--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We practically always excuse things when…" description: "\"We practically always excuse things when we understand them\" — Mikhail Lermontov" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/mikhail-lermontov-9000_excuse_we-practically-always-excuse-things-when_1371616.jpg" --- # We practically always excuse things when we understand them ![“We practically always excuse things when we understand them” quote by Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/mikhail-lermontov-9000_excuse_we-practically-always-excuse-things-when_1371616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/mikhail-lermontov-9000_excuse_we-practically-always-excuse-things-when_1371616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/mikhail-lermontov-9000_excuse_we-practically-always-excuse-things-when_1371616.jpg) > “We practically always excuse things when we understand them” [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding a behavior often leads to rationalizing it, which can excuse accountability. **In simple terms:** Understanding can become an excuse. Key Takeaway Avoid using insight to avoid responsibility. Themes responsibility psychology excuse accountability Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - leadership - education - conflict resolution - personal growth Key Concepts cognitive bias justification self‑deception Questions to Reflect On - When have you excused a mistake? - How can you turn understanding into change? A Different Perspective Insight alone doesn't change actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Excuse Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse-things-1517928/) [Practically Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practically-excuse-4724674/) [Things Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-understand/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) ## Related quotes > [Stop giving yourself a way out. Stop giving yourself an excuse to get out of things you're supposed to do. Get up and do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/stop-giving-yourself-a-way-out-stop-giving-yourself-an-excuse-to-get/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [When I was in college I did a lot of stupid things and I don't want to make an excuse for that. Some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/when-i-was-in-college-i-did-a-lot-of-stupid-things-and-i-don-t-want/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [I don't think you have to have experienced things to understand them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birdy/i-don-t-think-you-have-to-have-experienced-things-to-understand-them/) [Birdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birdy/) > [We look for things I can understand. A lot of businesses I don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/we-look-for-things-i-can-understand-a-lot-of-businesses-i-don-t/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Things I don't understand don't destroy my faith in the things I do understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-l-evans/things-i-don-t-understand-don-t-destroy-my-faith-in-the-things-i-do/) [Richard L. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-l-evans/) > [“Constance helped Mick see that there are never any sides. Only things we understand and things we have chosen to pretend we don't understand.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gran/constance-helped-mick-see-that-there-are-never-any-sides-only-things/) [Sara Gran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gran/) > [I see things and I hear things I do not understand. I'm a skilled, resourceful... vegetable!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ludlum/i-see-things-and-i-hear-things-i-do-not-understand-i-m-a-skilled/) [Robert Ludlum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ludlum/) > [It is the duty of the human understanding to understand that there are things which it cannot understand, and what those things are. 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Not only must you learn to live with this, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-are-things-you-cannot-understand-and-you-must-learn-to-live/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## More by Mikhail Lermontov > [I love enemies, though not in the Christian way. They amuse me, excite my blood. Being always on one’s guard, catching every glance, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/i-love-enemies-though-not-in-the-christian-way-they-amuse-me-excite/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) > [In simple hearts the feeling for the beauty and grandeur of nature is a hundred-fold stronger and more vivid than in us, ecstatic composers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/in-simple-hearts-the-feeling-for-the-beauty-and-grandeur-of-nature-is/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) > [Happiness comes the way the wind blows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/happiness-comes-the-way-the-wind-blows/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) > [One should never spurn a penitent criminal: in his despair he may become twice as much a criminal as before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/one-should-never-spurn-a-penitent-criminal-in-his-despair-he-may/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) > [“I have an unfortunate character; whether it is my upbringing that made me like that or God who created me so, I do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/i-have-an-unfortunate-character-whether-it-is-my-upbringing-that-made/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) > [Russian ladies, for the most part, cherish only Platonic love, without mingling any thought of matrimony with it; and Platonic love is exceedingly embarrassing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/russian-ladies-for-the-most-part-cherish-only-platonic-love-without/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) > [What of it? If I die, I die. 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I have an inborn urge to contradict; my whole life has been a mere chain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/i-was-lying-but-i-wanted-to-rouse-him-i-have-an-inborn-urge-to/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) > [“I know a rock in a highland's ravine, On which only eagles might ever be seen, But a black wooden cross o'er a precipice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/i-know-a-rock-in-a-highland-s-ravine-on-which-only-eagles-might-ever/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) > [“But there is an unbounded pleasure to be had in the possession of a young, newly blossoming soul! It is like a flower, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/but-there-is-an-unbounded-pleasure-to-be-had-in-the-possession-of-a/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) > [The history of a man's soul, even the pettiest soul, is hardly less interesting and useful than the history of a whole people; especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/the-history-of-a-man-s-soul-even-the-pettiest-soul-is-hardly-less/) [Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) [Explore all 72 Mikhail Lermontov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/) ## More Excuse quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [Win without boasting. Lose without excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-payson-terhune/win-without-boasting-lose-without-excuse/) [Albert Payson Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-payson-terhune/) > [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [Dont leave without a reason, and then try to come back with an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-leave-without-a-reason-and-then-try-to-come-back-with-an-excuse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [I'm not the guy who will sit in a room with somebody who's using a bunch of big words and just act like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-m-not-the-guy-who-will-sit-in-a-room-with-somebody-who-s-using-a/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Worst Break Up Excuse; 'You deserve so much better.' Translation: They've already moved on whether you like it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/worst-break-up-excuse-you-deserve-so-much-better-translation-they-ve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lie is an excuse guarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-lie-is-an-excuse-guarded/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Live with No Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyanendra/live-with-no-excuse/) [Gyanendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyanendra/) [Browse all 2,435 Excuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We practically always excuse things when we understand them", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mikhail Lermontov" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/we-practically-always-excuse-things-when-we-understand-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/we-practically-always-excuse-things-when-we-understand-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/mikhail-lermontov-9000_excuse_we-practically-always-excuse-things-when_1371616.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/mikhail-lermontov-9000_excuse_we-practically-always-excuse-things-when_1371616.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/mikhail-lermontov-9000_excuse_we-practically-always-excuse-things-when_1371616.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We practically always excuse things when we understand them” — Mikhail Lermontov", "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": "Mikhail Lermontov", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We practically always excuse things when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/we-practically-always-excuse-things-when-we-understand-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/we-practically-always-excuse-things-when-we-understand-them/#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 } } ] } ```