---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When something needs to be said, you look…"
description: "\"When something needs to be said, you look for a man to say it. But when something needs actually to be done, you look for a woman.\" — P.B. Kerr"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/p-b-kerr-34462_done_when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look_2578861.png"
---

#  When something needs to be said, you look for a man to say…

![“When something needs to be said, you look for a man to say it. But when something needs actually to be done, you look for a woman.” quote by P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/p-b-kerr-34462_done_when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look_2578861.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/p-b-kerr-34462_done_when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look_2578861.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/p-b-kerr-34462_done_when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look_2578861.png)

> “When something needs to be said, you look for a man to say it. But when something needs actually to be done, you look for a woman.”

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

## About This Quote

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

Men are often tasked with speaking; women with executing actions, highlighting gender role expectations.

**In simple terms:** Men speak, women act—gender roles.

Key Takeaway

Challenge gender stereotypes.

Themes

gender roles communication

Mood

critical reflective

Type

social philosophical

When to use this quote

- workplace
- politics
- family dynamics
- activism

Key Concepts

sociology gender studies

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you see these roles in your life?
- What changes can promote equity?

A Different Perspective

Roles are fluid and context‑dependent.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't mind being disliked - I will be the one to step up and say what needs to be said if it helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-don-t-mind-being-disliked-i-will-be-the-one-to-step-up-and-say-what/)

[Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/)

> [That's just me as an artist. I say what needs to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amine/that-s-just-me-as-an-artist-i-say-what-needs-to-be-said/)

[Amine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amine/)

> [I come out and say what needs to be said but in a manner that makes people feel comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-blue/i-come-out-and-say-what-needs-to-be-said-but-in-a-manner-that-makes/)

[Josh Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-blue/)

> [Have the courage to say what needs to be said to who it needs to be said to. You'll both be better for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/have-the-courage-to-say-what-needs-to-be-said-to-who-it-needs-to-be/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [Not everything you want to say, needs to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/not-everything-you-want-to-say-needs-to-be-said/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [They say everyone needs something to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/they-say-everyone-needs-something-to-love/)

[Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/)

> [My mom and grandma always told me: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. It's something everyone needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-keys/my-mom-and-grandma-always-told-me-if-you-don-t-have-anything-nice-to/)

[Madison Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-keys/)

> [They say she needs to slow down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guetta/they-say-she-needs-to-slow-down/)

[David Guetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guetta/)

> [“I find that often simple words say all that needs to be said in less time, using less energy, with all the details wanted-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sereda-aleta-dailey/i-find-that-often-simple-words-say-all-that-needs-to-be-said-in-less/)

[Sereda Aleta Dailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sereda-aleta-dailey/)

> [I'm not one to bite my tongue. If something needs to be said I will more than likely be the one saying it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-one-to-bite-my-tongue-if-something-needs-to-be-said-i-will/)

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

> [“Whenever there is something that needs to be said, the right moment never seems to come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-richards/whenever-there-is-something-that-needs-to-be-said-the-right-moment/)

[Sarah Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-richards/)

> [Being a person of little words isn't bad cause not every thing needs to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/being-a-person-of-little-words-isn-t-bad-cause-not-every-thing-needs/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/everything-that-needs-to-be-said-has-already-been-said-but-since-no/)

[André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/)

> [One of the hardest things in the world is keeping your mouth shut when you know something needs to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/one-of-the-hardest-things-in-the-world-is-keeping-your-mouth-shut/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [A best friend won't agree with you to make you happy. If anything, they'll say what needs to be said, no matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-best-friend-won-t-agree-with-you-to-make-you-happy-if-anything-they/)

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

## More by P.B. Kerr

> [A wish is a dish that's a lot like a fish: Once it's been eaten it's harder to throw back. - Mr. Rakshasas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/a-wish-is-a-dish-that-s-a-lot-like-a-fish-once-it-s-been-eaten-it-s/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [“But Philippa was hardly listening. "It's a riddle," she declared finally, pointing to the card in the strange little round window. "I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/but-philippa-was-hardly-listening-it-s-a-riddle-she-declared-finally/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [“She herself was of the opinion that there would have been no need for a wish consultant if grammar had been taught properly in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/she-herself-was-of-the-opinion-that-there-would-have-been-no-need-for/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [The bone won't come to the dog. It's the dog that goes to the bone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/the-bone-won-t-come-to-the-dog-it-s-the-dog-that-goes-to-the-bone/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/may-the-saddest-day-of-your-future-be-no-worse-than-the-happiest-day/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [Sometimes human nature can leave you looking just a little shamefaced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/sometimes-human-nature-can-leave-you-looking-just-a-little-shamefaced/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [“A second or two later, the reptile had been quite absorbed by a handsome, arrogant-looking Englishman smelling strongly of snobbery and snake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/a-second-or-two-later-the-reptile-had-been-quite-absorbed-by-a/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [Philosophy begins when you don't know where to look for an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/philosophy-begins-when-you-don-t-know-where-to-look-for-an-answer/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [“These things take time. If it's rushed then where's the good in goodbye?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/these-things-take-time-if-it-s-rushed-then-where-s-the-good-in-goodbye/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [“I had forgotten how much wickedness is in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/i-had-forgotten-how-much-wickedness-is-in-the-world/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [“May you have warm words on a cool evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/may-you-have-warm-words-on-a-cool-evening-a-full-moon-on-a-dark-night/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [To grant all a man's wishes is to take away his dreams and ambitions. Life is only worth living if you have something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/to-grant-all-a-man-s-wishes-is-to-take-away-his-dreams-and-ambitions/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

> [And tell them all about the books you've read. Better still, buy some more books and read them. That's an order. You can never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/and-tell-them-all-about-the-books-you-ve-read-better-still-buy-some/)

[P.B. Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

[Explore all 14 P.B. Kerr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/)

## More Done quotes

> [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/)

[Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/)

> [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/)

[Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/)

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

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

> [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/)

[Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/)

> [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/)

[Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/)

Browse all 25,653 Done quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When something needs to be said, you look for a man to say it. But when something needs actually to be done, you look for a woman.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "P.B. Kerr"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look-for-a-man-to-say-it-but-when/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Done"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look-for-a-man-to-say-it-but-when/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/p-b-kerr-34462_done_when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look_2578861.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/p-b-kerr-34462_done_when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look_2578861.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/p-b-kerr-34462_done_when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look_2578861.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When something needs to be said, you look for a man to say it. But when something needs actually to be done…” — P.B. Kerr",
                "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": "P.B. Kerr",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-b-kerr/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When something needs to be said,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look-for-a-man-to-say-it-but-when/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-b-kerr/when-something-needs-to-be-said-you-look-for-a-man-to-say-it-but-when/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
