---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was never all that hard to rationalize…"
description: "\"“It was never all that hard to rationalize your way through doing something wrong when it was a way to get what you wanted. She”\" — Jessica Strawser"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/jessica-strawser-37215_heart_it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationaliz_2382926.jpg"
---

#  It was never all that hard to rationalize your way through…

![“It was never all that hard to rationalize your way through doing something wrong when it was a way to get what you wanted. She” quote by Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/jessica-strawser-37215_heart_it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationaliz_2382926.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/jessica-strawser-37215_heart_it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationaliz_2382926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/jessica-strawser-37215_heart_it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationaliz_2382926.jpg)

> ““It was never all that hard to rationalize your way through doing something wrong when it was a way to get what you wanted. She””

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

## About This Quote

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

People often justify unethical actions when they serve personal goals, rationalizing wrongdoing as a means to an end.

**In simple terms:** Wrong can be rationalized for personal gain.

Key Takeaway

Question your motives and ethical shortcuts.

Themes

ethics justification self‑interest morality

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical thought‑provoking

When to use this quote

- business decisions
- personal relationships
- political negotiations
- everyday choices

Key Concepts

cognitive dissonance moral relativism goal‑oriented rationalization

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you justified a questionable act for a desired outcome?
- What alternatives exist that align goals with integrity?

A Different Perspective

Rationalization can erode trust and long‑term integrity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/)

## Related quotes

> [I needed a lot of the good things that church provided. But as I grew older, it became increasingly hard for me to rationalize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-needed-a-lot-of-the-good-things-that-church-provided-but-as-i-grew/)

[J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/)

> [I have my way of doing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romario/i-have-my-way-of-doing-things/)

[Romario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romario/)

> [The best way of me not doing things is to demand it from me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/the-best-way-of-me-not-doing-things-is-to-demand-it-from-me/)

[Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/)

> [I think all coaches have their own way of doing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emre-can/i-think-all-coaches-have-their-own-way-of-doing-things/)

[Emre Can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emre-can/)

> [It's impossible for me to feel like there's only one way to do a thing. There's nothing wrong with having one way of doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-montgomery/it-s-impossible-for-me-to-feel-like-there-s-only-one-way-to-do-a/)

[Wes Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-montgomery/)

> [Try is a noisy way of doing nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/try-is-a-noisy-way-of-doing-nothing/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [A mistake is simply another way of doing things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-graham/a-mistake-is-simply-another-way-of-doing-things/)

[Katharine Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-graham/)

> [It's a normal way of doing business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/it-s-a-normal-way-of-doing-business/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [I have a new way of doing things, and I don’t care if you think I’m crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/i-have-a-new-way-of-doing-things-and-i-don-t-care-if-you-think-i-m/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [I found my own way of doing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-clow/i-found-my-own-way-of-doing-things/)

[Lee Clow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-clow/)

> [GOD is not boring perhaps the way Your doing it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wizard-frm-valley-heat-records/god-is-not-boring-perhaps-the-way-your-doing-it/)

[Lil Wizard Frm Valley Heat Records](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wizard-frm-valley-heat-records/)

> [There can never be one way of doing everything, please. There has to be other ways different from the one we all know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/there-can-never-be-one-way-of-doing-everything-please-there-has-to-be/)

[Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/)

> [I like my way of doing things better than your way of not doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/i-like-my-way-of-doing-things-better-than-your-way-of-not-doing-them/)

[Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/)

> [It's hard to say that one way of doing things is the best for everybody all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/it-s-hard-to-say-that-one-way-of-doing-things-is-the-best-for/)

[Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/)

> [My say nothing but do something way of doing things appears to be being misunderstood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-say-nothing-but-do-something-way-of-doing-things-appears-to-be/)

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

## More by Jessica Strawser

> [“Violet’s last visit—not two months ago, at the beginning of the summer—Violet seemed …”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/violet-s-last-visit-not-two-months-ago-at-the-beginning-of-the-summer/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

> [“Everyone here is so at one with the mountains, you know?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/everyone-here-is-so-at-one-with-the-mountains-you-know/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

> [“She'd once read a description of new motherhood that had struck her, at the time that she was returning to work after maxing out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/she-d-once-read-a-description-of-new-motherhood-that-had-struck-her/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

> [“That first night, as they admired how wide the sky stretched above and beyond them, how bright the stars were here, how they could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/that-first-night-as-they-admired-how-wide-the-sky-stretched-above-and/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

> [“Katie shrugged. “Be honest and play dumb.” “At the same time?” “Well…” She smiled. “Yeah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/katie-shrugged-be-honest-and-play-dumb-at-the-same-time-well-she/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

> [“Becoming a mother had been many things--often indescribably rewarding, occasionally stupefying, sometimes even terrifying in the intensity of the love she felt for someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/becoming-a-mother-had-been-many-things-often-indescribably-rewarding/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

> [“The price of a pair of high heels is not necessarily proportionate to their comfort level, as it turns out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/the-price-of-a-pair-of-high-heels-is-not-necessarily-proportionate-to/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

> [“It was just that it was so hard to turn away from the kind of love that is so eager to find you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/it-was-just-that-it-was-so-hard-to-turn-away-from-the-kind-of-love/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

> [“There was a fine line, it turned out, between being a dreamer and being a loner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/there-was-a-fine-line-it-turned-out-between-being-a-dreamer-and-being/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

> [“He had given her so much just by choosing her as his wife that she’d been hesitant to ask for anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/he-had-given-her-so-much-just-by-choosing-her-as-his-wife-that-she-d/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

> [“But still, I think it's important for you to know that you can be happy on your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/but-still-i-think-it-s-important-for-you-to-know-that-you-can-be/)

[Jessica Strawser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

[Explore all 12 Jessica Strawser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/)

## More Heart quotes

> [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/)

[Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/)

[Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/)

> [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/)

Rena Kornreich Gelissen

> [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/)

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

> [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/)

[Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/)

> [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/)

[Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/)

> [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/)

[Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/)

> [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/)

[Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/)

> [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/)

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

> [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/)

[Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/)

[Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It was never all that hard to rationalize your way through doing something wrong when it was a way to get what you wanted. She”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jessica Strawser"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationalize-your-way-through-doing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Heart"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationalize-your-way-through-doing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/jessica-strawser-37215_heart_it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationaliz_2382926.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/jessica-strawser-37215_heart_it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationaliz_2382926.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/jessica-strawser-37215_heart_it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationaliz_2382926.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It was never all that hard to rationalize your way through doing something wrong when it was a way to get…” — Jessica Strawser",
                "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": "Jessica Strawser",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-strawser/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It was never all that hard...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationalize-your-way-through-doing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-strawser/it-was-never-all-that-hard-to-rationalize-your-way-through-doing/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
