--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The moment that you place blame…" description: "\"The moment that you place blame somewhere, you undermine your resolve to change anything.\" — Joseph Brodsky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/joseph-brodsky-1225_blame_the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewher_1329389.png" --- # The moment that you place blame somewhere, you undermine… ![“The moment that you place blame somewhere, you undermine your resolve to change anything.” quote by Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/joseph-brodsky-1225_blame_the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewher_1329389.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/joseph-brodsky-1225_blame_the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewher_1329389.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/joseph-brodsky-1225_blame_the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewher_1329389.png) > “The moment that you place blame somewhere, you undermine your resolve to change anything.” [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blaming others erodes personal agency and the ability to effect change. **In simple terms:** Blame weakens resolve to act. Key Takeaway Take responsibility to empower change. Themes personal responsibility agency self‑reflection Mood critical motivational Type psychological self‑help When to use this quote - conflict resolution - self‑improvement - leadership Key Concepts psychological empowerment accountability Questions to Reflect On - How does blame affect your motivation? - What steps can you take to shift from blame to action? A Different Perspective Blame can become a habit that stalls progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Resolve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolve/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [If you have a strong mind and plant in it a firm resolve, you can change your destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/if-you-have-a-strong-mind-and-plant-in-it-a-firm-resolve-you-can/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [If you are dissatisfied with they way things are, then you have got to resolve to change them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/if-you-are-dissatisfied-with-they-way-things-are-then-you-have-got-to/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) > [What is really disappointing about this president is not just lack of leadership, but his tendency to always place the blame for his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/what-is-really-disappointing-about-this-president-is-not-just-lack-of/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [People don't want to accept the responsibility for their own weakness, so they place the blame on something that they're not responsible for, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/people-don-t-want-to-accept-the-responsibility-for-their-own-weakness/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“Why do people, when they are wrong, twist the conversation around and place the blame on someone else?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-grossman/why-do-people-when-they-are-wrong-twist-the-conversation-around-and/) [Hilary Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-grossman/) > [“responsibility…most humans create situations where if they were at fault, they would have room to place blame on another element of the equation. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-butler/responsibility-most-humans-create-situations-where-if-they-were-at/) [Jamie Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-butler/) > [“In sum," Midlife said, giving the room his best you-the-jury baritone, "Our defense will be...?" He looked to Matt for the answer/ "Blame the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/in-sum-midlife-said-giving-the-room-his-best-you-the-jury-baritone/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) > [It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you place the blame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-s-not-whether-you-win-or-lose-it-s-how-you-place-the-blame/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [When life does not go our way or we inadvertently make a mistake, it is so easy to make excuses, place blame on others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/when-life-does-not-go-our-way-or-we-inadvertently-make-a-mistake-it/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Its always easier to place the blame on someone else. Accepting responsibility for one's actions is not a key trait for many!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-always-easier-to-place-the-blame-on-someone-else-accepting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its SO much easier to place the blame on others, but we must learn to be 100% accountable for ourselves. We have a personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-lahart/its-so-much-easier-to-place-the-blame-on-others-but-we-must-learn-to/) [Stephanie Lahart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-lahart/) > [When therefore we are hindered, or disturbed, or grieved, let us never attribute it to others, but to ourselves; that is, to our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/when-therefore-we-are-hindered-or-disturbed-or-grieved-let-us-never/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [It's not how you play the game, it's how you place the blame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-simpson/it-s-not-how-you-play-the-game-it-s-how-you-place-the-blame/) Don Simpson > [Learning by example is valid, but when you have the information to know that turning in a certain direction can lead you to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/learning-by-example-is-valid-but-when-you-have-the-information-to/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [What I do believe happens in a lot of these cases is that we somehow want to place blame on the victim for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-cooper/what-i-do-believe-happens-in-a-lot-of-these-cases-is-that-we-somehow/) [Sharon Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-cooper/) ## More by Joseph Brodsky > [As long as the state permits itself to interfere in the affairs of literature, literature has the right to interfere with the affairs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/as-long-as-the-state-permits-itself-to-interfere-in-the-affairs-of/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [For some odd reason, the expression 'death of a poet' always sounds somewhat more concrete than 'life of a poet.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/for-some-odd-reason-the-expression-death-of-a-poet-always-sounds/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [A poet is a combination of an instrument and a human being in one person, with the former gradually taking over the latter. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/a-poet-is-a-combination-of-an-instrument-and-a-human-being-in-one/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [On the whole, love comes with the speed of light; separation, with that of sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/on-the-whole-love-comes-with-the-speed-of-light-separation-with-that/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [“In the business of writing, what one accumulates is not experience but uncertainties.