--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of persons I will say this: it is…" description: "\"Of persons I will say this: it is difficult to tell when they are running aright but easy to see when something has gone awry.\" — Neal Stephenson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/neal-stephenson-362_difficult_of-persons-i-will-say-this-it-is-difficu_1126828.png" --- # Of persons I will say this: it is difficult to tell when… ![“Of persons I will say this: it is difficult to tell when they are running aright but easy to see when something has gone awry.” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/neal-stephenson-362_difficult_of-persons-i-will-say-this-it-is-difficu_1126828.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/neal-stephenson-362_difficult_of-persons-i-will-say-this-it-is-difficu_1126828.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/neal-stephenson-362_difficult_of-persons-i-will-say-this-it-is-difficu_1126828.png) > “Of persons I will say this: it is difficult to tell when they are running aright but easy to see when something has gone awry.” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Judging people’s actions is harder than spotting clear mistakes. **In simple terms:** Hard to judge actions, easy to see errors. Key Takeaway Observe outcomes before forming judgments. Themes judgment perception ethics Mood analytical cautious Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - team management - legal analysis - personal relationships - historical research Key Concepts cognitive bias critical thinking error detection Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports your judgment? - How do you differentiate intent from outcome? A Different Perspective Bias can cloud perception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aright Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aright-easy-3075756/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-tell-502528/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Running Aright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running-aright-3075757/) [Say Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-difficult-775155/) [Tell Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-running-3075758/) ## Related quotes > [No matter how many times I tell myself I'm done I always find myself running back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-how-many-times-i-tell-myself-i-m-done-i-always-find-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You tell yourself that you’re running toward some goal, chasing some rush, but really you run because the alternative, stopping, scares you to death.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-knight/you-tell-yourself-that-you-re-running-toward-some-goal-chasing-some/) [Phil Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-knight/) > [They say I'm difficult, so to put it simply…tell the world I never cared it was against me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/they-say-i-m-difficult-so-to-put-it-simply-tell-the-world-i-never/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [People might say I'm difficult, but did you ever hear anyone describe a label as 'difficult'? By nature, artists should challenge. When they call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-shocked/people-might-say-i-m-difficult-but-did-you-ever-hear-anyone-describe/) [Michelle Shocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-shocked/) > [Sometimes one has to say difficult things, but one ought to say them as simply as one knows how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy/sometimes-one-has-to-say-difficult-things-but-one-ought-to-say-them/) [G. H. 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Artists say difficult things in simple ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/intellectuals-say-simple-things-in-difficult-ways-artists-say/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [There is really nothing more to say-except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-really-nothing-more-to-say-except-why-but-since-why-is/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I would say that of many, many difficult aspects of my job as speaker, presiding over a debate on a bill that has an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gideon/i-would-say-that-of-many-many-difficult-aspects-of-my-job-as-speaker/) [Sara Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gideon/) > [As a player, it took me a long time to get over defeats, and as a manager I get moody and irritable. 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Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. 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Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Difficult quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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