---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don’t put people, or anything else, on…"
description: "\"“Don’t put people, or anything else, on pedestals, not even your children. Avoid global labels such as genius or weirdo. Realize those closest get the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/david-mcraney-10077_angry-person_don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-ped_306223.jpg"
---

#  Don’t put people, or anything else, on pedestals, not even…

![“Don’t put people, or anything else, on pedestals, not even your children. Avoid global labels such as genius or weirdo. Realize those closest get the benefit of the doubt and so do the most beautiful and radiant among us. Know the halo effect causes you to see a nice person as temporarily angry…” quote by David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/david-mcraney-10077_angry-person_don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-ped_306223.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/david-mcraney-10077_angry-person_don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-ped_306223.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/david-mcraney-10077_angry-person_don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-ped_306223.jpg)

> ““Don’t put people, or anything else, on pedestals, not even your children. Avoid global labels such as genius or weirdo. Realize those closest get the benefit of the doubt and so do the most beautiful and radiant among us. Know the halo effect causes you to see a nice person as temporarily angry and an angry person as temporarily nice. Know that one good quality, or a memory of several, can keep in your life people who may be doing you more harm than good. Pay attention to the fact that when someone seems nice and upbeat, the words coming out of his or her mouth will change in meaning, and if that same person were depressive, arrogant, or foul in some other way, your perceptions of those same exact words would change along with the person’s other features.””

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

## About This Quote

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

People tend to overvalue those they admire, leading to biased judgments and blind spots about character.

**In simple terms:** We overestimate people we like and misinterpret their words.

Key Takeaway

Question your assumptions about others.

Themes

bias perception relationships

Mood

reflective cautious

Type

advice psychological observational

When to use this quote

- evaluating friends
- parenting
- workplace dynamics
- romantic relationships

Key Concepts

halo effect cognitive bias social perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How does admiration affect your judgment?
- Can you separate a person's traits from their actions?

A Different Perspective

The halo effect can mask harmful behavior, making it hard to see true character.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Angry person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry-person/) [Benefit of the doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefit-of-the-doubt/) [Causes Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes-nice-2916010/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Halo Effect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/halo-effect-1880160/) [Life People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-people/) [Nice person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice-person/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [Perceptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceptions/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Temporarily Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temporarily-angry-2916009/)

## Related quotes

> [If you're a nice person don't let ANYTHING or ANYONE change you into a bitter, angry person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-you-re-a-nice-person-don-t-let-anything-or-anyone-change-you-into/)

[SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/)

> [I am naturally a nice person and will give anyone the benefit of the doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-bailey/i-am-naturally-a-nice-person-and-will-give-anyone-the-benefit-of-the/)

[Cynthia Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-bailey/)

> [“Exaggerated Emotional Coherence (Halo Effect) If you like the president’s politics, you probably like his voice and his appearance as well. The tendency to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/exaggerated-emotional-coherence-halo-effect-if-you-like-the-president/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“When the handsome and confident speaker bounds onto the stage, for example, you can anticipate that the audience will judge his comments more favorably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/when-the-handsome-and-confident-speaker-bounds-onto-the-stage-for/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [Suppose you like someone very much. Then, by a familiar halo effect, you will also be prone to believe many good things about that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/suppose-you-like-someone-very-much-then-by-a-familiar-halo-effect-you/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [If people are failing, they look inept. If people are succeeding, they look strong and good and competent. That's the 'halo effect.' Your first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/if-people-are-failing-they-look-inept-if-people-are-succeeding-they/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [A lot of companies have nice-sounding cultural values like integrity, respect, and excellence, but if those values don't map to specific behaviors, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-johnson/a-lot-of-companies-have-nice-sounding-cultural-values-like-integrity/)

[Peggy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-johnson/)

> [“Once things really picked up, a virtuous halo effect took hold: Heavy promotions of iPods brought people into retail stores, where customers were exposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/once-things-really-picked-up-a-virtuous-halo-effect-took-hold-heavy/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [The 'halo effect' is clearly alive and well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-wolf/the-halo-effect-is-clearly-alive-and-well/)