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/in-the-business-of-writing-what-one-accumulates-is-not-experience-but/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [I haven't shifted language. I'm writing in English because I like it. I'm a sucker for the language, but the good old poems I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/i-haven-t-shifted-language-i-m-writing-in-english-because-i-like-it-i/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [Perhaps the best proof of the Almighty's existence is that we never know when we are to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/perhaps-the-best-proof-of-the-almighty-s-existence-is-that-we-never/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [I grew up in the sort of cultural milieu that always regarded conversations about the political discourse as tremendously low-brow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/i-grew-up-in-the-sort-of-cultural-milieu-that-always-regarded/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [“What gets left of a man amounts to a part. To his spoken part. To a part of speech”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/what-gets-left-of-a-man-amounts-to-a-part-to-his-spoken-part-to-a/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [“secrecy is a hotbed of vanity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/secrecy-is-a-hotbed-of-vanity/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [“The instinctive preference was to read rather than to act. No wonder our actual lives were more or less a shambles”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/the-instinctive-preference-was-to-read-rather-than-to-act-no-wonder/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [Americans have been tremendously fortunate in poetry, regarding both the quantity and quality of poetry produced. Unfortunately, it remains in schools and universities; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/americans-have-been-tremendously-fortunate-in-poetry-regarding-both/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [Life—the way it really is—is a battle not between good and bad, but between bad and worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/life-the-way-it-really-is-is-a-battle-not-between-good-and-bad-but/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [Poems, novels - these things belong to the nation, to the culture, and the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/poems-novels-these-things-belong-to-the-nation-to-the-culture-and-the/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [“If there is any substitute for love, it is memory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/if-there-is-any-substitute-for-love-it-is-memory/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) [Explore all 264 Joseph Brodsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) ## More Blame quotes > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. Me girlfriend sort of blames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/me-mum-used-to-always-have-the-radio-on-even-now-she-has-it-on-in/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-the-great/i-like-to-praise-and-reward-loudly-to-blame-quietly/) [Catherine the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-the-great/) > [Some of the things that I said I hated to say, but blame yourself mother fucker you made it this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedi-mind-tricks/some-of-the-things-that-i-said-i-hated-to-say-but-blame-yourself/) [Jedi Mind Tricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jedi-mind-tricks/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In places where government priorities and market imperatives create a world so capricious that to help a neighbor is to risk your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/in-places-where-government-priorities-and-market-imperatives-create-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't blame anyone .. I did this to myself .. It's my fault .. Everything is my FAULT ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nurnizz95/i-don-t-blame-anyone-i-did-this-to-myself-it-s-my-fault-everything-is/) Nurnizz95 > [“They would congratulate themselves every morning on keeping their integrity, and blame themselves each night for that missed opportunity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/they-would-congratulate-themselves-every-morning-on-keeping-their/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. So I try to choose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-aronofsky/i-try-to-live-my-life-where-i-end-up-at-a-point-where-i-have-no/) [Darren Aronofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-aronofsky/) > [How come you don't feel that magic in the air? I guess I knew you'll never be there. I guess I knew you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-come-you-don-t-feel-that-magic-in-the-air-i-guess-i-knew-you-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am down mentally. I can't understand how it happened and who is to blame? I don't know why the ground was rolled before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yeasin-khan/i-am-down-mentally-i-can-t-understand-how-it-happened-and-who-is-to/) Yeasin Khan > [A refusal to admit one's mistake & not accepting responsibility for that mistake by blaming everyone else, is d beginning of one's decline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-refusal-to-admit-one-s-mistake-not-accepting-responsibility-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Listen, the guy was not created by coverage from MSNBC and CNN. If you want to blame us for making Donald Trump president because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/listen-the-guy-was-not-created-by-coverage-from-msnbc-and-cnn-if-you/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) Browse all 3,779 Blame quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The moment that you place blame somewhere, you undermine your resolve to change anything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Brodsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewhere-you-undermine-your-resolve/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blame" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewhere-you-undermine-your-resolve/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/joseph-brodsky-1225_blame_the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewher_1329389.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/joseph-brodsky-1225_blame_the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewher_1329389.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/joseph-brodsky-1225_blame_the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewher_1329389.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The moment that you place blame somewhere, you undermine your resolve to change anything.” — Joseph Brodsky", "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": "Joseph Brodsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The moment that you place blame...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewhere-you-undermine-your-resolve/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/the-moment-that-you-place-blame-somewhere-you-undermine-your-resolve/#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 } } ] } ```