---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, a general danger of punditry is…"
description: "\"Well, a general danger of punditry is that there's very little incentive to change your position or admit error. If you reverse your position, the peop..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/max-boot-4274_change_well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-tha_936252.jpg"
---

#  Well, a general danger of punditry is that there's very…

![“Well, a general danger of punditry is that there's very little incentive to change your position or admit error. If you reverse your position, the people who backed you before will be unhappy, but a lot of the people who now agree with you will still pillory you.” quote by Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/max-boot-4274_change_well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-tha_936252.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/max-boot-4274_change_well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-tha_936252.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/max-boot-4274_change_well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-tha_936252.jpg)

> “Well, a general danger of punditry is that there's very little incentive to change your position or admit error. If you reverse your position, the people who backed you before will be unhappy, but a lot of the people who now agree with you will still pillory you.”

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

## About This Quote

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

Pundits lack motivation to revise views because changing stance alienates former supporters and invites criticism from new ones.

**In simple terms:** Pundits resist changing opinions due to social pressure.

Key Takeaway

Stay open to correction despite backlash.

Themes

integrity accountability public discourse

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- political commentary
- media analysis
- academic debate

Key Concepts

cognitive bias social conformity reputation management

Questions to Reflect On

- How can one encourage honest self‑correction?
- What structures protect truth‑seeking over popularity?

A Different Perspective

Changing views may damage credibility and career prospects.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Backed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backed/) [Backed Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backed-unhappy-1564284/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Danger Punditry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger-punditry-1564283/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Position People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position-people-782422/) [Reverse Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverse-position-1564285/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/)

## Related quotes

> [I think I fit into any type of system because I don't really have a certain position. Sometimes people try and label me, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zion-williamson/i-think-i-fit-into-any-type-of-system-because-i-don-t-really-have-a/)

[Zion Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zion-williamson/)

> [“Security comes first from inside of you. Then, if you are very lucky, you will be in a position to find other people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-d-ravenscroft/security-comes-first-from-inside-of-you-then-if-you-are-very-lucky/)

[Anthony D. Ravenscroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-d-ravenscroft/)

> [Any movie that gets made and ends up in a position where people are coming to talk about it, it's not a small thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cavanagh/any-movie-that-gets-made-and-ends-up-in-a-position-where-people-are/)

[Tom Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cavanagh/)

> [I listen to the people that know the position. People that coach me. People that I always seek advice from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-carr/i-listen-to-the-people-that-know-the-position-people-that-coach-me/)

[Derek Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-carr/)

> [You don't actually have control of the position people want you to be in. If they say, 'You king of the blacks,' you're king…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/you-don-t-actually-have-control-of-the-position-people-want-you-to-be/)

[Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/)

> [Some people can get away with being very sexy to men and not looking like a complete cow, but I didn't think I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-can-get-away-with-being-very-sexy-to-men-and-not-looking/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'd much rather be in this position where people might be talking about me as a contender than turning up and sort of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-fleetwood/i-d-much-rather-be-in-this-position-where-people-might-be-talking/)

[Tommy Fleetwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-fleetwood/)

> [In short, it is the position of the people of the United States, as expressed by their representatives in Congress, that Israel's fight is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/in-short-it-is-the-position-of-the-people-of-the-united-states-as/)

[Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/)

> [I never, ever want to be in a position where people are sitting round a table, saying, 'We've got this book. I don't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-faber/i-never-ever-want-to-be-in-a-position-where-people-are-sitting-round/)

[Michel Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-faber/)

> [I want to be in this position for people to be able to see I made it. I'm gay, I made it. You can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-nunes/i-want-to-be-in-this-position-for-people-to-be-able-to-see-i-made-it/)

[Amanda Nunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-nunes/)

> [It's a privilege to be in this position, to have people want to talk to me, to have people want to hear my story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deshaun-watson/it-s-a-privilege-to-be-in-this-position-to-have-people-want-to-talk/)

