--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you know why you’re doing something…" description: "\"“When you know why you’re doing something and you know there’s nothing more to it and certainly nothing sinister, it’s easy to assume that others will ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_failure_when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something_1200099.jpg" --- # When you know why you’re doing something and you know… ![“When you know why you’re doing something and you know there’s nothing more to it and certainly nothing sinister, it’s easy to assume that others will see it the same way. That was a mistake.” quote by Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_failure_when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something_1200099.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_failure_when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something_1200099.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_failure_when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something_1200099.jpg) > ““When you know why you’re doing something and you know there’s nothing more to it and certainly nothing sinister, it’s easy to assume that others will see it the same way. That was a mistake.”” [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding others' perspectives requires more than personal clarity; assumptions can lead to misinterpretation. **In simple terms:** Assuming others share your view is risky. Key Takeaway Seek feedback, clarify intent. Themes communication assumptions empathy Mood thoughtful cautious Type advice reflective When to use this quote - team meetings - leadership decisions - conflict resolution Key Concepts perspective taking social cognition Questions to Reflect On - How can you verify others' understanding? - What steps ensure shared meaning? A Different Perspective Others may have hidden motives or different contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume/) [Easy Assume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-assume-2916762/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Know Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-doing/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Way Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-mistake-3596165/) ## Related quotes > [“In a period of extended waiting in life, it is all too easy to assume that something is wrong. We assume that 'something' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-marlow/in-a-period-of-extended-waiting-in-life-it-is-all-too-easy-to-assume/) [Tanya Marlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-marlow/) > [It is easy to assume a habit; but when you try to cast it off, it will take skin and all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/it-is-easy-to-assume-a-habit-but-when-you-try-to-cast-it-off-it-will/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [If you just looked up where we were from and you looked at what we looked like, it'd be very easy to assume a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-rutherford/if-you-just-looked-up-where-we-were-from-and-you-looked-at-what-we/) [Jesse Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-rutherford/) > [Each of us assumes everyone else knows what he is doing. They all assume we know what we are doing. We don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-what-he-is-doing-they-all/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [I think half the time I just assume I don't really know what I'm doing - you have to do that to a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-think-half-the-time-i-just-assume-i-don-t-really-know-what-i-m/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I know a lot of people who are very good at their craft who have learned - people behind the camera - who really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-jones/i-know-a-lot-of-people-who-are-very-good-at-their-craft-who-have/) [Jeffrey Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-jones/) > [It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/it-is-a-mistake-to-assume-that-if-everybody-does-his-job-it-will-be/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [When I'm writing, I know I'm doing the thing I was born to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/when-i-m-writing-i-know-i-m-doing-the-thing-i-was-born-to-do/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [Know what you're doing, love what you're doing, and believe in what you're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/know-what-you-re-doing-love-what-you-re-doing-and-believe-in-what-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [At one point, people are going to have to realize that maybe I know what I'm doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/at-one-point-people-are-going-to-have-to-realize-that-maybe-i-know/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [I know what I’m doing. I know I’m shocking you,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/i-know-what-i-m-doing-i-know-i-m-shocking-you/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [I don't think you ever really know what all you're doing, so you have to act on faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-don-t-think-you-ever-really-know-what-all-you-re-doing-so-you-have/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I always find that the best collaborations are when you work with people that know what they're doing, and you leave them alone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-always-find-that-the-best-collaborations-are-when-you-work-with/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [Do yoga in order to know what to do when you're not doing yoga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stryker/do-yoga-in-order-to-know-what-to-do-when-you-re-not-doing-yoga/) [Rod Stryker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stryker/) > [I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-but-i-m-damn-well-gonna-do-it/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) ## More by Hillary Rodham Clinton > [“Putin has positioned himself as the leader of an authoritarian, xenophobic international movement that wants to expel immigrants, break up the European Union, weaken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/putin-has-positioned-himself-as-the-leader-of-an-authoritarian/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“It’s true, though, that we struggled to stay on message. My advisors had to deal with a candidate—me—who often wanted something new to say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/it-s-true-though-that-we-struggled-to-stay-on-message-my-advisors-had/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“He reminded me to focus on the “trendlines,” not just the headlines, and to relish the experiences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/he-reminded-me-to-focus-on-the-trendlines-not-just-the-headlines-and/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“Democrats should reevaluate a lot of our assumptions about which policies are politically viable. These trends make universal programs even more appealing than we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/democrats-should-reevaluate-a-lot-of-our-assumptions-about-which/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“You Can't Keep Wild Animal In Your Back Yard And Expect It To Go only After Your Neighbor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/you-can-t-keep-wild-animal-in-your-back-yard-and-expect-it-to-go-only/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“In people’s lives and worldviews, concerns about economics, race, gender, class, and culture all blend together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/in-people-s-lives-and-worldviews-concerns-about-economics-race-gender/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“if you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/if-you-want-to-go-quickly-go-alone-if-you-want-to-go-far-go-together/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“On her very first day, when she politely raised questions about Bernie’s