---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the Navy, there is no wrong hole. In…"
description: "\"In the Navy, there is no wrong hole. In the Marines, there is always a hole.\" — George Carlin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/george-carlin-155_holes_in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-th_3006545.jpg"
---

#  In the Navy, there is no wrong hole. In the Marines, there…

![“In the Navy, there is no wrong hole. In the Marines, there is always a hole.” quote by George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/george-carlin-155_holes_in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-th_3006545.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/george-carlin-155_holes_in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-th_3006545.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/george-carlin-155_holes_in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-th_3006545.jpg)

> “In the Navy, there is no wrong hole. In the Marines, there is always a hole.”

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

## About This Quote

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

Military culture varies; the Navy offers flexibility, the Marines demand constant vigilance.

**In simple terms:** Navy is flexible; Marines are strict.

Key Takeaway

Adapt to the demands of your role.

Themes

military culture discipline

Mood

humorous critical

Type

satire observational

When to use this quote

- career choice
- team dynamics
- risk assessment

Key Concepts

sociology organizational behavior

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you prefer flexibility or structure?
- How does role expectation affect performance?

A Different Perspective

The joke oversimplifies complex realities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Marines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marines/) [Navy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/navy/)

## Related quotes

> [“guess I left the wrong hole empty.” She leaned forward to examine her handiwork. “Not bad for my first time with a gun. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/guess-i-left-the-wrong-hole-empty-she-leaned-forward-to-examine-her/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [We all know the Navy is never wrong, but in this case it was a little weak on being right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-mayes/we-all-know-the-navy-is-never-wrong-but-in-this-case-it-was-a-little/)

Wendell Mayes

> [As Marines, it's drilled into us... to take care of fellow Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-carpenter/as-marines-it-s-drilled-into-us-to-take-care-of-fellow-marines/)

[Kyle Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-carpenter/)

> [The Marine Corps taught me that I could achieve my goals. In short, the Marines made me believe in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-alan-williams/the-marine-corps-taught-me-that-i-could-achieve-my-goals-in-short-the/)

Gregory Alan Williams

> [My mom was the poster girl for the Marines. So she was in the poster saying, "I want you." My parents were both Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/my-mom-was-the-poster-girl-for-the-marines-so-she-was-in-the-poster/)

[Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/)

> [Marines have a cynical approach to war. They believe in three things; liberty, payday and that when two Marines are together in a fight,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-pyle/marines-have-a-cynical-approach-to-war-they-believe-in-three-things/)

[Ernie Pyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-pyle/)

> [I went in the Marines when I was 16. I spent four and a half years in the Marines and then came right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-hackman/i-went-in-the-marines-when-i-was-16-i-spent-four-and-a-half-years-in/)

[Gene Hackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-hackman/)

> [“All they expect from you is your best effort. These Marines think that they are special. They are very well trained, very close knit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-h-norton/all-they-expect-from-you-is-your-best-effort-these-marines-think-that/)

[Bruce H. Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-h-norton/)

> [When you’re working with Army and Marine Corps units, you immediately notice a difference. The Army is pretty tough, but their performance can depend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/when-you-re-working-with-army-and-marine-corps-units-you-immediately/)

[Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/)

> [They don’t eat that much.” “In comparison to what? Starving marines?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-chance/they-don-t-eat-that-much-in-comparison-to-what-starving-marines/)

[Karen Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-chance/)

> [When someone makes a move Of which we don't approve, Who is it that always intervenes? U.N. and O.A.S., They have their place, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/when-someone-makes-a-move-of-which-we-don-t-approve-who-is-it-that/)

[Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/)

> [We didn't see what happen when Marines fired M-16s... We didn't see what happened after mortars landed, only the puff of smoke. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-banfield/we-didn-t-see-what-happen-when-marines-fired-m-16s-we-didn-t-see-what/)

[Ashleigh Banfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-banfield/)

> [My dad was a Marine. He was one of the Montford Point Marines. Those are the equivalent of the Tuskegee Airmen for Marines. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/my-dad-was-a-marine-he-was-one-of-the-montford-point-marines-those/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/)