[Deshaun Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deshaun-watson/)

> [You are a coward when you even seem to have backed down from a thing you openly set out to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/you-are-a-coward-when-you-even-seem-to-have-backed-down-from-a-thing/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [My songs are all about celebrating poignant music. While some of them focus on fun and revelry, they are fortunately backed by powerful lyrics.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-kher/my-songs-are-all-about-celebrating-poignant-music-while-some-of-them/)

[Kailash Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-kher/)

> [We have to start processing what we're really made of in America. American character is not dead. American integrity and honesty are not dead.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/we-have-to-start-processing-what-we-re-really-made-of-in-america/)

[Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/)

> [Basically, Pizza Hut just backed out on the ad agency at the last minute. They got fired and we got fired. It was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-ween/basically-pizza-hut-just-backed-out-on-the-ad-agency-at-the-last/)

[Gene Ween](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-ween/)

## More by Max Boot

> [The history of the modern Republican Party is the story of moderates being driven out and conservatives taking over - and then of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/the-history-of-the-modern-republican-party-is-the-story-of-moderates/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [“There were few more unlikely candidates in 1611 for Great Power status than Sweden. Even with its satrapy of Finland, the total population numbered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/there-were-few-more-unlikely-candidates-in-1611-for-great-power/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [The John F. Kennedy presidency, with its glittering court of Camelot, cemented the impression that it was the Democrats who represented the thinking men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/the-john-f-kennedy-presidency-with-its-glittering-court-of-camelot/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [There are two kinds of people: Those who like active vacations and those who like sedentary vacations. I'm one of the weird hybrids who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-those-who-like-active-vacations-and/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [Silence is complicity. All Republicans who stand mute in the face of Trump's latest racism are telling you who they really are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/silence-is-complicity-all-republicans-who-stand-mute-in-the-face-of/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [Joe Biden stands out from other Democratic candidates not just by taking on President Trump directly but also by seeking to separate Trump from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/joe-biden-stands-out-from-other-democratic-candidates-not-just-by/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [What would I do now, at age 48, if I were deported to a country that I have not seen in more than 40…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/what-would-i-do-now-at-age-48-if-i-were-deported-to-a-country-that-i/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [Neoconservatism' once had a real meaning - back in the 1970s. But the label has now become meaningless. With many of those who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/neoconservatism-once-had-a-real-meaning-back-in-the-1970s-but-the/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [To win in 2020, a Democratic nominee will need to win back voters in key Midwestern states who supported Trump in 2016.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/to-win-in-2020-a-democratic-nominee-will-need-to-win-back-voters-in/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [Olga E. Kagan was the strongest woman I knew - and probably the reason I've spent my life with other strong women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/olga-e-kagan-was-the-strongest-woman-i-knew-and-probably-the-reason-i/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [“But in the military sphere, just as in science, economics, art, or culture, change is not evenly distributed across space and time. Sometimes innovations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/but-in-the-military-sphere-just-as-in-science-economics-art-or/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [Thirty years on, I am no longer as certain about anything as I was at age 20. I now regret my support for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/thirty-years-on-i-am-no-longer-as-certain-about-anything-as-i-was-at/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [The 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, has not so far provoked the kind of anguished debate that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/the-60th-anniversary-of-the-atomic-bombing-of-hiroshima-on-aug-6-1945/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [“The dominance of the man on horseback was challenged during the fourteenth century in what some historians call the infantry revolution. English longbowmen and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/the-dominance-of-the-man-on-horseback-was-challenged-during-the/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

> [“a crucial element of English success was their commanders’ ability to learn on the fly, make adjustments, and attempt new tactics. The Spanish paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/a-crucial-element-of-english-success-was-their-commanders-ability-to/)

[Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

[Explore all 113 Max Boot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/)

## More Backed quotes

> [Basically, Pizza Hut just backed out on the ad agency at the last minute. They got fired and we got fired. It was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-ween/basically-pizza-hut-just-backed-out-on-the-ad-agency-at-the-last/)

