--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's no good telling somebody they're…" description: "\"It's no good telling somebody they're trying too hard. It's very much like ordering a child to go stand in a corner for a half hour and never once thin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/john-d-macdonald-8277_children_it-s-no-good-telling-somebody-they-re-tr_746421.jpg" --- # It's no good telling somebody they're trying too hard… ![“It's no good telling somebody they're trying too hard. It's very much like ordering a child to go stand in a corner for a half hour and never once think about elephants.” quote by John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/john-d-macdonald-8277_children_it-s-no-good-telling-somebody-they-re-tr_746421.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/john-d-macdonald-8277_children_it-s-no-good-telling-somebody-they-re-tr_746421.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/john-d-macdonald-8277_children_it-s-no-good-telling-somebody-they-re-tr_746421.jpg) > “It's no good telling somebody they're trying too hard. It's very much like ordering a child to go stand in a corner for a half hour and never once think about elephants.” [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticizing excessive pressure, the quote likens it to absurd punishments that ignore real issues. **In simple terms:** Pressuring people too much is pointless. Key Takeaway Avoid over‑controlling others. Themes communication empathy boundaries Mood irritated reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - parenting - management - relationships - education Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you address the real issue instead of just imposing limits? - What alternatives exist to punitive measures? A Different Perspective Ignoring underlying problems makes punishment ineffective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Elephants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elephants/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trying too hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-too-hard/) ## Related quotes > [Screw butterflies. When I think of him I get elephants on steroids in my stomach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/screw-butterflies-when-i-think-of-him-i-get-elephants-on-steroids-in/) Unkown > [Do not be ashamed to of repeatedly telling somebody you love; that you love them, irrespective of whatever response they offered you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-ashamed-to-of-repeatedly-telling-somebody-you-love-that-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Behind the scenes, I'm not a politicker. I have a very hard time telling somebody they're right when I feel they're wrong, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-spears/behind-the-scenes-i-m-not-a-politicker-i-have-a-very-hard-time/) [Shawn Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-spears/) > [There are really two things that drive New Year's resolution success. Number one is telling somebody about your goal. Chances are, they'll either join…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-oz/there-are-really-two-things-that-drive-new-year-s-resolution-success/) [Mehmet Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-oz/) > [Still we're trying one more time. Maybe we're just trying too hard. When really it's closer than it is too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sum-41/still-we-re-trying-one-more-time-maybe-we-re-just-trying-too-hard/) [Sum 41](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sum-41/) > [I like to think that it looks effortless rather than trying too hard. I'm not necessarily a trend-driven person. I like to kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsa-hosk/i-like-to-think-that-it-looks-effortless-rather-than-trying-too-hard/) [Elsa Hosk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsa-hosk/) > [I think trying too hard to be sexy is the worst thing in the world a woman can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bale/i-think-trying-too-hard-to-be-sexy-is-the-worst-thing-in-the-world-a/) [Christian Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bale/) > [On a daily basis, jeans and t-shirt is still sexy, but it doesn't look like you're trying too hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tila-tequila/on-a-daily-basis-jeans-and-t-shirt-is-still-sexy-but-it-doesn-t-look/) [Tila Tequila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tila-tequila/) > [You can say we're trying too hard or that we didn't try hard enough, but we're not trying at all; we're just doing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/you-can-say-we-re-trying-too-hard-or-that-we-didn-t-try-hard-enough/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [“Why Trying Too Hard Can Sometimes Be Part of the Problem”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-oakley/why-trying-too-hard-can-sometimes-be-part-of-the-problem/) [Barbara Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-oakley/) > [For the last three years that I have tried, people are laughing at me and saying that I was trying too hard. And my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pia-wurtzbach/for-the-last-three-years-that-i-have-tried-people-are-laughing-at-me/) [Pia Wurtzbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pia-wurtzbach/) > [Sometimes men present a swagger that suggests a prowess, whether it's sexual or financial. L.A. seems to be a place where trying too hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-hall/sometimes-men-present-a-swagger-that-suggests-a-prowess-whether-it-s/) [Michael C. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-hall/) > [I've been accused of trying too hard to rescue people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/i-ve-been-accused-of-trying-too-hard-to-rescue-people/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [When I try to speak perfectly then I am not Jackie Chan anymore. Some words sound like I am trying too hard. The whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/when-i-try-to-speak-perfectly-then-i-am-not-jackie-chan-anymore-some/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) ## More by John D. MacDonald > [“Please not yet. Those are the three eternal words. Please not yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/please-not-yet-those-are-the-three-eternal-words-please-not-yet/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [...it isn't foolish or wicked to enjoy. Wickedness is hurting people on purpose. I love what you are and who you are and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-isn-t-foolish-or-wicked-to-enjoy-wickedness-is-hurting-people-on/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“Ask for two, and they give you the third free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/ask-for-two-and-they-give-you-the-third-free/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“It was to have been a quiet evening at home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-was-to-have-been-a-quiet-evening-at-home/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [Now it stands to reason, mister, any damn fool stares into the sun long enough, he'll end up seeing exactly what some other damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/now-it-stands-to-reason-mister-any-damn-fool-stares-into-the-sun-long/) [John D. 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MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [I want story, wit, music, wryness, color, and a sense of reality in what I read, and I try to get it in what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/i-want-story-wit-music-wryness-color-and-a-sense-of-reality-in-what-i/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [ \[To\] me organized religion, the formalities and routines, \[is\] like being marched in formation to look at a sunset. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/to-me-organized-religion-the-formalities-and-routines-is-like-being/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [Old friend, there are people—young and old—that I like, and people that I do not like. The former are always in short supply. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/old-friend-there-are-people-young-and-old-that-i-like-and-people-that/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [Way over half the murders committed in this country are by close friends or relatives of the deceased. A gun makes a loud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/way-over-half-the-murders-committed-in-this-country-are-by-close/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“Bugs would eat the wax. Chaw the old canvas. And one day there will be a mutation, and we will have new ones that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/bugs-would-eat-the-wax-chaw-the-old-canvas-and-one-day-there-will-be/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“...her dark eyes were like twin entrances to two deep caves. Nothing lived in those caves. Maybe something had, once upon a time. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/her-dark-eyes-were-like-twin-entrances-to-two-deep-caves-nothing/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“She went inside and watched him walk back toward sixteen,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/she-went-inside-and-watched-him-walk-back-toward-sixteen/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) [Explore all 80 John D. MacDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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