--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am a man of fixed and unbending…" description: "\"I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.\" — Everett Dirksen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/everett-dirksen-25730_flexible_i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-princi_1222636.jpg" --- # I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of… ![“I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.” quote by Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/everett-dirksen-25730_flexible_i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-princi_1222636.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/everett-dirksen-25730_flexible_i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-princi_1222636.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/everett-dirksen-25730_flexible_i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-princi_1222636.jpg) > “I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.” [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker paradoxically states that his core principle is to remain flexible, highlighting adaptability as a guiding value. **In simple terms:** I am rigid in principle but stay adaptable. Key Takeaway Prioritize flexibility in convictions. Themes principles flexibility leadership paradox Mood thoughtful reflective strategic Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - decision making - negotiations - policy formulation - team leadership Key Concepts politics ethics personal development Questions to Reflect On - When can flexibility undermine credibility? - How to balance steadfastness with adaptability? A Different Perspective Flexibility may conflict with consistency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Unbending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unbending/) ## Related quotes > [I have very set and consistent principles, but I am flexible on tactics. I like to get the job done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-have-very-set-and-consistent-principles-but-i-am-flexible-on/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [A tree that is unbending, is easily broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/a-tree-that-is-unbending-is-easily-broken/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“Though my life is like grass that grows one day and withers away the next, God is so permanent, so unbending, so eternal, He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/though-my-life-is-like-grass-that-grows-one-day-and-withers-away-the/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“The art of yoga has nothing to do with bending and twisting your body, and everything to do with unbending your mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-art-of-yoga-has-nothing-to-do-with-bending-and-twisting-your-body/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“They need me to be their sturdy unbending fortress. So here I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krista-ritchie/they-need-me-to-be-their-sturdy-unbending-fortress-so-here-i-am/) [Krista Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krista-ritchie/) > [“When I find that stubbornness continually overrides common sense regardless of the logic of my argument, it seems that the only effective solution is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/when-i-find-that-stubbornness-continually-overrides-common-sense/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“There he was, her confidant—strong, solid, and unbending.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jettie-necole/there-he-was-her-confidant-strong-solid-and-unbending/) [Jettie Necole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jettie-necole/) > [Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle. A tree that is unbending is easily broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/thus-an-army-without-flexibility-never-wins-a-battle-a-tree-that-is/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“When necessary bend like a willow, when necessary stand unbending like an oak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-natwar-singh/when-necessary-bend-like-a-willow-when-necessary-stand-unbending-like/) K. Natwar Singh > [Unbending never ending tablets of time, record all the yearning. Unfearing all appearing message divine, eases the burning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-beach-boys/unbending-never-ending-tablets-of-time-record-all-the-yearning/) [The Beach Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-beach-boys/) > [In the unbending of the arm to do the deed there is experience worth all the maxims in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-the-unbending-of-the-arm-to-do-the-deed-there-is-experience-worth/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Truth is the most unbending and uncompliable, the most necessary, firm, immutable, and adamantine thing in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-cudworth/truth-is-the-most-unbending-and-uncompliable-the-most-necessary-firm/) [Ralph Cudworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-cudworth/) > [Much bending breaks the bow; much unbending the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/much-bending-breaks-the-bow-much-unbending-the-mind/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) ## More by Everett Dirksen > [When a member of the House moves over to the Senate, he raises the IQ of both bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/when-a-member-of-the-house-moves-over-to-the-senate-he-raises-the-iq/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [The U.S. Senate - an old scow which doesn't move very fast, but never sinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/the-u-s-senate-an-old-scow-which-doesn-t-move-very-fast-but-never/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [Stronger than all the armies is an idea thats time has come. ... The time has come for equality of opportunity in sharing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/stronger-than-all-the-armies-is-an-idea-thats-time-has-come-the-time/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [During a political campaign everyone is concerned with what a candidate will do on this or that question if he is elected except the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/during-a-political-campaign-everyone-is-concerned-with-what-a/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [“We have two parties here, and only two. One is the evil party, and the other is the stupid party. Occasionally, the two parties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/we-have-two-parties-here-and-only-two-one-is-the-evil-party-and-the/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [When I feel the heat, I see the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/when-i-feel-the-heat-i-see-the-light/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [The oil can is mightier than the sword.