--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are always a dozen reasons for…" description: "\"“There are always a dozen reasons for doing nothing,\" Ann liked to say--it was a favourite apologia, indeed, for many of her misdemeanours. \"There is o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/john-le-carre-651_coercion_there-are-always-a-dozen-reasons-for-doi_168099.jpg" --- # There are always a dozen reasons for doing nothing," Ann… ![“There are always a dozen reasons for doing nothing," Ann liked to say--it was a favourite apologia, indeed, for many of her misdemeanours. "There is only one reason for doing something. And that's because you want to." Or have to? Ann would furiously deny it: coercion, she would say, is just…” quote by John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/john-le-carre-651_coercion_there-are-always-a-dozen-reasons-for-doi_168099.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/john-le-carre-651_coercion_there-are-always-a-dozen-reasons-for-doi_168099.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/john-le-carre-651_coercion_there-are-always-a-dozen-reasons-for-doi_168099.jpg) > ““There are always a dozen reasons for doing nothing," Ann liked to say--it was a favourite apologia, indeed, for many of her misdemeanours. "There is only one reason for doing something. And that's because you want to." Or have to? Ann would furiously deny it: coercion, she would say, is just another word for doing what you want; or for not doing what you are afraid of.”” [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## 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 contrasts the many excuses for inaction with the single, personal drive behind action, suggesting that even coercion is just a disguised desire to act. **In simple terms:** Excuses are many; true motivation is personal desire. Key Takeaway Identify your real motive before acting. Themes motivation action excuses psychology Mood reflective determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal decisions - overcoming procrastination - standing up to pressure - making changes Key Concepts self‑determination coercion fear desire Questions to Reflect On - What hidden fear fuels your inaction? - How can you turn perceived coercion into genuine choice? A Different Perspective Excuses may mask deeper fears or social pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coercion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercion/) ## Related quotes > [To say that we mutually agree to coercion is not to say that we are required to enjoy it, or even to pretend we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-hardin/to-say-that-we-mutually-agree-to-coercion-is-not-to-say-that-we-are/) [Garrett Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-hardin/) > [My career may look bizarre to some, but I have very strong reasons for doing every single job I've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-sturridge/my-career-may-look-bizarre-to-some-but-i-have-very-strong-reasons-for/) [Tom Sturridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-sturridge/) > [“You know, Junpei, everything in the world has its reasons for doing what it does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-know-junpei-everything-in-the-world-has-its-reasons-for-doing/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [A man always has two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-morgan/a-man-always-has-two-reasons-for-doing-anything-a-good-reason-and-the-2/) [J. P. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-morgan/) > [There isn't a definite right and wrong anyway. Sometimes we do what seems wrong, but we have good reasons for doing it, so it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-mackler/there-isn-t-a-definite-right-and-wrong-anyway-sometimes-we-do-what/) [Carolyn Mackler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-mackler/) > [There are a lot of reasons for not doing something. And if humanity had come up with all the reasons for not doing something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/there-are-a-lot-of-reasons-for-not-doing-something-and-if-humanity/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Now we're doing it for different reasons. 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They're the whores and angels of our striving selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/ideologies-have-no-heart-of-their-own-they-re-the-whores-and-angels/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Home's where you go when you run out of homes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/home-s-where-you-go-when-you-run-out-of-homes/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Pain observed is journalistic pain. It's diplomatic pain. It's television pain, over as soon as you switch off your beastly set.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/pain-observed-is-journalistic-pain-it-s-diplomatic-pain-it-s/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The greatest threat to mankind comes from the renunciation of individual scruple in favor of institutional denominators. . . . 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John Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/i-happen-to-write-by-hand-i-don-t-even-type-john-le-carre/) [John Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The more identities a man has, the more they express the person they conceal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-more-identities-a-man-has-the-more-they-express-the-person-they/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) [Explore all 409 John le Carré quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## More Coercion quotes > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Coercion is the basis of every law in the universe,--human or divine. A law is not law without coercion behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/coercion-is-the-basis-of-every-law-in-the-universe-human-or-divine-a/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“Love is not coercion, and the state is only an agent of coercion. It has no other function and can work no other way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mcdurmon/love-is-not-coercion-and-the-state-is-only-an-agent-of-coercion-it/) Joel McDurmon > [“Therapy requires a collaborative working relationship in which both partners act on the basis of their implicit confidence in the value and efficacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-lewis-herman/therapy-requires-a-collaborative-working-relationship-in-which-both/) [Judith Lewis Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-lewis-herman/) > [The First Amendment exists to protect our religious liberty--to ensure that all Americans are able to seek out worship God with all our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-first-amendment-exists-to-protect-our-religious-liberty-to-ensure/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [There’s one thing that’s been 'learned' maybe from Tunisia and Egypt that I think is a mistake. And that is that the existing ruler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sharp/there-s-one-thing-that-s-been-learned-maybe-from-tunisia-and-egypt/) [Gene Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-sharp/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“Men are moral beings in their untrammelled nature. If constraint and coercion can once be removed they will be happy and if they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/men-are-moral-beings-in-their-untrammelled-nature-if-constraint-and/) [Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/) > [“If you require force to promote your ideal, there is something wrong with your ideal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jsb-morse/if-you-require-force-to-promote-your-ideal-there-is-something-wrong/) JSB Morse > [The idea of painless, nonthreatening coercion is an illusion. Fear is the inseparable companion of coercion, and its inescapable consequence. If you think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/the-idea-of-painless-nonthreatening-coercion-is-an-illusion-fear-is/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [To say that we mutually agree to coercion is not to say that we are required to enjoy it, or even to pretend we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-hardin/to-say-that-we-mutually-agree-to-coercion-is-not-to-say-that-we-are/) [Garrett Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-hardin/) > [The state is the only institution entitled to apply coercion and compulsion and to inflict harm upon individuals. This tremendous power cannot be abandoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-state-is-the-only-institution-entitled-to-apply-coercion-and/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [So what is government?... Very simply, it is an agency of coercion. Of course, there are other agencies of coercion - such as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/so-what-is-government-very-simply-it-is-an-agency-of-coercion-of/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [“Coercing attitude drains your strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/coercing-attitude-drains-your-strength/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [It is not a matter of desire, but of coercion and duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/it-is-not-a-matter-of-desire-but-of-coercion-and-duty/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) [Browse all 310 Coercion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are always a dozen reasons for doing nothing,\" Ann liked to say--it was a favourite apologia, indeed, for many of her misdemeanours. \"There is only one reason for doing something. 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