--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: See, there was the hard way to do things…" description: "\"“See, there was the hard way to do things and there was the easy way. The hard way looked good at the time; in fact, it looked like the only way. But i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/elmore-leonard-3471_easy-way_see-there-was-the-hard-way-to-do-things_1628564.jpg" --- # See, there was the hard way to do things and there was the… ![“See, there was the hard way to do things and there was the easy way. The hard way looked good at the time; in fact, it looked like the only way. But it upset your stomach and could break your knuckles. It produced blind spots that could mess you up and cause pain, not to mention losing your ass…” quote by Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/elmore-leonard-3471_easy-way_see-there-was-the-hard-way-to-do-things_1628564.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/elmore-leonard-3471_easy-way_see-there-was-the-hard-way-to-do-things_1628564.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/elmore-leonard-3471_easy-way_see-there-was-the-hard-way-to-do-things_1628564.jpg) > ““See, there was the hard way to do things and there was the easy way. The hard way looked good at the time; in fact, it looked like the only way. But it upset your stomach and could break your knuckles. It produced blind spots that could mess you up and cause pain, not to mention losing your ass. The easy way required thinking and remaining cool. Not standing-around cool, but authentic genuine cool. Cool when you wanted to smash something or break down a door. No, hold it right there. Think on how to do it the easy way. Then turn the knob gently and the door opens.”” [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing a calm, thoughtful approach solves problems more safely than brute force. **In simple terms:** Think before acting; use cleverness over strength. Key Takeaway Stay cool, plan, then act gently. Themes strategy patience problem solving self‑control Mood reflective calm Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - conflict resolution - daily tasks - workplace challenges Key Concepts cognitive flexibility mindful action Questions to Reflect On - When have you forced a hard way? - How could cool thinking change the outcome? A Different Perspective May be slower and require mental effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ass Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ass-easy-461740/) [Break Knuckles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-knuckles-461741/) [Easy way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-way/) [Hard way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-way/) [Think Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-easy/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It's easy to be a bad ass, it's easy to act like a bad ass, easy to act like a tough guy, it's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/it-s-easy-to-be-a-bad-ass-it-s-easy-to-act-like-a-bad-ass-easy-to-act/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“Let no one think it is an easy way because it is concerned with moments of happiness rather than with stern duty or high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/let-no-one-think-it-is-an-easy-way-because-it-is-concerned-with/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“History reveals that times of suffering for the church have also been times of looking upward. Tribulation has always sobered God’s people and encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/history-reveals-that-times-of-suffering-for-the-church-have-also-been/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [We can do this the easy way,' Oblivious snarled. 'Or the hard way.' 'What's the easy way?' 'You leave immediately.' 'And what's the hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/we-can-do-this-the-easy-way-oblivious-snarled-or-the-hard-way-what-s/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [Becoming a real researcher has been the ultimate humbling experience for me. Nature is the examiner from hell; if you find new things at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-magueijo/becoming-a-real-researcher-has-been-the-ultimate-humbling-experience/) [Joao Magueijo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-magueijo/) > [For example, the dwarfs found out how to turn lead into gold by doing it the hard way. The difference between that and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/for-example-the-dwarfs-found-out-how-to-turn-lead-into-gold-by-doing/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The habit patterns of the human mind are very strong and make it seem that the hard way is easy and the easy way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-habit-patterns-of-the-human-mind-are-very-strong-and-make-it-seem/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“So, you’re doing things the hard way, because you’re too lazy to figure out how to do them the easy way?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-e-taylor/so-you-re-doing-things-the-hard-way-because-you-re-too-lazy-to-figure/) [Dennis E. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-e-taylor/) > [“Sometimes the easy way is the hard way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-parker/sometimes-the-easy-way-is-the-hard-way/) [George W. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-parker/) > [“Time for a history lesson, kids. Back in the olden days, when two clans were at war, they would send their noblemen onto the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/time-for-a-history-lesson-kids-back-in-the-olden-days-when-two-clans/) [Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/) > [“there’s a hard way to get grit and an easy way. The hard way is to do it by yourself. The easy way is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/there-s-a-hard-way-to-get-grit-and-an-easy-way-the-hard-way-is-to-do/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [The easy way to learn is from others mistakes. The hard way is from your own mistakes. The tragic way is not learning from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/the-easy-way-to-learn-is-from-others-mistakes-the-hard-way-is-from/) [Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/) > [“We can do this the easy way or the hard way… but have no doubt it will be my way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/we-can-do-this-the-easy-way-or-the-hard-way-but-have-no-doubt-it-will/) [K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/) > [“In this world, you have to fight to live. In this world, there's no easy way, there's the hard way, and the harder way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-browne/in-this-world-you-have-to-fight-to-live-in-this-world-there-s-no-easy/) [Darby Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-browne/) > [I think it's very easy to get discouraged early on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-lowe/i-think-it-s-very-easy-to-get-discouraged-early-on/) [Alice Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-lowe/) ## More by Elmore Leonard > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [These are rules I've picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I'm writing a book, to help me show rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/these-are-rules-i-ve-picked-up-along-the-way-to-help-me-remain/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“There’s something happening here, I know it. It’s right in front of my face, but I just can’t see