[Charlie Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-wolf/)

> [“Halo Effect Cisco, the Silicon Valley firm, was once a darling of the new economy. Business journalists gushed about its success in every discipline:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-dobelli/halo-effect-cisco-the-silicon-valley-firm-was-once-a-darling-of-the/)

[Rolf Dobelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-dobelli/)

> [As a consumer, you want to associate with brands whose powerful presence creates a halo effect that rubs off on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/as-a-consumer-you-want-to-associate-with-brands-whose-powerful/)

[Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/)

> [“The procedure I adopted to tame the halo effect conforms to a general principle: decorrelate error!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-procedure-i-adopted-to-tame-the-halo-effect-conforms-to-a-general/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [I like to think I am a happy angry person, if that makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alun-wyn-jones/i-like-to-think-i-am-a-happy-angry-person-if-that-makes-sense/)

[Alun Wyn Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alun-wyn-jones/)

> [I used to be an angry person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iman-shumpert/i-used-to-be-an-angry-person/)

[Iman Shumpert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iman-shumpert/)

> [“Another major difference between anger and other emotions results in what we call the angry person’s paradox. When we experience depression, guilt, shame, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/another-major-difference-between-anger-and-other-emotions-results-in/)

[Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/)

## More by David McRaney

> [“If you neglect your personal space and allow chaos and clutter to creep in, it will affect you, and perhaps encourage further neglect. Positive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/if-you-neglect-your-personal-space-and-allow-chaos-and-clutter-to/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“Do you vote? If not, is it because you think it doesn’t matter because things never change, or politicians are evil on both sides,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/do-you-vote-if-not-is-it-because-you-think-it-doesn-t-matter-because/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“finished to raise their hands,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/finished-to-raise-their-hands/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“We reach for the same brand not because we trust its quality but because we want to reassure ourselves that we made a smart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/we-reach-for-the-same-brand-not-because-we-trust-its-quality-but/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“Even as the brain is dying, it refuses to stop generating a narrative, the scaffolding upon which it weaves cause and effect, memory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/even-as-the-brain-is-dying-it-refuses-to-stop-generating-a-narrative/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“Brand loyalty—that nebulous emotional connection people have with certain companies, which turns them into defenders and advocates for corporations who don’t give a shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/brand-loyalty-that-nebulous-emotional-connection-people-have-with/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“Women will buy products in an attempt to become the impossible goal. Men will buy products in an attempt to mate with the impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/women-will-buy-products-in-an-attempt-to-become-the-impossible-goal/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“In 1965, a psychologist named Martin Seligman started shocking dogs. He was trying to expand on the research of Pavlov--the guy who could make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/in-1965-a-psychologist-named-martin-seligman-started-shocking-dogs-he/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“In experiments at Baylor University where people were given Coke and Pepsi in unmarked cups and then hooked up to a brain scanner, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/in-experiments-at-baylor-university-where-people-were-given-coke-and/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“In science, you move closer to the truth by seeking evidence to the contrary. Perhaps the same method should inform your opinions as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/in-science-you-move-closer-to-the-truth-by-seeking-evidence-to-the/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“In the background, while you crochet and golf and browse cat videos, science is fighting against your stupidity. No other human enterprise is fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/in-the-background-while-you-crochet-and-golf-and-browse-cat-videos/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“You can't rage against the machine through rebellious consumption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/you-can-t-rage-against-the-machine-through-rebellious-consumption/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“Capable psychonauts who think about thinking, about states of mind, about set and setting, can get things done not because they have more willpower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/capable-psychonauts-who-think-about-thinking-about-states-of-mind/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“If you look to the downtrodden and wonder why they can’t pull themselves out of poverty and get a nice job like you, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/if-you-look-to-the-downtrodden-and-wonder-why-they-can-t-pull/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

> [“Having a dissenting opinion on movies, music, or clothes, or owning clever or obscure possessions, is the way middle-class people fight one another for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/having-a-dissenting-opinion-on-movies-music-or-clothes-or-owning/)

