--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ask a conventional person for an answer…" description: "\"“Ask a conventional person for an answer, and you are likely to get it; ask for a reason for his answer, and you are likely to get a punch in the mouth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/john-mark-reynolds-69513_punch-mouth_ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer_212201.jpg" --- # Ask a conventional person for an answer, and you are… ![“Ask a conventional person for an answer, and you are likely to get it; ask for a reason for his answer, and you are likely to get a punch in the mouth.” quote by John Mark Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/john-mark-reynolds-69513_punch-mouth_ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer_212201.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/john-mark-reynolds-69513_punch-mouth_ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer_212201.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/john-mark-reynolds-69513_punch-mouth_ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer_212201.jpg) > ““Ask a conventional person for an answer, and you are likely to get it; ask for a reason for his answer, and you are likely to get a punch in the mouth.”” John Mark Reynolds ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Conventional thinkers often give surface answers; probing their reasoning can reveal harsh truths or contradictions. **In simple terms:** Surface answers hide deeper issues; questioning exposes them. Key Takeaway Don’t accept answers at face value; ask why. Themes critical thinking communication truth seeking Mood skeptical provocative Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - debates - team meetings - educational settings - media interviews Key Concepts cognitive bias argumentation skepticism Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions underlie the answers you receive? - How can you question without causing conflict? A Different Perspective Counterpoint: Some may view the “punch” metaphor as overly aggressive, discouraging dialogue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“was more likely to punch someone in the face than I was reasoning with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-thalassa/was-more-likely-to-punch-someone-in-the-face-than-i-was-reasoning/) [Laura Thalassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-thalassa/) > [I never direct myself, because I don't like working with me. 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LOVE doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-doesn-t-ask-why-for-it-is-a-reason-itself-love-doesn-t-ask-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never ask, "What reason do I have to be happy?" Instead ask, "To what purpose can I attach my happiness?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/never-ask-what-reason-do-i-have-to-be-happy-instead-ask-to-what/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Every human being has the right to ask the reason, why, and to have his question answered by himself, if he only takes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-human-being-has-the-right-to-ask-the-reason-why-and-to-have-his/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I had to ask myself if the reason I had never asked to direct before was because I really didn't want to, or because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-shor/i-had-to-ask-myself-if-the-reason-i-had-never-asked-to-direct-before/) [Miriam Shor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-shor/) > [Ask me no reason why I love you; for though Love use Reason for his physician, he admits him not for his counsellor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-me-no-reason-why-i-love-you-for-though-love-use-reason-for-his/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by John Mark Reynolds > [“Ideas after Aristotle multiplied but did not progress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mark-reynolds/ideas-after-aristotle-multiplied-but-did-not-progress/) John Mark Reynolds > [“It is not that one has to have exhaustive knowledge of love to live, but it would be much better if one had it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mark-reynolds/it-is-not-that-one-has-to-have-exhaustive-knowledge-of-love-to-live/) John Mark Reynolds > [“A culture will tolerate criticism of its idols only when the criticism is made by those who worship the idols.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mark-reynolds/a-culture-will-tolerate-criticism-of-its-idols-only-when-the/) John Mark Reynolds Explore all 4 John Mark Reynolds quotes ## More Punch Mouth quotes > [I never direct myself, because I don't like working with me. I would punch me in the mouth if I had to take my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-never-direct-myself-because-i-don-t-like-working-with-me-i-would/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [ If you \[Americans\] behave with disrespect - even just a little bit - \[the Iranian people\] will punch you in the mouth so hard… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-emami-kashani/if-you-americans-behave-with-disrespect-even-just-a-little-bit-the/) Mohammed Emami-Kashani > [“I'll like you better if I punch you in the mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-jenkins/i-ll-like-you-better-if-i-punch-you-in-the-mouth/) Stephanie Jenkins > [“Punch with your mouth and talk with your feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/punch-with-your-mouth-and-talk-with-your-feet/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [I could never stand big-mouthed types. I had problems with that at high school. I’ve still got the scars on my fists from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennox-lewis/i-could-never-stand-big-mouthed-types-i-had-problems-with-that-at/) [Lennox Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennox-lewis/) Browse all 6 Punch Mouth quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Ask a conventional person for an answer, and you are likely to get it; ask for a reason for his answer, and you are likely to get a punch in the mouth.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Mark Reynolds" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mark-reynolds/ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer-and-you-are-likely-to-get-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Punch Mouth" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mark-reynolds/ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer-and-you-are-likely-to-get-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/john-mark-reynolds-69513_punch-mouth_ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer_212201.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/john-mark-reynolds-69513_punch-mouth_ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer_212201.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/john-mark-reynolds-69513_punch-mouth_ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer_212201.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ask a conventional person for an answer, and you are likely to get it; ask for a reason for his answer, and…” — John Mark Reynolds", "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 Mark Reynolds", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mark-reynolds/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Ask a conventional person for an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mark-reynolds/ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer-and-you-are-likely-to-get-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mark-reynolds/ask-a-conventional-person-for-an-answer-and-you-are-likely-to-get-it/#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 } } ] } ```