---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's barrister behaviour to say what you…"
description: "\"It's barrister behaviour to say what you think will appeal to the person you're talking to, whoever it happens to be, whether it's true or not.\" — John..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-mortimer-7362_appeal_it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you_1594811.jpg"
---

#  It's barrister behaviour to say what you think will appeal…

![“It's barrister behaviour to say what you think will appeal to the person you're talking to, whoever it happens to be, whether it's true or not.” quote by John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-mortimer-7362_appeal_it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you_1594811.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-mortimer-7362_appeal_it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you_1594811.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-mortimer-7362_appeal_it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you_1594811.jpg)

> “It's barrister behaviour to say what you think will appeal to the person you're talking to, whoever it happens to be, whether it's true or not.”

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

## 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 tailor their words to please listeners, sacrificing honesty for acceptance.

**In simple terms:** We change what we say to fit the audience, even if untrue.

Key Takeaway

Speak truthfully, not just to please.

Themes

communication ethics authenticity

Mood

reflective critical

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- political speeches
- sales pitches
- personal relationships
- media interviews

Key Concepts

social conformity self-presentation truthfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you prioritize honesty over approval?
- When is it acceptable to adapt truth?

A Different Perspective

May damage trust and credibility if discovered.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Appeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeal/) [Appeal Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeal-person-6051491/) [Barrister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barrister-2753772/) [Barrister Behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barrister-behaviour-6051490/) [Behaviour Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaviour-say-5557753/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Think Appeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-appeal-2794182/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/)

## Related quotes

> [I would like to think my appeal is my humour and entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sugg/i-would-like-to-think-my-appeal-is-my-humour-and-entertainment/)

[Joe Sugg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sugg/)

> [If you know what you do well and stick to that, I think you can appeal to the different generations. You can strike a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-young/if-you-know-what-you-do-well-and-stick-to-that-i-think-you-can-appeal/)

[Angus Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-young/)

> [People Don't Notice What We Do For Them.. When We Stop Doing Due to Their Behaviour.. they Say, You Are Changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biralo/people-don-t-notice-what-we-do-for-them-when-we-stop-doing-due-to/)

[Biralo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biralo/)

> [If only religion could be brought to take an interest in this earthly future, what a help it would be! ... Think of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/if-only-religion-could-be-brought-to-take-an-interest-in-this-earthly/)

[Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/)

> [I think I appeal to people who are living in the margins because of their identity and who need to feel freedom somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-think-i-appeal-to-people-who-are-living-in-the-margins-because-of/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [I think an appeal to arms and to brute force is unbecoming the age in which we live. Would to God that the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anderson/i-think-an-appeal-to-arms-and-to-brute-force-is-unbecoming-the-age-in/)

[Robert Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anderson/)

> [An author must be nothing if he do not love truth; a barrister must be nothing if he do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/an-author-must-be-nothing-if-he-do-not-love-truth-a-barrister-must-be/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [When I was starting out as a barrister in the 1980s, Lord Denning was the most famous judge in the land, and the supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/when-i-was-starting-out-as-a-barrister-in-the-1980s-lord-denning-was/)

[Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/)

> [The reality is that when you're a barrister, you're trained, and you've got ethical structures. You've got to follow the evidence, and that's that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rinder/the-reality-is-that-when-you-re-a-barrister-you-re-trained-and-you-ve/)

[Robert Rinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rinder/)

> [My father is a taxi driver, and my mother ran a small business. I hadn't even met a barrister before I got my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rinder/my-father-is-a-taxi-driver-and-my-mother-ran-a-small-business-i-hadn/)

[Robert Rinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rinder/)

> [I was fined £20,000 for TV interview where I barely said anything. The FA brought an outside barrister in to do me. A big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/i-was-fined-20-000-for-tv-interview-where-i-barely-said-anything-the/)

[Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/)

> [I didn't quite know whether I was writing for the non-Muslim or the Muslim, and at the end of the day I'm writing, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadakat-kadri/i-didn-t-quite-know-whether-i-was-writing-for-the-non-muslim-or-the/)

[Sadakat Kadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadakat-kadri/)

> [Under ideal conditions, the barrister and the bhangi (sweeper) should both get the same payment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/under-ideal-conditions-the-barrister-and-the-bhangi-sweeper-should/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [I studied law, so perhaps I might have made it to the Bar, though I gave up that idea when I suspected playing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-studied-law-so-perhaps-i-might-have-made-it-to-the-bar-though-i/)

[Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/)

> [Trump's enduring appeal is a resource to be harnessed by the Republican Party, not a burden to be jettisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-devine/trump-s-enduring-appeal-is-a-resource-to-be-harnessed-by-the/)

[Miranda Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-devine/)

