--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unconsciously I had discovered the…" description: "\"Unconsciously I had discovered the commentator's secret weapon-that so long as you can wield words, it isn't necessary to know what you're talking abou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/malcolm-forbes-1510_commentators_unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-comme_3118705.jpg" --- # Unconsciously I had discovered the commentator's secret… ![“Unconsciously I had discovered the commentator's secret weapon-that so long as you can wield words, it isn't necessary to know what you're talking about.” quote by Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/malcolm-forbes-1510_commentators_unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-comme_3118705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/malcolm-forbes-1510_commentators_unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-comme_3118705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/malcolm-forbes-1510_commentators_unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-comme_3118705.jpg) > “Unconsciously I had discovered the commentator's secret weapon-that so long as you can wield words, it isn't necessary to know what you're talking about.” [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words can be used as a tool of influence even without deep knowledge of the subject. **In simple terms:** Words can influence without expertise. Key Takeaway Use words wisely, seek understanding. Themes communication power knowledge Mood cautious critical Type advice insightful When to use this quote - political debate - media interviews - public speaking - education - leadership Key Concepts rhetoric influence expertise Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify the substance behind persuasive speech? - When is it ethical to use rhetoric without full knowledge? A Different Perspective Overreliance on rhetoric can mask ignorance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commentator Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commentator-secret-5466507/) [Commentators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commentators/) [Discovered Commentator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovered-commentator-5466508/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secret Weapon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-weapon-278382/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Unconsciously Discovered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unconsciously-discovered-5466509/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [Wield Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wield-words-2001028/) ## Related quotes > [“Great writers wield their words like a weapon; a double-edged sword to strike their readers with truth where they least expect it. -Matthew D.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-d-forgenti/great-writers-wield-their-words-like-a-weapon-a-double-edged-sword-to/) [Matthew D. Forgenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-d-forgenti/) > [Real writers-that is, capital W Writers-rarely make much money. Their biggest reward is the occasional reader's response… Commentators-in-print voicing big fat opinions-you might call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/real-writers-that-is-capital-w-writers-rarely-make-much-money-their/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Our fearlessness shall be our secret weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/our-fearlessness-shall-be-our-secret-weapon/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Kevin Freeman has been warning America’s leadership of the dangers of financial terrorism for the last three years. It is happening now and Kevin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-g-boykin/kevin-freeman-has-been-warning-america-s-leadership-of-the-dangers-of/) [William G. Boykin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-g-boykin/) > [A secret is a weapon and a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stephens/a-secret-is-a-weapon-and-a-friend/) [James Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stephens/) > [The person I call my secret weapon is an arranger, pianist and musical director, Herman Jackson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/the-person-i-call-my-secret-weapon-is-an-arranger-pianist-and-musical/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [We have always said that in our war with the Arabs we had a secret weapon - no alternative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golda-meir/we-have-always-said-that-in-our-war-with-the-arabs-we-had-a-secret/) [Golda Meir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/golda-meir/) > [“that was her edge. her secret weapon. she didnt give a shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/that-was-her-edge-her-secret-weapon-she-didnt-give-a-shit/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [One of the first rules of science is if somebody delivers a secret weapon to you, you better use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-simon/one-of-the-first-rules-of-science-is-if-somebody-delivers-a-secret/) [Herbert Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-simon/) > [They (fashion editors) have always been our secret weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-wintour/they-fashion-editors-have-always-been-our-secret-weapon/) [Anna Wintour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-wintour/) > [Human curiosity, the urge to know, is a powerful force and is perhaps the best secret weapon of all in the struggle to unravel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-klug/human-curiosity-the-urge-to-know-is-a-powerful-force-and-is-perhaps/) [Aaron Klug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-klug/) > [We have a secret weapon...it is called Nationalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ho-chi-minh/we-have-a-secret-weapon-it-is-called-nationalism/) [Ho Chi Minh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ho-chi-minh/) > [I have a secret weapon. And it could have something to do with special robot knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-imahara/i-have-a-secret-weapon-and-it-could-have-something-to-do-with-special/) [Grant Imahara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-imahara/) > [“Our fearless shall be our secret weapon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/our-fearless-shall-be-our-secret-weapon/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) ## More by Malcolm Forbes > [Once in a while there's wisdom in recognizing that the Boss is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/once-in-a-while-there-s-wisdom-in-recognizing-that-the-boss-is/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [ I don't think anybody can be a success who doesn't like what they do. \[But it's\] no job if it has no challenge; there's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/i-don-t-think-anybody-can-be-a-success-who-doesn-t-like-what-they-do/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Why, just a couple of economic seasons ago, was idle cash considered an indication of bad management or lazy management? Because it meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/why-just-a-couple-of-economic-seasons-ago-was-idle-cash-considered-an/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Real writers-that is, capital W Writers-rarely make much money. Their biggest reward is the occasional reader's response… Commentators-in-print voicing big fat opinions-you might call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/real-writers-that-is-capital-w-writers-rarely-make-much-money-their/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always be worse. And when they are, we find hope in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-things-are-bad-we-take-comfort-in-the-thought-that-they-could/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Some people as a result of adversity are sadder, wiser, kinder, more human. Most of us are better, though, when things go better. Knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/some-people-as-a-result-of-adversity-are-sadder-wiser-kinder-more/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [The best vision is insight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/the-best-vision-is-insight/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [When you don't understand, it's sometimes easier to look like you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-you-don-t-understand-it-s-sometimes-easier-to-look-like-you-do/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [It's so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/it-s-so-much-easier-to-suggest-solutions-when-you-don-t-know-too-much/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Security isn't securities. It's knowing that someone cares whether you are or cease to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/security-isn-t-securities-it-s-knowing-that-someone-cares-whether-you/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [It is unfortunate we can't buy many business executives for what they are worth and sell them for what they think they are worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/it-is-unfortunate-we-can-t-buy-many-business-executives-for-what-they/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [It is all one to me if a man comes from Sing Sing Prison or Harvard. We hire a man, not his history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/it-is-all-one-to-me-if-a-man-comes-from-sing-sing-prison-or-harvard/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Compliment others on the virtues they have; and they're not half as pleased as being complimented for the ones they don't have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/compliment-others-on-the-virtues-they-have-and-they-re-not-half-as/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [. . . the most difficult thing asked by our young is not our earnings but our ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/the-most-difficult-thing-asked-by-our-young-is-not-our-earnings-but/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) [Explore all 232 Malcolm Forbes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) ## More Commentators quotes > [The Dutch look like a huge jar of marmalade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-davies/the-dutch-look-like-a-huge-jar-of-marmalade/) [Barry Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-davies/) > [Real writers-that is, capital W Writers-rarely make much money. Their biggest reward is the occasional reader's response… Commentators-in-print voicing big fat opinions-you might call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/real-writers-that-is-capital-w-writers-rarely-make-much-money-their/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [For me, I try to look at a person's swagger and a little background on them if I already haven't liked them as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bivins/for-me-i-try-to-look-at-a-person-s-swagger-and-a-little-background-on/) [Michael Bivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bivins/) > [...a tale of too many cooks in the defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-brown/a-tale-of-too-many-cooks-in-the-defence/) [Ian Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-brown/) > [Change from below, the formulation of demands from the populace to end unacceptable injustice, supported by direct action, has played a far larger part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/change-from-below-the-formulation-of-demands-from-the-populace-to-end/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [ \[Wave of bestselling conservative commentators\] it's kind of like reading The Power Of Positive Thinking, or any other advice or how-to book. All they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/wave-of-bestselling-conservative-commentators-it-s-kind-of-like/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Liverpool are currently halfway through an unbeaten twelve-match run](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-parry/liverpool-are-currently-halfway-through-an-unbeaten-twelve-match-run/) [Alan Parry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-parry/) > [Welcome to Bologna on Capital Gold for England versus San Marino with Tennent's Pilsner, brewed with Czechoslovakian yeast for that extra Pilsner taste and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-pearce/welcome-to-bologna-on-capital-gold-for-england-versus-san-marino-with/) [Jonathan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-pearce/) > [I'm not a journalist. I'm a pundit. I'm a commentator, I'm somebody with an opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/i-m-not-a-journalist-i-m-a-pundit-i-m-a-commentator-i-m-somebody-with/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/) > [A full-blooded encounter for a number of reasons, many of them illegitimate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-champion/a-full-blooded-encounter-for-a-number-of-reasons-many-of-them/) [Jon Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-champion/) > [I find it so easy to read qualified commentators who are 180 degrees opposed to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-oliver/i-find-it-so-easy-to-read-qualified-commentators-who-are-180-degrees/) [Neil Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-oliver/) > [Neil Sullivan has stopped absolutely everything have thrown at him...Wimbledon 1, Manchester United 1.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ingham/neil-sullivan-has-stopped-absolutely-everything-have-thrown-at-him/) [Mike Ingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ingham/) > [The scoreline didn't really reflect the outcome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-gubba/the-scoreline-didn-t-really-reflect-the-outcome/) [Tony Gubba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-gubba/) > [In all my years as a news commentator I was never once, able to tell the truth, about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/in-all-my-years-as-a-news-commentator-i-was-never-once-able-to-tell/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [Lampard, as usual, arrived in the nick of time, but it wasn't quite soon enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-parry/lampard-as-usual-arrived-in-the-nick-of-time-but-it-wasn-t-quite-soon/) [Alan Parry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-parry/) [Browse all 250 Commentators quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commentators/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Unconsciously I had discovered the commentator's secret weapon-that so long as you can wield words, it isn't necessary to know what you're talking about.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm Forbes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-commentator-s-secret-weapon-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Commentators" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-commentator-s-secret-weapon-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/malcolm-forbes-1510_commentators_unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-comme_3118705.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/malcolm-forbes-1510_commentators_unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-comme_3118705.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/malcolm-forbes-1510_commentators_unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-comme_3118705.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Unconsciously I had discovered the commentator's secret weapon-that so long as you can wield words, it isn't…” — Malcolm Forbes", "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": "Malcolm Forbes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Unconsciously I had discovered the commentator's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-commentator-s-secret-weapon-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/unconsciously-i-had-discovered-the-commentator-s-secret-weapon-that/#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 } } ] } ```