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/the-oil-can-is-mightier-than-the-sword/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [Dirksen's Three Laws of Politics: 1. Get elected. 2. Get re-elected. 3. Don't get mad, get even.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/dirksen-s-three-laws-of-politics-1-get-elected-2-get-re-elected-3-don/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [We are becoming so accustomed to millions and billions of dollars that housands has almost passed out of the dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/we-are-becoming-so-accustomed-to-millions-and-billions-of-dollars/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [We have been through this biennial convulsion four or five different times over the past 10 or 12 years, and now it appears that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/we-have-been-through-this-biennial-convulsion-four-or-five-different/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/a-billion-here-a-billion-there-and-pretty-soon-you-re-talking-about/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [There is no force so powerful as an idea whose time has come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/there-is-no-force-so-powerful-as-an-idea-whose-time-has-come/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [But the basic difficulty still remains: It is the expansion of Federal power, about which I wish to express my alarm. How easily we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/but-the-basic-difficulty-still-remains-it-is-the-expansion-of-federal/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [The mind is no match with the heart in persuasion; constitutionality is no match with compassion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/the-mind-is-no-match-with-the-heart-in-persuasion-constitutionality/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) > [When all is said and done, the real citadel of strength of any community is in the hearts and minds and desires of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/when-all-is-said-and-done-the-real-citadel-of-strength-of-any/) [Everett Dirksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) [Explore all 22 Everett Dirksen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/) ## More Flexible quotes > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) > [Yoga is not about having the perfect positions, it's not about who's the best and who's the most flexible. A lot of people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayne-middlemiss/yoga-is-not-about-having-the-perfect-positions-it-s-not-about-who-s/) [Jayne Middlemiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayne-middlemiss/) > [The person who has a sense of humor is not just more relaxed in the face of a potentially stressful situation, but is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-morreall/the-person-who-has-a-sense-of-humor-is-not-just-more-relaxed-in-the/) John Morreall > [Goals have to be realistic and flexible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-miller/goals-have-to-be-realistic-and-flexible/) [Shannon Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-miller/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/i-think-there-is-a-big-and-significant-difference-between-being-a/) [Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/) > [I don't control the schedule of the networks. We have three of our debates that are on network television, and those are on Saturday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-don-t-control-the-schedule-of-the-networks-we-have-three-of-our/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“A flexible body without a flexible mind isn't perfect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/a-flexible-body-without-a-flexible-mind-isn-t-perfect/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/we-could-encourage-the-best-qualities-of-youthfulness-curiosity/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [It's all about being flexible, and avoiding choices whenever possible. Choices suck, they are inherently limiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-armstrong/it-s-all-about-being-flexible-and-avoiding-choices-whenever-possible/) Craig Armstrong > [If an athlete like Michael Jordan played tennis, he would be the best - he's flexible, not too bulky, and has unbelievable hand-to-eye coordination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mats-wilander/if-an-athlete-like-michael-jordan-played-tennis-he-would-be-the-best/) [Mats Wilander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mats-wilander/) > [Blessed are the flexible for they will not allow themselves to become bent out of shape!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ludlum/blessed-are-the-flexible-for-they-will-not-allow-themselves-to-become/) [Robert Ludlum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ludlum/) > [“It’s okay, man,” I said, though I realized my definition of okay had become flexible over the last few months.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/it-s-okay-man-i-said-though-i-realized-my-definition-of-okay-had/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [You need to understand plant chemistry, be inured to discomfort and awesomely flexible. When something breaks down-the plane, the boat, you just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/you-need-to-understand-plant-chemistry-be-inured-to-discomfort-and/) [Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/) Browse all 635 Flexible quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Everett Dirksen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-principles-the-first-of-which-is-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Flexible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-principles-the-first-of-which-is-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/everett-dirksen-25730_flexible_i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-princi_1222636.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/everett-dirksen-25730_flexible_i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-princi_1222636.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/everett-dirksen-25730_flexible_i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-princi_1222636.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.” — Everett Dirksen", "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": "Everett Dirksen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everett-dirksen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I am a man of fixed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-principles-the-first-of-which-is-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-dirksen/i-am-a-man-of-fixed-and-unbending-principles-the-first-of-which-is-to/#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 } } ] } ```