---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't bother explaining--I've heard all…"
description: "\"Don't bother explaining--I've heard all the excuses and the trouble is most of them are true.\" — John Brunner"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/john-brunner-10043_bother_don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-t_1543744.jpg"
---

#  Don't bother explaining--I've heard all the excuses and…

![“Don't bother explaining--I've heard all the excuses and the trouble is most of them are true.” quote by John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/john-brunner-10043_bother_don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-t_1543744.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/john-brunner-10043_bother_don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-t_1543744.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/john-brunner-10043_bother_don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-t_1543744.jpg)

> “Don't bother explaining--I've heard all the excuses and the trouble is most of them are true.”

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

## 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 dismiss explanations, yet many of the reasons given are valid.

**In simple terms:** Excuses are often true.

Key Takeaway

Consider the truth in complaints.

Themes

skepticism communication truth

Mood

skeptical reflective

Type

analytical critical

When to use this quote

- workplace discussions
- political debates
- personal conflicts

Key Concepts

cognitive bias validation

Questions to Reflect On

- Are the excuses justified?
- How can we address the underlying problems?

A Different Perspective

It may overlook genuine issues behind excuses.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother/) [Bother Explaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother-explaining-3124899/) [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Excuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuses/) [Excuses Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuses-trouble-5755061/) [Explaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explaining/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Heard Excuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard-excuses-701745/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/)

## Related quotes

> [Your lies? You told that. Your bullshit? Won't take that. Your stories? I've heard that. Your excuses? Save that. You're my ex, just face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-lies-you-told-that-your-bullshit-won-t-take-that-your-stories-i/)

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

> [“Dear Daughter, Do not bother explaining yourself to people who are not concerned with your wellbeing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/dear-daughter-do-not-bother-explaining-yourself-to-people-who-are-not/)

[Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/)

> [Your lies?? fuck that... Your bullshit?? Wont take that. Your stories??? Ive heard that. Your excuses? Save that. your my ex, just face that..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/your-lies-fuck-that-your-bullshit-wont-take-that-your-stories-ive/)

[Kevin Mccarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/)

> [Judging someone before you have gotten to know them is like explaining the contents of a book youve never read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/judging-someone-before-you-have-gotten-to-know-them-is-like/)

[Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/)

> [The Darwinian theory is in principle capable of explaining life. No other theory that has ever been suggested is in principle capable of explaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-darwinian-theory-is-in-principle-capable-of-explaining-life-no/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [People have to find ways of explaining the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-serrano/people-have-to-find-ways-of-explaining-the-work/)

[Andres Serrano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-serrano/)

> [It's very hard not to be condescending when you're explaining something to an idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/it-s-very-hard-not-to-be-condescending-when-you-re-explaining/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [We are ultimately at home in the world not through dominating or explaining or appreciating, but through caring and being cared for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-mayeroff/we-are-ultimately-at-home-in-the-world-not-through-dominating-or/)

[Milton Mayeroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-mayeroff/)

> [I would make a genuinely terrible guide. I can't remember things. I would get half way through telling a story or explaining something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-would-make-a-genuinely-terrible-guide-i-can-t-remember-things-i/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [I like telling the story in a visual way. I don't like explaining a lot in dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/i-like-telling-the-story-in-a-visual-way-i-don-t-like-explaining-a/)

[Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/)

> [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [ \[Barack Obama\] will spend long periods of time explaining to people why he won't use it. At the end of the explanation, nobody knows… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/barack-obama-will-spend-long-periods-of-time-explaining-to-people-why/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/)

[Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/)

> [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/)

[Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/)