health care plan—she has a master’s degree in public health and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/on-her-very-first-day-when-she-politely-raised-questions-about-bernie/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“Too many saw the world in zero-sum terms, believing that gains made by fellow Americans they viewed as “other”—people of color, immigrants, women, LGBT…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/too-many-saw-the-world-in-zero-sum-terms-believing-that-gains-made-by/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“Usually when I meet people who are frustrated and angry, my instinctive response is to talk about how we can fix things. That’s why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/usually-when-i-meet-people-who-are-frustrated-and-angry-my/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“In the words of Secretary Clinton, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance in the world to pursue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/in-the-words-of-secretary-clinton-never-doubt-that-you-are-valuable/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“To quote Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in the U.S. Cabinet, under FDR, “The accusation that I’m a woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/to-quote-secretary-of-labor-frances-perkins-the-first-woman-to-serve/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“While there are few problems in today’s world that the United States can solve alone, there are even fewer that can be solved without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/while-there-are-few-problems-in-today-s-world-that-the-united-states/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“if he knows that the Donald J. Trump Foundation is little more than a personal piggy bank, he’ll turn around and accuse, with no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/if-he-knows-that-the-donald-j-trump-foundation-is-little-more-than-a/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“One of the most important but least recognized facts in American politics is that Republicans tend to win in places where more people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/one-of-the-most-important-but-least-recognized-facts-in-american/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) [Explore all 336 Hillary Rodham Clinton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) ## More Assume quotes > [We only call at ducks when their rear ends are towards us. If I'm looking at you and you call my name, then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jase-robertson/we-only-call-at-ducks-when-their-rear-ends-are-towards-us-if-i-m/) [Jase Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jase-robertson/) > [Nobody really knows everything, and they can only assume.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/nobody-really-knows-everything-and-they-can-only-assume/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [Partisanship is our great curse. We too readily assume that everything has two sides and that it is our duty to be on one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harvey-robinson/partisanship-is-our-great-curse-we-too-readily-assume-that-everything/) [James Harvey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harvey-robinson/) > [“I just mean, sometimes two people do something unexpected and then by that simple act alone, it just seems they automatically assume it's now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-amo/i-just-mean-sometimes-two-people-do-something-unexpected-and-then-by/) [Thomas Amo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-amo/) > [I think that we have a number of different health care challenges in our country, and certainly addressing the uninsured is one, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/i-think-that-we-have-a-number-of-different-health-care-challenges-in/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [Is it philosophical, is it quite allowable, to assume without evidence from fossil plants that the family or any of the genera was once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-gray/is-it-philosophical-is-it-quite-allowable-to-assume-without-evidence/) [Asa Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-gray/) > [Let's assume for the moment that the logic behind Presidents Day is actually sound for certain presidents. Why not have a separate holiday for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/let-s-assume-for-the-moment-that-the-logic-behind-presidents-day-is/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [We should not assume; however, that just because something is unexplainable by us, it is unexplainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/we-should-not-assume-however-that-just-because-something-is/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [I think a lot of fans immediately go, 'ugggh' when they hear that someone is doing a prequel or a remake, they sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-think-a-lot-of-fans-immediately-go-ugggh-when-they-hear-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [You can never assume that something is going to do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/you-can-never-assume-that-something-is-going-to-do-well/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [What we assume, what we have never clearly thought out, controls us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-t-kelsey/what-we-assume-what-we-have-never-clearly-thought-out-controls-us/) [Morton T. Kelsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-t-kelsey/) > [Do not always assume the other fellow has intelligence equal to yours. He may have more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-thomas/do-not-always-assume-the-other-fellow-has-intelligence-equal-to-yours/) [Terry-Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-thomas/) > [Americans assume all British people have at least one servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/americans-assume-all-british-people-have-at-least-one-servant/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/it-is-a-mistake-to-assume-that-if-everybody-does-his-job-it-will-be/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [ If \[Barack\] Obama or the boss or the newspapers or anyone else tells you they're doing this, that, or the other thing, dismiss it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-barack-obama-or-the-boss-or-the-newspapers-or-anyone-else-tells/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Browse all 542 Assume quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When you know why you’re doing something and you know there’s nothing more to it and certainly nothing sinister, it’s easy to assume that others will see it the same way. That was a mistake.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hillary Rodham Clinton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something-and-you-know-there-s-nothing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assume" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something-and-you-know-there-s-nothing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_failure_when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something_1200099.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_failure_when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something_1200099.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_failure_when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something_1200099.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you know why you’re doing something and you know there’s nothing more to it and certainly nothing…” — Hillary Rodham Clinton", "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": "Hillary Rodham Clinton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When you know why you’re doing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something-and-you-know-there-s-nothing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something-and-you-know-there-s-nothing/#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 } } ] } ```