it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/there-s-something-happening-here-i-know-it-it-s-right-in-front-of-my/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/the-line-of-dialogue-belongs-to-the-character-the-verb-is-the-writer/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-try-to-leave-out-the-parts-that-people-skip/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I have fun writing. I don't make it a chore. I don't have to struggle with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-have-fun-writing-i-don-t-make-it-a-chore-i-don-t-have-to-struggle/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can't allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/if-it-sounds-like-writing-i-rewrite-it-or-if-proper-usage-gets-in-the/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I don’t think writers compete, I think they’re all doing separate things in their own style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-don-t-think-writers-compete-i-think-they-re-all-doing-separate/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [After 58 years you'd think writing would get easier. It doesn't. If you're lucky, you become harder to please. That's all right, it's still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/after-58-years-you-d-think-writing-would-get-easier-it-doesn-t-if-you/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“He saw Harvey and Edgar catch each other's eye as he looked off toward the strains of "Alley Cat," Jesus, hoping they'd rush it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/he-saw-harvey-and-edgar-catch-each-other-s-eye-as-he-looked-off/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I'm not going to write for posterity. I'm going to write to make a buck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-m-not-going-to-write-for-posterity-i-m-going-to-write-to-make-a-buck/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“A wife's faithful to her husband, subject to him. It's in the bible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/a-wife-s-faithful-to-her-husband-subject-to-him-it-s-in-the-bible/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Using adverbs is a mortal sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/using-adverbs-is-a-mortal-sin/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Try not to write the parts that people skip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/try-not-to-write-the-parts-that-people-skip/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I want the reader to know what's going on. So there's never a mystery in my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-want-the-reader-to-know-what-s-going-on-so-there-s-never-a-mystery/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) [Explore all 130 Elmore Leonard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) ## More Easy way quotes > [“History reveals that times of suffering for the church have also been times of looking upward. Tribulation has always sobered God’s people and encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/history-reveals-that-times-of-suffering-for-the-church-have-also-been/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [“Just as Jesus called out Peter as being of the devil for tempting him to take an easy way out, I believe such thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-houston/just-as-jesus-called-out-peter-as-being-of-the-devil-for-tempting-him/) [Brian Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-houston/) > [Seasons just don't go easy all the way through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spoelstra/seasons-just-don-t-go-easy-all-the-way-through/) [Erik Spoelstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spoelstra/) > [There's no easy way to the top of anything, but it's a lot of hard work and I feel maybe I have the confidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-virtue/there-s-no-easy-way-to-the-top-of-anything-but-it-s-a-lot-of-hard/) [Tessa Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-virtue/) > [To mess around with Ebola is an easy way to die. Better to work with something safer, such as anthrax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-preston/to-mess-around-with-ebola-is-an-easy-way-to-die-better-to-work-with/) [Richard Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-preston/) > [The more you push yourself, the harder you go, the further you excel, the closer you are to your own success. There's no easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-you-push-yourself-the-harder-you-go-the-further-you-excel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He always found a simple, easy way to reach the correct answer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/he-always-found-a-simple-easy-way-to-reach-the-correct-answer/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [The first information I consume in the morning is probably 'The New York Times' and then my Twitter feed. I think Twitter is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/the-first-information-i-consume-in-the-morning-is-probably-the-new/) [Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/) > [There is no easy way to greatness in any venue. But if you work hard, good things will inevitably happen to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-long/there-is-no-easy-way-to-greatness-in-any-venue-but-if-you-work-hard/) [Howie Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-long/) > [You don't get there the easy way. If you feel sorry for yourself, and you let yourself go down, you will drown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/you-don-t-get-there-the-easy-way-if-you-feel-sorry-for-yourself-and/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [“We can do this the easy way or the hard way… but have no doubt it will be my way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/we-can-do-this-the-easy-way-or-the-hard-way-but-have-no-doubt-it-will/) [K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/) > [“suffering is truly the easy way”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-vickers/suffering-is-truly-the-easy-way/) [Lee Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-vickers/) > [So stand up tall and bash them back And become full of what they lack and little did you know you can beat them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theshadowofhell/so-stand-up-tall-and-bash-them-back-and-become-full-of-what-they-lack/) [TheShadowOfhell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theshadowofhell/) > [“Committing suicide essentially said to friends and loved ones and the world at large that you were the only thing that mattered, that your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-warren/committing-suicide-essentially-said-to-friends-and-loved-ones-and-the/) [Christine Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-warren/) > [Fiction is an easy way to talk about issues: I think it feels less preachy. You can have the students discuss characters in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/fiction-is-an-easy-way-to-talk-about-issues-i-think-it-feels-less/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) [Browse all 490 Easy way quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-way/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“See, there was the hard way to do things and there was the easy way. The hard way looked good at the time; in fact, it looked like the only way. But it upset your stomach and could break your knuckles. It produced blind spots that could mess you up and cause pain, not to mention losing your ass. The easy way required thinking and remaining cool. Not standing-around cool, but authentic genuine cool. Cool when you wanted to smash something or break down a door. No, hold it right there. Think on how to do it the easy way. 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