---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were old firemasters and bad…"
description: "\"“There were old firemasters and bad firemasters; there were no old bad firemasters”\" — Jon Courtenay Grimwood"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/jon-courtenay-grimwood-32379_fantasy-books_there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firem_2299654.jpg"
---

#  There were old firemasters and bad firemasters; there were…

![“There were old firemasters and bad firemasters; there were no old bad firemasters” quote by Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/jon-courtenay-grimwood-32379_fantasy-books_there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firem_2299654.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/jon-courtenay-grimwood-32379_fantasy-books_there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firem_2299654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/jon-courtenay-grimwood-32379_fantasy-books_there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firem_2299654.jpg)

> ““There were old firemasters and bad firemasters; there were no old bad firemasters””

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Experience shows that age does not guarantee competence; both old and bad can coexist.

**In simple terms:** Age doesn't ensure skill.

Key Takeaway

Assess ability, not age.

Themes

experience competence age bias

Mood

reflective critical

Type

organizational psychological

When to use this quote

- hiring
- team building
- performance reviews

Key Concepts

organizational behavior leadership assessment

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we evaluate competence fairly?
- What biases affect our perception of age and skill?

A Different Perspective

May overlook valuable experience in younger individuals.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fantasy books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy-books/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/)

## Related quotes

> [“I've been called many things in my time, but never a conduit of divinity- Cedric MacKinnon, My Fearful Symmetry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-verrico/i-ve-been-called-many-things-in-my-time-but-never-a-conduit-of/)

[Denise Verrico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-verrico/)

> [“Have no fear, mortal. You are a friend of the gods and of my kin. I will show restraint and not consume you. Yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-v-wilson/have-no-fear-mortal-you-are-a-friend-of-the-gods-and-of-my-kin-i-will/)

[K.V. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-v-wilson/)

> [I grew up feeling voiceless and powerless as a kid. I turned to books - fantasy books in particular - to give me comfort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabaa-tahir/i-grew-up-feeling-voiceless-and-powerless-as-a-kid-i-turned-to-books/)

[Sabaa Tahir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabaa-tahir/)

> [The way I felt growing up, which was like an outcast - I was weird, I was a nerd, I read fantasy books -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabaa-tahir/the-way-i-felt-growing-up-which-was-like-an-outcast-i-was-weird-i-was/)

[Sabaa Tahir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabaa-tahir/)

> [“Would you like me to put you out of your misery, before I put you out of your misery?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cude/would-you-like-me-to-put-you-out-of-your-misery-before-i-put-you-out/)

[Paul Cude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cude/)

> [“It all started when Dam went missing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-j-peters/it-all-started-when-dam-went-missing/)

[Andrew J. Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-j-peters/)

> [“I do tasks for the gods, usually things like tracking down rare items or taking someone safely to a destination." D'Molay the Freeman Tracker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-verne/i-do-tasks-for-the-gods-usually-things-like-tracking-down-rare-items/)

[M.Scott Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-verne/)

> [If your entire conception of what's possible in fantasy only comes from other fantasy books, you're going to go on to create a copy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/if-your-entire-conception-of-what-s-possible-in-fantasy-only-comes/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [Fantasy is silver and scarlet, indigo and azure, obsidian veined with gold and lapis lazuli.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/fantasy-is-silver-and-scarlet-indigo-and-azure-obsidian-veined-with/)

[George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/)

> [A child who can love the oddities of a fantasy book cannot possibly be xenophobic as an adult. What is a different color, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-yolen/a-child-who-can-love-the-oddities-of-a-fantasy-book-cannot-possibly/)

[Jane Yolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-yolen/)

> [“The dead can forgive. The dead can be forgiven. The rest of us have better things to do. (Monza Murcatto)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-dead-can-forgive-the-dead-can-be-forgiven-the-rest-of-us-have/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [So much of the way books get classified has to do with marketing decisions. I think it's more useful to think of literary books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/so-much-of-the-way-books-get-classified-has-to-do-with-marketing/)

[Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/)

> [“If you see the dragon fly, best you drink the flagon dry.” —Zarost”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-hamerton/if-you-see-the-dragon-fly-best-you-drink-the-flagon-dry-zarost/)

[Greg Hamerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-hamerton/)

> [“My heart almost vaulted out of my chest. I was snuggled against Ryan’s shoulder. We were burrowed under the cloak and sleeping bag, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-dogra/my-heart-almost-vaulted-out-of-my-chest-i-was-snuggled-against-ryan-s/)

[Sam Dogra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-dogra/)

> [“My love...you were insolent to a dragon? Please tell me that I misheard you just now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aida-jacobs/my-love-you-were-insolent-to-a-dragon-please-tell-me-that-i-misheard/)

[Aida Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aida-jacobs/)

## More by Jon Courtenay Grimwood

> [“No one could tie you tighter than you could tie yourself and it was the ropes you couldn't see that bound you tightest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/no-one-could-tie-you-tighter-than-you-could-tie-yourself-and-it-was/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [“She was herself, the original. Everyone else was just a copy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/she-was-herself-the-original-everyone-else-was-just-a-copy/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [There was something intrinsically sad about Shinjuku. A vacuum-packed hollowness that no quantity of neon could hide. Roppongi was the same, only there the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/there-was-something-intrinsically-sad-about-shinjuku-a-vacuum-packed/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [“We die every day," Kit said. "It's called being human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/we-die-every-day-kit-said-it-s-called-being-human/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [Geoff Nelder inhabits Science Fiction the way other people inhabit their clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/geoff-nelder-inhabits-science-fiction-the-way-other-people-inhabit/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [“Unfortunately, since there was only one of him, most of his riches were wasted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/unfortunately-since-there-was-only-one-of-him-most-of-his-riches-were/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [“that opening position in every negotiation. The one that said, out of the goodness of my heart I'm going to agree to rob you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/that-opening-position-in-every-negotiation-the-one-that-said-out-of/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [“He was just one of those people ... one of a thousand expats who'd dragged their unhappiness to the other side of the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/he-was-just-one-of-those-people-one-of-a-thousand-expats-who-d/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [“All beauty, according to Lady Katchatka, had its origins in pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/all-beauty-according-to-lady-katchatka-had-its-origins-in-pain/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [“Seems to be catching." "What is?" asked Neku. "Wanting Kit dead." Neku shrugged. "He was fucking the wife of a gang boss and bikers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/seems-to-be-catching-what-is-asked-neku-wanting-kit-dead-neku/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [“the answer was no, whatever her query was, except for those bits to which his answer was yes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/the-answer-was-no-whatever-her-query-was-except-for-those-bits-to/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [Half of Japan still couldn't tell the difference between crime and politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/half-of-japan-still-couldn-t-tell-the-difference-between-crime-and/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [“It followed that every act, whether the finding of a new proof for a complex mathematical problem or a twist of vision that turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/it-followed-that-every-act-whether-the-finding-of-a-new-proof-for-a/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

> [“No one owns you, I know that. No one owns me. No one owns anyone. We just get to borrow each for a while.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/no-one-owns-you-i-know-that-no-one-owns-me-no-one-owns-anyone-we-just/)

[Jon Courtenay Grimwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

[Explore all 15 Jon Courtenay Grimwood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/)

## More Fantasy books quotes

> [“I've been called many things in my time, but never a conduit of divinity- Cedric MacKinnon, My Fearful Symmetry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-verrico/i-ve-been-called-many-things-in-my-time-but-never-a-conduit-of/)

[Denise Verrico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-verrico/)

> [“My heart almost vaulted out of my chest. I was snuggled against Ryan’s shoulder. We were burrowed under the cloak and sleeping bag, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-dogra/my-heart-almost-vaulted-out-of-my-chest-i-was-snuggled-against-ryan-s/)