## More by John Mortimer

> [“Take sex, for instance.' 'What do you want me to do with it?' 'Try to be serious for a moment. Take the sex life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/take-sex-for-instance-what-do-you-want-me-to-do-with-it-try-to-be/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [I knew nothing about farce until I read Puce a l'Oreille, and had no idea what a deadly serious business it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/i-knew-nothing-about-farce-until-i-read-puce-a-l-oreille-and-had-no/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [Do we want blanks, asterisks and exclamation marks which people can fill in with their own imaginations, or are we prepared and strong enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/do-we-want-blanks-asterisks-and-exclamation-marks-which-people-can/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [Voting Liberal is a non-thing. Historically, it might be a good idea to have a Conservative government, because change is a good thing. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/voting-liberal-is-a-non-thing-historically-it-might-be-a-good-idea-to/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [“I sent out words like soldiers to battle and they never returned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/i-sent-out-words-like-soldiers-to-battle-and-they-never-returned/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [Dying is a matter of slapstick and pratfalls. The ageing process is not gradual or gentle. It rushes up, pushes you over and runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/dying-is-a-matter-of-slapstick-and-pratfalls-the-ageing-process-is/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [No brilliance is required in law, just common sense and relatively clean fingernails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/no-brilliance-is-required-in-law-just-common-sense-and-relatively/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [The people look forbidding, solemn, marked by that impossible ideal, Communism, which, like Christianity, seemed to demand too much of humanity and, falling into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/the-people-look-forbidding-solemn-marked-by-that-impossible-ideal/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [There is always time for failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/there-is-always-time-for-failure/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [Irritable Judges suffer from a bad case of premature adjudication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/irritable-judges-suffer-from-a-bad-case-of-premature-adjudication/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [I try and treat my children from the age of ten months as if they were totally grown up, which I think is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/i-try-and-treat-my-children-from-the-age-of-ten-months-as-if-they/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [Check-ups are, in my experience, a grave mistake; all they do is allow the quack of your choice to tell you that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/check-ups-are-in-my-experience-a-grave-mistake-all-they-do-is-allow/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [I don't believe in children's books. I think after you've read Kidnapped, Treasure Island, and Huckleberry Finn, you're ready for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/i-don-t-believe-in-children-s-books-i-think-after-you-ve-read/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [“The main aim of education should be to send children out into the world with a reasonably sized anthology in their heads so that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/the-main-aim-of-education-should-be-to-send-children-out-into-the/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [On the three pigs he and his wife own: "We acquired the pigs last year. My wife was born on a pig farm and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/on-the-three-pigs-he-and-his-wife-own-we-acquired-the-pigs-last-year/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

[Explore all 92 John Mortimer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

## More Appeal quotes

> [Trump's enduring appeal is a resource to be harnessed by the Republican Party, not a burden to be jettisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-devine/trump-s-enduring-appeal-is-a-resource-to-be-harnessed-by-the/)

[Miranda Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-devine/)

> [You don't have to be Sigmund Freud to surmise that war has a perverse appeal for the human race, nor is the attraction limited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-willis/you-don-t-have-to-be-sigmund-freud-to-surmise-that-war-has-a-perverse/)

[Ellen Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-willis/)

> [Chicks who dig home runs aren't the ones who appeal to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ichiro-suzuki/chicks-who-dig-home-runs-aren-t-the-ones-who-appeal-to-me/)

[Ichiro Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ichiro-suzuki/)

> [The dictum of the industry is such that I can't only do films that appeal to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biju-menon/the-dictum-of-the-industry-is-such-that-i-can-t-only-do-films-that/)

[Biju Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biju-menon/)

> [There was such mass appeal for 'Sharknado.' It went over so well - not just here in the United States but globally - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/there-was-such-mass-appeal-for-sharknado-it-went-over-so-well-not/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sends forth to you an earnest appeal. Open your doors to the missionaries. Open your minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-sends-forth-to-you-an/)

[Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/)

> [I'm not going to appeal to violence or aggression - of course not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/i-m-not-going-to-appeal-to-violence-or-aggression-of-course-not/)

[Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/)

> [I'm sorry, but Juicy Couture tracksuits and Ugg boots don't move me in any way, shape or form. I refuse to wear them. Modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imelda-may/i-m-sorry-but-juicy-couture-tracksuits-and-ugg-boots-don-t-move-me-in/)

[Imelda May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imelda-may/)

> [I think Trump is a very interesting candidate in this sense: I think he has cross-party appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-trump-is-a-very-interesting-candidate-in-this-sense-i-think/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [I think great songs appeal to people at any age. Kids love the Beatles, too. Kids love Tom T. Hall. Of course, Tom T.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-think-great-songs-appeal-to-people-at-any-age-kids-love-the-beatles/)

[Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/)

> [When you are producing for ABC, you are producing for a big tent network. So when you are thinking about your story lines and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sweeney/when-you-are-producing-for-abc-you-are-producing-for-a-big-tent/)

[Anne Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sweeney/)

> [In the long run, the people are our only appeal. The only ones who can free us are ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/in-the-long-run-the-people-are-our-only-appeal-the-only-ones-who-can/)

[Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/)

> [Barbarism is the absence of standards to which appeal can be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/barbarism-is-the-absence-of-standards-to-which-appeal-can-be-made/)

[Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/)

> [There is a certain androgyny to my appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/there-is-a-certain-androgyny-to-my-appeal/)

[Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/)

> [As a kid, there was a painting of 'Appeal to the Great Spirit' that I would see when I would get oatmeal bowls out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-henriksen/as-a-kid-there-was-a-painting-of-appeal-to-the-great-spirit-that-i/)

[Lance Henriksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-henriksen/)

[Browse all 432 Appeal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeal/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's barrister behaviour to say what you think will appeal to the person you're talking to, whoever it happens to be, whether it's true or not.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Mortimer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you-think-will-appeal-to-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Appeal"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you-think-will-appeal-to-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-mortimer-7362_appeal_it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you_1594811.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-mortimer-7362_appeal_it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you_1594811.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-mortimer-7362_appeal_it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you_1594811.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's barrister behaviour to say what you think will appeal to the person you're talking to, whoever it…” — John Mortimer",
                "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 Mortimer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's barrister behaviour to say what...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you-think-will-appeal-to-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/it-s-barrister-behaviour-to-say-what-you-think-will-appeal-to-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
