---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's…"
description: "\"“Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission?”\" — Emily Horner"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/emily-horner-49209_education_didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-e_992645.jpg"
---

#  Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's easier to ask…

![“Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission?” quote by Emily Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/emily-horner-49209_education_didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-e_992645.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/emily-horner-49209_education_didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-e_992645.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/emily-horner-49209_education_didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-e_992645.jpg)

> ““Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission?””

[Emily Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-horner/)

## About This Quote

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

Seeking forgiveness after acting is often easier than obtaining permission beforehand, highlighting a risk‑taking mindset.

**In simple terms:** Ask forgiveness, not permission.

Key Takeaway

Take bold actions, accept consequences.

Themes

risk initiative ethics

Mood

cautionary provocative

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- entrepreneurship
- creative projects
- personal relationships
- legal matters

Key Concepts

decision making social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- When is it better to ask permission?
- What are the costs of acting without consent?

A Different Perspective

Can damage trust or cause fallout.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ask Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-forgiveness/) [Didn Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-teach-317063/) [Easier Ask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier-ask-391490/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Forgiveness Permission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness-permission-391489/) [Permanence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanence/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/)

## Related quotes

> [It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/it-s-easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than-it-is-to-get-permission/)

[Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/)

> [“it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-torre/it-s-easier-to-ask-for-forgiveness-than-permission/)

[Alessandra Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-torre/)

> [“I’ve found it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-torre/i-ve-found-it-s-easier-to-ask-for-forgiveness-than-permission/)

[Alessandra Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-torre/)

> [It was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-brian/it-was-easier-to-ask-for-forgiveness-than-permission/)

[Kate Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-brian/)

> [“It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to get permission.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-easier-to-ask-for-forgiveness-than-to-get-permission/)

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

> [Its easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than-it-is-to-get-permission/)

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

> [It is easier to ask forgiveness than permission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/it-is-easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than-permission/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [“It’s a lot easier to ask a woman’s forgiveness than her permission.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/it-s-a-lot-easier-to-ask-a-woman-s-forgiveness-than-her-permission/)

[Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/)

> [It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/it-is-often-easier-to-ask-for-forgiveness-than-to-ask-for-permission/)

[Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/)

> [ “\[I\]t is easier to ask forgiveness than to obtain permission.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/i-t-is-easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than-to-obtain-permission/)

[Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/)

> [“They lie, you know. It's not easier to ask for forgiveness. Not even a little.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-hodkin/they-lie-you-know-it-s-not-easier-to-ask-for-forgiveness-not-even-a/)

[Michelle Hodkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-hodkin/)

> [The things the writers have me doing on 'Suburgatory' are insane. I think they think it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-hines/the-things-the-writers-have-me-doing-on-suburgatory-are-insane-i/)

[Cheryl Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-hines/)

> [“After all, her motto is "Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/after-all-her-motto-is-better-to-ask-for-forgiveness-than-permission/)

[Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/)

> [“Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/ask-for-forgiveness-not-permission/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [It's better to ask forgiveness than permission. - Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/it-s-better-to-ask-forgiveness-than-permission-brom/)

[Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/)

## More by Emily Horner

> [“I sat there in the darkness, with their skin clsoe to me, and I felt lifted up and wrapped with kindness. And very small,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-horner/i-sat-there-in-the-darkness-with-their-skin-clsoe-to-me-and-i-felt/)

[Emily Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-horner/)

> [“There was this girl,” I said. "l mean-” All of a sudden I felt flustered, and added, ”We were just friends.” ”No such thing.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-horner/there-was-this-girl-i-said-l-mean-all-of-a-sudden-i-felt-flustered/)

[Emily Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-horner/)

> [“We'd been twelve years old together. We'd shared the convictions that only twelve year olds can share, that love is simple and powerful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-horner/we-d-been-twelve-years-old-together-we-d-shared-the-convictions-that/)

[Emily Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-horner/)

> [“I was one of those people who stumbled into things, who followed whims and took side roads, instead of finding some goal to pursue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-horner/i-was-one-of-those-people-who-stumbled-into-things-who-followed-whims/)

[Emily Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-horner/)

> [“Poems are not for explaining," she said, her tone as bored and faintly scornful as his. "They are for pretty girls to read aloud.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-horner/poems-are-not-for-explaining-she-said-her-tone-as-bored-and-faintly/)

[Emily Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-horner/)

> [“Not Pining," she admitted. "But I look at you and you're so...Awkward, and scruffy, and fearless, and just so intensely yourself, and I remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-horner/not-pining-she-admitted-but-i-look-at-you-and-you-re-so-awkward-and/)

[Emily Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-horner/)

[Explore all 7 Emily Horner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-horner/)

## More Education quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

[Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/)

> [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/)

[Ioannes Amos Commenius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioannes-amos-commenius/)

> [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/)

[H.D. (Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/)

> [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/)

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

> [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/)

[Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/)

> [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/)

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

> [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

[Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Emily Horner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-horner/didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Education"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-horner/didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/emily-horner-49209_education_didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-e_992645.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/emily-horner-49209_education_didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-e_992645.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/emily-horner-49209_education_didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-e_992645.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission?” — Emily Horner",
                "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": "Emily Horner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-horner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Didn't anyone ever teach you that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-horner/didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-horner/didn-t-anyone-ever-teach-you-that-it-s-easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