[Sam Dogra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-dogra/)

> [“If you see the dragon fly, best you drink the flagon dry.” —Zarost”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-hamerton/if-you-see-the-dragon-fly-best-you-drink-the-flagon-dry-zarost/)

[Greg Hamerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-hamerton/)

> [So much of the way books get classified has to do with marketing decisions. I think it's more useful to think of literary books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/so-much-of-the-way-books-get-classified-has-to-do-with-marketing/)

[Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/)

> [“The dead can forgive. The dead can be forgiven. The rest of us have better things to do. (Monza Murcatto)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-dead-can-forgive-the-dead-can-be-forgiven-the-rest-of-us-have/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [A child who can love the oddities of a fantasy book cannot possibly be xenophobic as an adult. What is a different color, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-yolen/a-child-who-can-love-the-oddities-of-a-fantasy-book-cannot-possibly/)

[Jane Yolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-yolen/)

> [Fantasy is silver and scarlet, indigo and azure, obsidian veined with gold and lapis lazuli.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/fantasy-is-silver-and-scarlet-indigo-and-azure-obsidian-veined-with/)

[George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/)

> [If your entire conception of what's possible in fantasy only comes from other fantasy books, you're going to go on to create a copy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/if-your-entire-conception-of-what-s-possible-in-fantasy-only-comes/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [“I do tasks for the gods, usually things like tracking down rare items or taking someone safely to a destination." D'Molay the Freeman Tracker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-verne/i-do-tasks-for-the-gods-usually-things-like-tracking-down-rare-items/)

[M.Scott Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-verne/)

> [“It all started when Dam went missing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-j-peters/it-all-started-when-dam-went-missing/)

[Andrew J. Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-j-peters/)

> [“Would you like me to put you out of your misery, before I put you out of your misery?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cude/would-you-like-me-to-put-you-out-of-your-misery-before-i-put-you-out/)

[Paul Cude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cude/)

> [The way I felt growing up, which was like an outcast - I was weird, I was a nerd, I read fantasy books -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabaa-tahir/the-way-i-felt-growing-up-which-was-like-an-outcast-i-was-weird-i-was/)

[Sabaa Tahir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabaa-tahir/)

> [I grew up feeling voiceless and powerless as a kid. I turned to books - fantasy books in particular - to give me comfort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabaa-tahir/i-grew-up-feeling-voiceless-and-powerless-as-a-kid-i-turned-to-books/)

[Sabaa Tahir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabaa-tahir/)

> [“Have no fear, mortal. You are a friend of the gods and of my kin. I will show restraint and not consume you. Yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-v-wilson/have-no-fear-mortal-you-are-a-friend-of-the-gods-and-of-my-kin-i-will/)

[K.V. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-v-wilson/)

> [“My love...you were insolent to a dragon? Please tell me that I misheard you just now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aida-jacobs/my-love-you-were-insolent-to-a-dragon-please-tell-me-that-i-misheard/)

[Aida Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aida-jacobs/)

[Browse all 63 Fantasy books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy-books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“There were old firemasters and bad firemasters; there were no old bad firemasters”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jon Courtenay Grimwood"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firemasters-there-were-no-old-bad/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fantasy books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firemasters-there-were-no-old-bad/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/jon-courtenay-grimwood-32379_fantasy-books_there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firem_2299654.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/jon-courtenay-grimwood-32379_fantasy-books_there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firem_2299654.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/jon-courtenay-grimwood-32379_fantasy-books_there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firem_2299654.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There were old firemasters and bad firemasters; there were no old bad firemasters” — Jon Courtenay Grimwood",
                "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": "Jon Courtenay Grimwood",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-courtenay-grimwood/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“There were old firemasters and bad...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firemasters-there-were-no-old-bad/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-courtenay-grimwood/there-were-old-firemasters-and-bad-firemasters-there-were-no-old-bad/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```