---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a general sense that if you…"
description: "\"There was a general sense that if you were going to get close enough to a CBS executive to tweak his nose, you'd only have one hand free because you we..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/howard-hesseman-71804_enough_there-was-a-general-sense-that-if-you-we_1076233.jpg"
---

#  There was a general sense that if you were going to get…

![“There was a general sense that if you were going to get close enough to a CBS executive to tweak his nose, you'd only have one hand free because you were holding your own.” quote by Howard Hesseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/howard-hesseman-71804_enough_there-was-a-general-sense-that-if-you-we_1076233.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/howard-hesseman-71804_enough_there-was-a-general-sense-that-if-you-we_1076233.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/howard-hesseman-71804_enough_there-was-a-general-sense-that-if-you-we_1076233.jpg)

> “There was a general sense that if you were going to get close enough to a CBS executive to tweak his nose, you'd only have one hand free because you were holding your own.”

[Howard Hesseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-hesseman/)

## About This Quote

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

The quote humorously suggests that getting close to powerful people often requires self‑reliance, leaving you with only one hand free to influence them.

**In simple terms:** You must handle yourself before you can influence others.

Key Takeaway

Focus on self‑management first.

Themes

power dynamics humor self‑reliance

Mood

witty reflective

Type

observational satirical

When to use this quote

- networking events
- corporate negotiations
- political lobbying

Key Concepts

social influence personal agency

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance personal readiness with external influence?
- When does self‑focus hinder collaboration?

A Different Perspective

Success also depends on timing and opportunity, not just self‑control.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cbs Executive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cbs-executive-2707996/) [Close Cbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-cbs-2707999/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Executives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executives/) [Free Holding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-holding-2707997/) [Hand Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hand-free-2707998/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Nose Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nose-hand-2707995/) [Noses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noses/) [Tweak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tweak/)

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