James T. Conway

> [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

## More by George Carlin

> [I never go anywhere or do anything that transports me outside the boundaries of my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-never-go-anywhere-or-do-anything-that-transports-me-outside-the/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [With the proper training, I could've been an evil genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/with-the-proper-training-i-could-ve-been-an-evil-genius/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [Comedy, although it is not one of the fine arts - it's a vulgar art, it's one of the people's arts, it's the spoken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/comedy-although-it-is-not-one-of-the-fine-arts-it-s-a-vulgar-art-it-s/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [“I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. ... These two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-m-completely-in-favor-of-the-separation-of-church-and-state-these/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [“TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY. Not true. Today is another day. We have no idea what tomorrow is going to be. It might turn out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/tomorrow-is-another-day-not-true-today-is-another-day-we-have-no-idea/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [I was a loner as a child. I had an imaginary friend - I didn't bother with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-was-a-loner-as-a-child-i-had-an-imaginary-friend-i-didn-t-bother/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/kilometers-are-shorter-than-miles-save-gas-take-your-next-trip-in/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [“If you guys want to get a MOM tattoo and save a little money, just get two letters done. Get about a one-inch capital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/if-you-guys-want-to-get-a-mom-tattoo-and-save-a-little-money-just-get/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/you-ve-built-up-so-much-speed-that-you-hit-70-after-that-it-s-a-day/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [It ended suddenly for Brenda, more slowly for me. My runs began getting shorter and less pleasurable. I'd feel bad after only one day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/it-ended-suddenly-for-brenda-more-slowly-for-me-my-runs-began-getting/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [Is there another word for synonym?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/is-there-another-word-for-synonym/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [The whole idea of the pursuit of goods and possessions has completely corrupted the human experience, along with religion, which I think limits the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-whole-idea-of-the-pursuit-of-goods-and-possessions-has-completely/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [These days many politicians are demanding change. Just like homeless people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/these-days-many-politicians-are-demanding-change-just-like-homeless/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [You know the good part about all those executions in Texas? Fewer Texans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/you-know-the-good-part-about-all-those-executions-in-texas-fewer/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [What was the best thing before sliced bread?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/what-was-the-best-thing-before-sliced-bread/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

[Explore all 1,098 George Carlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

## More Holes quotes

> [When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he’ll hide, or watery hole / And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/when-man-of-slender-visits-you-nothing-on-earth-that-one-can-do-in/)

[Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/)

> [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/)

[Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/)

> [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/)

[Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/)

> [And I always think of life like a giant wave. You know, it rises and it crests and it flies, and it's just magnificent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-seymour/and-i-always-think-of-life-like-a-giant-wave-you-know-it-rises-and-it/)

[Jane Seymour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-seymour/)

> [What's a depression? The dictionary says a depression is a dent. And what's a dent? Everybody knows a dent is a hole. And what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-durante/what-s-a-depression-the-dictionary-says-a-depression-is-a-dent-and/)

[Jimmy Durante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-durante/)

> [Anytime you're playing a major, the last four or five holes, it's not going to be easy. It's never a guarantee. It's never easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-johnson/anytime-you-re-playing-a-major-the-last-four-or-five-holes-it-s-not/)

[Dustin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-johnson/)

> [We're in this strange age where we can't say 'I love you,' at least not sincerely. It's something where, if you simplify it, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoffer-boe/we-re-in-this-strange-age-where-we-can-t-say-i-love-you-at-least-not/)

Christoffer Boe

> [I definitely have a different perspective on music in general. But once I actually have a guitar in my hands, I think I disappear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-orcutt/i-definitely-have-a-different-perspective-on-music-in-general-but/)

[Bill Orcutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-orcutt/)

> ['Helping industry' is the elephant pit of socialism, a deep hole with sharp spikes at the bottom, covered over with twigs and fresh grass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-powell/helping-industry-is-the-elephant-pit-of-socialism-a-deep-hole-with/)

[Enoch Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-powell/)

> [The financial crisis just made the hole deeper, which is why our stimulus needs to be both big and smart, both financially and educationally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/the-financial-crisis-just-made-the-hole-deeper-which-is-why-our/)

[Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/)

> [“An umbrella with many holes is better than no umbrella!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/an-umbrella-with-many-holes-is-better-than-no-umbrella/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [I can't fill the hole with money. I can't fill it with alcohol, or drugs, or sex, so what do I need to fill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-victor-hansen/i-can-t-fill-the-hole-with-money-i-can-t-fill-it-with-alcohol-or/)

[Mark Victor Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-victor-hansen/)

> [I came back and in '63, I was at the British Open, trying to win my first British Open. And I had what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-british-open-trying-to-win-my/)

[Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/)

> [Her best friend was gone and nobody understood that no amount of makeup, fresh air or shopping was going to fill the hole in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/her-best-friend-was-gone-and-nobody-understood-that-no-amount-of/)

[Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/)

> [About 25 years ago, I was in an apartment, and next door, they put on the radio, so I struck the wall with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/klaus-kinski/about-25-years-ago-i-was-in-an-apartment-and-next-door-they-put-on/)

[Klaus Kinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/klaus-kinski/)

Browse all 1,740 Holes quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In the Navy, there is no wrong hole. In the Marines, there is always a hole.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Carlin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-the-marines-there-is-always-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Holes"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-the-marines-there-is-always-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/george-carlin-155_holes_in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-th_3006545.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/george-carlin-155_holes_in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-th_3006545.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/george-carlin-155_holes_in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-th_3006545.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In the Navy, there is no wrong hole. In the Marines, there is always a hole.” — George Carlin",
                "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": "George Carlin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In the Navy, there is no...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-the-marines-there-is-always-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/in-the-navy-there-is-no-wrong-hole-in-the-marines-there-is-always-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