> [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

## More by John Brunner

> [For all the claims one hears about the liberating impact of the data-net, the truth is that it's wished on most of us a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/for-all-the-claims-one-hears-about-the-liberating-impact-of-the-data/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“Take stock, citizen bacillus, Now that there are so many billions of you, Bleeding through your opened veins, Into your bathtub, or into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/take-stock-citizen-bacillus-now-that-there-are-so-many-billions-of/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“What hurt him most of all, made him feel like a sick child aware of terrible wrongness and yet incapable of explaining it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/what-hurt-him-most-of-all-made-him-feel-like-a-sick-child-aware-of/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“He had many names, but one nature, and this unique nature made him subject to certain laws not binding upon ordinary persons. In a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/he-had-many-names-but-one-nature-and-this-unique-nature-made-him/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“True, you’re not a slave. You’re worse off than that by a long, long way. You’re a predatory beast shut up in a cage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/true-you-re-not-a-slave-you-re-worse-off-than-that-by-a-long-long-way/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“There's an ingrained distrust in our society of highly intelligent, highly trained, highly competent persons. One need only look at the last presidential election…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/there-s-an-ingrained-distrust-in-our-society-of-highly-intelligent/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“It's natural for a man to defend what's dear to him: his own life, his home, his family. But in order to make him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/it-s-natural-for-a-man-to-defend-what-s-dear-to-him-his-own-life-his/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“Time entails memory, memory entails conscience, conscience entails thought for the future, which is itself implied by the existence of time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/time-entails-memory-memory-entails-conscience-conscience-entails/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“It's not because my mind is made up that I don't want you to confuse me with any more facts. It's because my mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/it-s-not-because-my-mind-is-made-up-that-i-don-t-want-you-to-confuse/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [There are two kinds of fools. One says, "This is old, and therefore good." And one says, " This is new, and therefore better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/there-are-two-kinds-of-fools-one-says-this-is-old-and-therefore-good/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“The walls were chipped and needed paint. The windows were mostly okay but one pane was blocked with cardboard. There were fleas the exterminator…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/the-walls-were-chipped-and-needed-paint-the-windows-were-mostly-okay/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“Right! Right! 'Stead of which, over here, they shit in the water until it's dangerous to drink, then make a fucking fortune out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/right-right-stead-of-which-over-here-they-shit-in-the-water-until-it/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [NEGRO :; Member of a subgroup of the human race who hails, or whose ancestors hailed, from a chunk of land nicknamed not by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/negro-member-of-a-subgroup-of-the-human-race-who-hails-or-whose/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“She recalled him as a forceful and witty speaker with a ready repartee and a penetrating voice. He had once, for example, put down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/she-recalled-him-as-a-forceful-and-witty-speaker-with-a-ready/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [It's supposed to be automatic, but actually you have to push this button.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/it-s-supposed-to-be-automatic-but-actually-you-have-to-push-this/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

[Explore all 66 John Brunner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

## More Bother quotes

> [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/)

[David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/)

> [One day I decided I would like to put a record into my system. So I picked up a record that was lying on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/one-day-i-decided-i-would-like-to-put-a-record-into-my-system-so-i/)

[Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/)

> [Im tired, tired of putting more effort than you do. Im tired of always having to start the conversation and if I dont, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-tired-tired-of-putting-more-effort-than-you-do-im-tired-of-always/)

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

> [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/)

[Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/)

> [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/)

[Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/)

> ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/)

[Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/)

> [I've always been a late bloomer in some ways, and extremely precocious in other ways. When I was twenty I was living in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/i-ve-always-been-a-late-bloomer-in-some-ways-and-extremely-precocious/)

[Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/)

> [“Shut up. Stand up. Put this on. That’s right . . . if you were the kind of man who found it easy to do that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/shut-up-stand-up-put-this-on-that-s-right-if-you-were-the-kind-of-man/)

[Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/)

> [We have reached the point where we can lose a game or two and not drop out of sight in the rankings. I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/we-have-reached-the-point-where-we-can-lose-a-game-or-two-and-not/)

[LaVell Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavell-edwards/)

> [I've said I want the meanest, toughest SOB I can find to protect America. And so that's why Trump's tone doesn't bother me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-ve-said-i-want-the-meanest-toughest-sob-i-can-find-to-protect/)

[Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/)

> [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/)

> [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/)

[Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/)

> [Our students wanted to know everything: but only the newest theory seemed to them worth bothering with. Knowing nothing of the intellectual achievements of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-levi-strauss/our-students-wanted-to-know-everything-but-only-the-newest-theory/)

[Claude Levi-Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-levi-strauss/)

> [Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-dale-bell/show-me-a-man-who-cannot-bother-to-do-little-things-and-i-ll-show-you/)

[Lawrence Dale Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-dale-bell/)

> [People are people. All that celebrity tagging doesn't bother me at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-price/people-are-people-all-that-celebrity-tagging-doesn-t-bother-me-at-all/)

[Katie Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-price/)

[Browse all 1,604 Bother quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Don't bother explaining--I've heard all the excuses and the trouble is most of them are true.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Brunner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-the-excuses-and-the-trouble-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bother"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-the-excuses-and-the-trouble-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/john-brunner-10043_bother_don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-t_1543744.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/john-brunner-10043_bother_don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-t_1543744.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/john-brunner-10043_bother_don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-t_1543744.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Don't bother explaining--I've heard all the excuses and the trouble is most of them are true.” — John Brunner",
                "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": "John Brunner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Don't bother explaining--I've heard all the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-the-excuses-and-the-trouble-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/don-t-bother-explaining-i-ve-heard-all-the-excuses-and-the-trouble-is/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
