--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a New Yorker is never having to say…" description: "\"Being a New Yorker is never having to say you are sorry.\" — Lily Tomlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/lily-tomlin-3278_devil-s-advocate_being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-sa_1272680.png" --- # Being a New Yorker is never having to say you are sorry. ![“Being a New Yorker is never having to say you are sorry.” quote by Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/lily-tomlin-3278_devil-s-advocate_being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-sa_1272680.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/lily-tomlin-3278_devil-s-advocate_being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-sa_1272680.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/lily-tomlin-3278_devil-s-advocate_being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-sa_1272680.png) > “Being a New Yorker is never having to say you are sorry.” [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. New Yorkers pride themselves on bluntness, never apologizing for their directness. **In simple terms:** New Yorkers never say sorry. Key Takeaway Embrace confidence and direct speech. Themes culture identity confidence Mood bold assertive Type cultural observational When to use this quote - public speaking - networking - customer service - media appearances Key Concepts urban sociology social norms assertiveness Questions to Reflect On - When is an apology appropriate? - How does bluntness affect relationships? A Different Perspective Apologizing can be a sign of empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil 's advocate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil-s-advocate/) [New yorker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-yorker/) [New yorkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-yorkers/) ## Related quotes > [Vasectomy means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-adler/vasectomy-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) Larry Adler > [Freedom, baby, is never having to say youre sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/freedom-baby-is-never-having-to-say-youre-sorry/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [Avant-garde means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ribot/avant-garde-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Marc Ribot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ribot/) > [Smoking means always having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ferguson/smoking-means-always-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Thomas Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ferguson/) > [“Love means having to say you're sorry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-myers/love-means-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) Chris Myers > [Love is always having to say I'm sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-irwin/love-is-always-having-to-say-i-m-sorry/) Bob Irwin > [Being Politically Correct means always having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-osgood/being-politically-correct-means-always-having-to-say-you-re-sorry-2/) [Charles Osgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-osgood/) > [Being unapologetic means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cooper-clarke/being-unapologetic-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [John Cooper Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cooper-clarke/) > [“Supervillain" means never having to say you're sorry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/supervillain-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do what you say you're going to do. Follow through means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/do-what-you-say-you-re-going-to-do-follow-through-means-never-having/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) > [Being a bureaucrat means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-domenech/being-a-bureaucrat-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Ben Domenech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-domenech/) > [Being an American means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-an-american-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Love means never having to say your are sorry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-means-never-having-to-say-your-are-sorry/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Vasectomy means not ever having to say you are sorry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-adler/vasectomy-means-not-ever-having-to-say-you-are-sorry/) Larry Adler > [“Power means never having to say you're sorry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-norman/power-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Matthew Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-norman/) ## More by Lily Tomlin > [If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-truth-is-beauty-how-come-no-one-has-their-hair-done-in-a-library/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“So if you've had a good time tonight, or if you've had a good time any night, for gosh sake's why not drop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/so-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-tonight-or-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-any/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/forgiveness-means-giving-up-all-hope-for-a-better-past/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I bought a box of animal crackers, but there was nothing inside. They'd eaten each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-bought-a-box-of-animal-crackers-but-there-was-nothing-inside-they-d/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Wouldn't it be great if we all grew up to be what we wanted to be? The world would be full of nurses, firemen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-we-all-grew-up-to-be-what-we-wanted-to-be-the/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [You know being relevant or coming up with something interesting, funny to say about what's current is just as hard as it might ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/you-know-being-relevant-or-coming-up-with-something-interesting-funny/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I wanted to be a stage actress. I wanted to be a New York actress and have a community with other actors. