--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When (an advocate) is not thoroughly…" description: "\"When (an advocate) is not thoroughly acquainted with the real strength and weakness of his cause, he knows not where to choose the most impressive argu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/john-quincy-adams-2098_accuracy_when-an-advocate-is-not-thoroughly-acqua_344687.png" --- # When (an advocate) is not thoroughly acquainted with the… ![“When (an advocate) is not thoroughly acquainted with the real strength and weakness of his cause, he knows not where to choose the most impressive argument. When the mark is shrouded in obscurity, the only substitute for accuracy in the aim is in the multitude of the shafts.” quote by John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/john-quincy-adams-2098_accuracy_when-an-advocate-is-not-thoroughly-acqua_344687.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/john-quincy-adams-2098_accuracy_when-an-advocate-is-not-thoroughly-acqua_344687.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/john-quincy-adams-2098_accuracy_when-an-advocate-is-not-thoroughly-acqua_344687.png) > “When (an advocate) is not thoroughly acquainted with the real strength and weakness of his cause, he knows not where to choose the most impressive argument. When the mark is shrouded in obscurity, the only substitute for accuracy in the aim is in the multitude of the shafts.” [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding a cause's strengths and weaknesses is essential to selecting the most compelling arguments; without that knowledge, one resorts to many weak points. **In simple terms:** Know your cause well to argue effectively. Key Takeaway Study your cause before debating. Themes strategy argumentation knowledge Mood thoughtful analytical Type advisory reflective When to use this quote - legal debates - policy advocacy - campaign speeches - public forums Key Concepts political rhetoric critical analysis Questions to Reflect On - How can you assess the true strengths of your position? - What risks arise from relying on many weak arguments? A Different Perspective If knowledge is shallow, arguments may appear forceful but lack substance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accuracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accuracy/) [Advocate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advocate/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Obscurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obscurity/) [Real strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-strength/) [Strength and weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-and-weakness/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) ## Related quotes > [“Ut saepe summa ingenia in occulto latent (How often the greatest talents are shrouded in obscurity)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/ut-saepe-summa-ingenia-in-occulto-latent-how-often-the-greatest/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [real strength is not hitting when what you most want to do is kill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/real-strength-is-not-hitting-when-what-you-most-want-to-do-is-kill/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [“Forgiveness is the real strength in us all. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/when-terrorists-attacked-the-symbols-of-our-national-unity-and/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [You can always take the easy way out and give up, but real strength comes when you decide to keep pushing forward no matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-rose/you-can-always-take-the-easy-way-out-and-give-up-but-real-strength/) [Whitney Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-rose/) > [“What’s more, lament is a pathway. Honest expression to God makes way for God to come and work His real healing. Lament is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-fleece/what-s-more-lament-is-a-pathway-honest-expression-to-god-makes-way/) Esther Fleece ## More by John Quincy Adams > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [About one-half of the members of Congress are seekers for office at the nomination of the President. Of the remainder, at least one-half have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/about-one-half-of-the-members-of-congress-are-seekers-for-office-at/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [ ...he \[Muhammad\] declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind...The precept of the Koran is,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/he-muhammad-declared-undistinguishing-and-exterminating-war-as-a-part/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [A man's diary is a record in youth of his sentiments, in middle age of his actions, in old age of his reflections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/a-man-s-diary-is-a-record-in-youth-of-his-sentiments-in-middle-age-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [There still remains one effort of magnanimity, one sacrifice of prejudice and passion, to be made by the individuals throughout the nation who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/there-still-remains-one-effort-of-magnanimity-one-sacrifice-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [To live without having a Cicero and a Tacitus at hand seems to me as if it was aprivation of one of my limbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/to-live-without-having-a-cicero-and-a-tacitus-at-hand-seems-to-me-as/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [ The Law given from Sinai \[The Ten Commandments\] was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/the-law-given-from-sinai-the-ten-commandments-was-a-civil-and/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Whoever tells the best story wins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/whoever-tells-the-best-story-wins/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will be America's heart, her benedictions and her prayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/wherever-the-standard-of-freedom-and-independence-has-been-or-shall/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The gigantic intellect, the envious temper, the ravenous ambition and the rotten heart of Daniel Webster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/the-gigantic-intellect-the-envious-temper-the-ravenous-ambition-and/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [“If the fundamental principles in the Declaration of Independence, as self-evident truths, are real truths, the existence of slavery, in any form, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/if-the-fundamental-principles-in-the-declaration-of-independence-as/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Individual liberty is individual power, and as the power of a community is a mass compounded of individual powers, the nation which enjoys the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/individual-liberty-is-individual-power-and-as-the-power-of-a/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Of all persecuted sects, the Baptists stand forth as most prominent, simply and only because they aim at a more complete and thorough reform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/of-all-persecuted-sects-the-baptists-stand-forth-as-most-prominent/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [“It is my wish to fill every moment of my time with some action of the mind which may contribute to the pleasure or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/it-is-my-wish-to-fill-every-moment-of-my-time-with-some-action-of-the/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Not stones, nor wood, nor the art of artisans make a state; but where men are who know how to take care of themselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/not-stones-nor-wood-nor-the-art-of-artisans-make-a-state-but-where/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) [Explore all 186 John Quincy Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) ## More Accuracy quotes > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. 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In hardware if you screw it up you are dead. So accuracy really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/in-software-speed-to-market-speed-to-learning-is-really-key-in/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Lawyers tend to be bright people. They tend to be-much more than many journalists I've encountered-sticklers for detail and accuracy, and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/lawyers-tend-to-be-bright-people-they-tend-to-be-much-more-than-many/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [There's a simplicity in typography that demands absolute accuracy... the only way you can experience it is by doing it, and you can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-maag/there-s-a-simplicity-in-typography-that-demands-absolute-accuracy-the/) Bruno Maag > [“The only thing that words can do with any real precision or accuracy is hang together. Accuracy of description in language is not possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/the-only-thing-that-words-can-do-with-any-real-precision-or-accuracy/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Am I accurately reporting what I see in such a blossom? The answer is no ... and yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-lacy/am-i-accurately-reporting-what-i-see-in-such-a-blossom-the-answer-is/) [Allen Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-lacy/) > [Only by being suspended aloft, by dangling my mind in the heavens and mingling my rare thought with the ethereal air, could I ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/only-by-being-suspended-aloft-by-dangling-my-mind-in-the-heavens-and/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [Without much accuracy, with strangely little love at all, your family will decide for you exactly who you are, and they'll keep nudging, coaxing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-gurganus/without-much-accuracy-with-strangely-little-love-at-all-your-family/) [Allan Gurganus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-gurganus/) > [The federal government is starting to plan for climate change by making extended forecasts that can help people plan for extreme weather - because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/the-federal-government-is-starting-to-plan-for-climate-change-by/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [Nobody sees reality whole; we all need others to show us the parts of it that they see better than we do. 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