[David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

[Explore all 67 David McRaney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/)

## More Angry person quotes

> [I like to think I am a happy angry person, if that makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alun-wyn-jones/i-like-to-think-i-am-a-happy-angry-person-if-that-makes-sense/)

[Alun Wyn Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alun-wyn-jones/)

> [“Another major difference between anger and other emotions results in what we call the angry person’s paradox. When we experience depression, guilt, shame, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/another-major-difference-between-anger-and-other-emotions-results-in/)

[Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/)

> [I used to be an angry person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iman-shumpert/i-used-to-be-an-angry-person/)

[Iman Shumpert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iman-shumpert/)

> [The frequency of anger attracts the frequency of anger, the frequency of greed attracts the frequency of greed, and so on. This is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/the-frequency-of-anger-attracts-the-frequency-of-anger-the-frequency/)

[Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/)

> [An Eskimo custom offers an angry person release by walking the emotion out of his or her system in a straight line across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-eskimo-custom-offers-an-angry-person-release-by-walking-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [An angry person is always full of poison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/an-angry-person-is-always-full-of-poison/)

[Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/)

> [“The angry person is acutely sensitive to all they are owed by the world, and blind to all they have received”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-evans/the-angry-person-is-acutely-sensitive-to-all-they-are-owed-by-the/)

[Jules Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-evans/)

> [I had so much anger. So much anger. Particularly towards my mother. I was a really, really angry person, and it was ruining me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie/i-had-so-much-anger-so-much-anger-particularly-towards-my-mother-i/)

[Goldie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie/)

> [You want to see an angry person? Let me hear a cell phone go off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lehrer/you-want-to-see-an-angry-person-let-me-hear-a-cell-phone-go-off/)

[Jim Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lehrer/)

> [“Have you ever realised that if a person can make you angry, that person actually controls you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/have-you-ever-realised-that-if-a-person-can-make-you-angry-that/)

[Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/)

> [I hate being angry at the one person who cares the most about me in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-being-angry-at-the-one-person-who-cares-the-most-about-me-in/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [All angry persons are to be treated, by the prudent, as children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/all-angry-persons-are-to-be-treated-by-the-prudent-as-children/)

[Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/)

> [So pissed off at myself for being proud and being an angry person I stay mad, I hold grudges, I can't get over stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-pissed-off-at-myself-for-being-proud-and-being-an-angry-person-i/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Showed should mirror an angry person, Then he will die saw embarrassment of his reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/showed-should-mirror-an-angry-person-then-he-will-die-saw/)

[Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/)

> [If you're a nice person don't let ANYTHING or ANYONE change you into a bitter, angry person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-you-re-a-nice-person-don-t-let-anything-or-anyone-change-you-into/)

[SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/)

[Browse all 43 Angry person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry-person/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Don’t put people, or anything else, on pedestals, not even your children. Avoid global labels such as genius or weirdo. Realize those closest get the benefit of the doubt and so do the most beautiful and radiant among us. Know the halo effect causes you to see a nice person as temporarily angry and an angry person as temporarily nice. Know that one good quality, or a memory of several, can keep in your life people who may be doing you more harm than good. Pay attention to the fact that when someone seems nice and upbeat, the words coming out of his or her mouth will change in meaning, and if that same person were depressive, arrogant, or foul in some other way, your perceptions of those same exact words would change along with the person’s other features.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David McRaney"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-pedestals-not-even-your-children/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Angry person"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-pedestals-not-even-your-children/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/david-mcraney-10077_angry-person_don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-ped_306223.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/david-mcraney-10077_angry-person_don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-ped_306223.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/david-mcraney-10077_angry-person_don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-ped_306223.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Don’t put people, or anything else, on pedestals, not even your children. Avoid global labels such as genius…” — David McRaney",
                "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": "David McRaney",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Don’t put people, or anything else,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-pedestals-not-even-your-children/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-pedestals-not-even-your-children/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