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-wanted-to-be-a-stage-actress-i-wanted-to-be-a-new-york-actress-and/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [We have reason to believe that man first walked upright to free his hands for masturbation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-have-reason-to-believe-that-man-first-walked-upright-to-free-his/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-don-t-care-we-don-t-have-to-we-re-the-phone-company/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/no-matter-how-cynical-i-get-i-can-t-keep-up/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [In the depths of the night, fear grips my heart. It paralyzes my mind. But most of all, I feel very, very alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/in-the-depths-of-the-night-fear-grips-my-heart-it-paralyzes-my-mind/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. And then I realized I was somebody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-always-wondered-why-somebody-didn-t-do-something-about-that-and/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/sometimes-i-worry-about-being-a-success-in-a-mediocre-world/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [And yet humanity is so not evolved that how can you expect anything absolutely major to happen? Look how long, we move ahead in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/and-yet-humanity-is-so-not-evolved-that-how-can-you-expect-anything/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [The whole idea of being in captivity in such limited space, especially in a zoo, causes elephants to suffer. They develop all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/the-whole-idea-of-being-in-captivity-in-such-limited-space-especially/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) [Explore all 135 Lily Tomlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## More Devil 's advocate quotes > [“In Hebrew, satan means an advocate of the alternative, the one who makes the arguments you don't know how to refute." Michelangelo looked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gidwitz/in-hebrew-satan-means-an-advocate-of-the-alternative-the-one-who/) [Adam Gidwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gidwitz/) > [Better to reign in hell than serve in heav'n.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/better-to-reign-in-hell-than-serve-in-heav-n/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Avant-garde means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ribot/avant-garde-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Marc Ribot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ribot/) > [Do Atheists believe in Devils' Advocates?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/do-atheists-believe-in-devils-advocates/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [Whenever you feel like feeling like a devil's advocate, Bible-thump. That, in a worldly world, is the great irony and satire of evangelism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/whenever-you-feel-like-feeling-like-a-devil-s-advocate-bible-thump/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Encourage dissent: Leaders should have associates who have contrary views, who are devil's advocates, "variance sensors" who can tell them the difference between what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/encourage-dissent-leaders-should-have-associates-who-have-contrary/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [“When the late Pope John Paul II decided to place the woman so strangely known as “Mother” Teresa on the fast track for beatification,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/when-the-late-pope-john-paul-ii-decided-to-place-the-woman-so/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [You sharpen the human appetite to the point where it can split atoms with its desire; you build egos the size of cathedrals; fiber-optically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/you-sharpen-the-human-appetite-to-the-point-where-it-can-split-atoms/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [People have confused playing devil's advocate with being intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-strong/people-have-confused-playing-devil-s-advocate-with-being-intelligent/) [Cecily Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-strong/) > [If you give people an idea these days, they just think you are sharing it with them so they can critique it, play devil's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/if-you-give-people-an-idea-these-days-they-just-think-you-are-sharing/) [Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [Look, but don't touch. Touch, but don't taste. Taste, but don't swallow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/look-but-don-t-touch-touch-but-don-t-taste-taste-but-don-t-swallow/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [I hate people who say 'Just to play devil's advocate.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/i-hate-people-who-say-just-to-play-devil-s-advocate/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [ This does not mean that the profession is about to abandon Darwin forever or indorse \[sic\] my views publicly. The situation remains much as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-macbeth/this-does-not-mean-that-the-profession-is-about-to-abandon-darwin/) [Norman Macbeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-macbeth/) > [Vasectomy means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-adler/vasectomy-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) Larry Adler > [Freedom, baby, is never having to say youre sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/freedom-baby-is-never-having-to-say-youre-sorry/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) [Browse all 25 Devil 's advocate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil-s-advocate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being a New Yorker is never having to say you are sorry.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lily Tomlin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-say-you-are-sorry/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devil 's advocate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-say-you-are-sorry/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/lily-tomlin-3278_devil-s-advocate_being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-sa_1272680.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/lily-tomlin-3278_devil-s-advocate_being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-sa_1272680.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/lily-tomlin-3278_devil-s-advocate_being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-sa_1272680.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Being a New Yorker is never having to say you are sorry.” — Lily Tomlin", "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": "Lily Tomlin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Being a New Yorker is never...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-say-you-are-sorry/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/being-a-new-yorker-is-never-having-to-say-you-are-sorry/#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 } } ] } ```