why-don-t-more-politicians-list-democracy-as-a-belief/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“Win the person, not the argument.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/win-the-person-not-the-argument/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“Isn't smaller government just an argument used to increase corporate power?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/isn-t-smaller-government-just-an-argument-used-to-increase-corporate/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“Framing is an honest expression of your beliefs, spin uses language to achieve a hidden agenda.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/framing-is-an-honest-expression-of-your-beliefs-spin-uses-language-to/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“corporate special interest groups rely heavily on one strategy: divide and conquer. We win when more people participate and when we unite around common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/corporate-special-interest-groups-rely-heavily-on-one-strategy-divide/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“Lack of a strong vision is why Democrats often struggle explaining policies they want to enact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/lack-of-a-strong-vision-is-why-democrats-often-struggle-explaining/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“Education is probably the single greatest factor in determining economic success and subsequent freedom in our society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/education-is-probably-the-single-greatest-factor-in-determining/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“If we want to see more progress on tactical policies, we should be focusing on the more strategic fight for our nation's values. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/if-we-want-to-see-more-progress-on-tactical-policies-we-should-be/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“Why is it acceptable for people to act in their own self-interests when it comes to making purchases, but not to act in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/why-is-it-acceptable-for-people-to-act-in-their-own-self-interests/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) > [“There are 12 cookies sitting on a table. The rich take 11 leaving only a single cookie. Then they turn to the Tea Party…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-akadjian/there-are-12-cookies-sitting-on-a-table-the-rich-take-11-leaving-only/) [David Akadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) [Explore all 24 David Akadjian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-akadjian/) ## More Ground rules quotes > [I begin with confession not in order to feel miserable, rather to call to mind a reality I often ignore. When I acknowledge where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to-feel-miserable-rather-to-call/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Even if we remain flexible, we need ground rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horst-seehofer/even-if-we-remain-flexible-we-need-ground-rules/) [Horst Seehofer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horst-seehofer/) > [Professionalism is environmental. Amateurism is anti environmental. Professionalism merges the individual into patterns of total environment. Amateurism seeks the development of the total awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/professionalism-is-environmental-amateurism-is-anti-environmental-2/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [I learned that if you're going to move in with a friend, it's important to establish ground rules immediately so there aren't any misunderstandings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinsley-mortimer/i-learned-that-if-you-re-going-to-move-in-with-a-friend-it-s/) [Tinsley Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinsley-mortimer/) > [I use the rules to frustrate the law. But I didn't set up the ground rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lee-bailey/i-use-the-rules-to-frustrate-the-law-but-i-didn-t-set-up-the-ground/) [F. Lee Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lee-bailey/) > [Usually when reporting on powerful public figures, the press advisor and I would have had a conversation that established what journalists call 'ground rules,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/usually-when-reporting-on-powerful-public-figures-the-press-advisor/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Though editorialists at The New York Times and The Washington Post still don't get it, most Democrats in Congress finally do: Today's trade disputes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/though-editorialists-at-the-new-york-times-and-the-washington-post/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [Parents must lay down ground rules for their children to help them to grow up and to learn responsibility for their actions. They must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rae/parents-must-lay-down-ground-rules-for-their-children-to-help-them-to/) [Charlotte Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rae/) > [Revision has its own peculiar pleasures and its own peculiar frustrations. The ground rules are already established; the characters already exist. You don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-seth/revision-has-its-own-peculiar-pleasures-and-its-own-peculiar/) [Vikram Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-seth/) > [What we say here every day is that our success is really based on our members' success, our community's success. We've created an infrastructure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-omidyar/what-we-say-here-every-day-is-that-our-success-is-really-based-on-our/) [Pierre Omidyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-omidyar/) > [Our global institutional arrangements - the basic ground rules that govern our world economy - are human-made. They don't exist naturally, nor are they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/our-global-institutional-arrangements-the-basic-ground-rules-that/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [“Oh, I should probably set a few ground rules before we do this.” “Oh?” I turn at the waist and look at him curiously.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/oh-i-should-probably-set-a-few-ground-rules-before-we-do-this-oh-i/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) > [No citizen of this nation is worthy of the name unless he bears unswerving loyalty to the system under which he lives, the system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-citizen-of-this-nation-is-worthy-of-the-name-unless-he-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't care if you're playing backyard football, having a dinner party or dropping off the kids at your Mom's house, there have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/i-don-t-care-if-you-re-playing-backyard-football-having-a-dinner/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [The invocation of science, of its ground rules, of the exclusive validity of the methods that science has now completely become, now constitutes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-adorno/the-invocation-of-science-of-its-ground-rules-of-the-exclusive/) [Theodor Adorno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-adorno/) [Browse all 26 Ground rules quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ground-rules/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Every time I talk about ground rules someone inevitably takes these to mean that the strategy is about being nice to people. 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