[Gene Ween](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-ween/)

> [We have to start processing what we're really made of in America. American character is not dead. American integrity and honesty are not dead.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/we-have-to-start-processing-what-we-re-really-made-of-in-america/)

[Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/)

> [My songs are all about celebrating poignant music. While some of them focus on fun and revelry, they are fortunately backed by powerful lyrics.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-kher/my-songs-are-all-about-celebrating-poignant-music-while-some-of-them/)

[Kailash Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-kher/)

> [You are a coward when you even seem to have backed down from a thing you openly set out to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/you-are-a-coward-when-you-even-seem-to-have-backed-down-from-a-thing/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [I think one game we played the Oakland Raiders and Jack Tatum and I had an accident on the one-yard line. The only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-think-one-game-we-played-the-oakland-raiders-and-jack-tatum-and-i/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [Yes, we were looking for a Faith spin-off, but then Faith backed down. Eliza got a really wonderful offer over on Fox in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsters/yes-we-were-looking-for-a-faith-spin-off-but-then-faith-backed-down/)

[James Marsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsters/)

> [Our fanbase have always backed the music. They will follow you through the depths of hell and that's something I love about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calum-hood/our-fanbase-have-always-backed-the-music-they-will-follow-you-through/)

[Calum Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calum-hood/)

> [There are many people who believe in me and have backed me. I owe it to them - and not just to myself -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravichandran-ashwin/there-are-many-people-who-believe-in-me-and-have-backed-me-i-owe-it/)

[Ravichandran Ashwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravichandran-ashwin/)

> [It is best to be born in April or August when the life-giving Sun is in its exaltation sign Aries or Leo, its home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-heindel/it-is-best-to-be-born-in-april-or-august-when-the-life-giving-sun-is/)

[Max Heindel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-heindel/)

> [I'm not backed by the super PACs and the big corporations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-messam/i-m-not-backed-by-the-super-pacs-and-the-big-corporations/)

[Wayne Messam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-messam/)

> [There will always be, within a party, people who backed one candidate versus people who backed another, and there will be factions in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/there-will-always-be-within-a-party-people-who-backed-one-candidate/)

[Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/)

> [Yes, I backed the hula hoop. And I had a lot of other people come to me with ideas that turned out well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-linkletter/yes-i-backed-the-hula-hoop-and-i-had-a-lot-of-other-people-come-to-me/)

[Art Linkletter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-linkletter/)

> [I moved further and further away from mass entertainment. The sexual element became increasingly sinister and bizarre. Don't blame me! The bastards drove me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-moved-further-and-further-away-from-mass-entertainment-the-sexual/)

[Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/)

> [Every presidential candidate highlights patriotism, but Mr. Romney's is backed by the Mormon belief that the United States was chosen by God to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-kantor/every-presidential-candidate-highlights-patriotism-but-mr-romney-s-is/)

[Jodi Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-kantor/)

> [I've been chastised for going into mixed martial arts and backing out. But the reason I backed out was the terms - they wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-angle/i-ve-been-chastised-for-going-into-mixed-martial-arts-and-backing-out/)

[Kurt Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-angle/)

[Browse all 55 Backed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backed/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Well, a general danger of punditry is that there's very little incentive to change your position or admit error. If you reverse your position, the people who backed you before will be unhappy, but a lot of the people who now agree with you will still pillory you.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Max Boot"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-that-there-s-very-little/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Backed"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-that-there-s-very-little/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/max-boot-4274_change_well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-tha_936252.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/max-boot-4274_change_well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-tha_936252.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/max-boot-4274_change_well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-tha_936252.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Well, a general danger of punditry is that there's very little incentive to change your position or admit…” — Max Boot",
                "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": "Max Boot",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Well, a general danger of punditry...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-that-there-s-very-little/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/well-a-general-danger-of-punditry-is-that-there-s-very-little/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
