--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: it isn't good tactics to ask for…" description: "\"it isn't good tactics to ask for something that you know will be refused.\" — Patricia Wentworth" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/patricia-wentworth-13321_asks_it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-somethi_1574094.jpg" --- # it isn't good tactics to ask for something that you know… ![“it isn't good tactics to ask for something that you know will be refused.” quote by Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/patricia-wentworth-13321_asks_it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-somethi_1574094.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/patricia-wentworth-13321_asks_it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-somethi_1574094.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/patricia-wentworth-13321_asks_it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-somethi_1574094.jpg) > “it isn't good tactics to ask for something that you know will be refused.” [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoid requesting something you expect to be denied, as it wastes effort and may damage credibility. **In simple terms:** Don't ask for likely refusals. Key Takeaway Know when to ask and when to accept. Themes strategy communication efficiency Mood cautious pragmatic Type advice strategic When to use this quote - business meetings - sales pitches - personal requests - team discussions Key Concepts decision making negotiation psychology Questions to Reflect On - When might a refused request lead to a better alternative? - How can you gauge likelihood of acceptance? A Different Perspective Sometimes a refusal can reveal hidden opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) ## Related quotes > [I said, you know they refused Jesus, too. He said, you're not him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/i-said-you-know-they-refused-jesus-too-he-said-you-re-not-him/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Jacare' was really good. He had good tactics for me. I don't feel with this style I could punch him like I would like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-blachowicz/jacare-was-really-good-he-had-good-tactics-for-me-i-don-t-feel-with/) [Jan Blachowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-blachowicz/) > [And luckily, therefore the good old days return. The traditional art of driving counts again, and it is all about good tactics, skills and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacky-ickx/and-luckily-therefore-the-good-old-days-return-the-traditional-art-of/) [Jacky Ickx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacky-ickx/) > [Good tactics can save even the worst strategy. Bad tactics will destroy even the best strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/good-tactics-can-save-even-the-worst-strategy-bad-tactics-will/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [When people ask me about you now, I never know what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mee/when-people-ask-me-about-you-now-i-never-know-what-to-say/) [Mee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mee/) > [The most frequently asked question I hear first-time entrepreneurs ask is, 'How do I know when to launch my product?' The answer, more often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/the-most-frequently-asked-question-i-hear-first-time-entrepreneurs/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [“Why'd you ask her out? You know we're trying to lay low." "She was in a bit of a pickle with another guy who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lacey-weatherford/why-d-you-ask-her-out-you-know-we-re-trying-to-lay-low-she-was-in-a/) [Lacey Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lacey-weatherford/) > [Advice is what we ask for when we know the answer but wish we didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-pearsall-smith/advice-is-what-we-ask-for-when-we-know-the-answer-but-wish-we-didn-t/) [Logan Pearsall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-pearsall-smith/) > [“I take back my words and won’t ask you for anything, for I know that you will do the best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neelam-saxena-chandra/i-take-back-my-words-and-won-t-ask-you-for-anything-for-i-know-that/) [Neelam Saxena Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neelam-saxena-chandra/) > [“I can’t help but ask, “Do you know where you are?” She turns to me with a foreboding glare. “Do you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-reese-maher/i-can-t-help-but-ask-do-you-know-where-you-are-she-turns-to-me-with-a/) [Nathan Reese Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-reese-maher/) > [“Usually, people who ask 'do you know who I am?' don't have a clue themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/usually-people-who-ask-do-you-know-who-i-am-don-t-have-a-clue/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [Do not ask if you already know the answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/do-not-ask-if-you-already-know-the-answer/) Myself > [Only those who ask for more can get more and only those who know there is more, ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/only-those-who-ask-for-more-can-get-more-and-only-those-who-know/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [All over the country, you ask anyone if they know T-Series, they will say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhushan-kumar/all-over-the-country-you-ask-anyone-if-they-know-t-series-they-will/) [Bhushan Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhushan-kumar/) > [Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer, but wish we didnt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/advice-is-what-we-ask-for-when-we-already-know-the-answer-but-wish-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Patricia Wentworth > [I do not approve of children being beaten. It is always a confession of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/i-do-not-approve-of-children-being-beaten-it-is-always-a-confession/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [when married people begin to talk about their rights, it means something has gone pretty far wrong between them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/when-married-people-begin-to-talk-about-their-rights-it-means/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [When there is too much to say it is easier to say nothing at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/when-there-is-too-much-to-say-it-is-easier-to-say-nothing-at-all/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [Love and a cold cannot be hid. It is, I believe, a Spanish proverb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/love-and-a-cold-cannot-be-hid-it-is-i-believe-a-spanish-proverb/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [It is the man who is sure of himself who disregards the opinion of the world. To be sure is to have power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/it-is-the-man-who-is-sure-of-himself-who-disregards-the-opinion-of/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [Anyone who pretends not to be interested in money is either a fool or a knave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/anyone-who-pretends-not-to-be-interested-in-money-is-either-a-fool-or/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [“I am extremely sorry to disturb you. I hope that you had not retired?" "I'm putting it off as long as possible. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/i-am-extremely-sorry-to-disturb-you-i-hope-that-you-had-not-retired-i/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [Any road is bound to arrive somewhere if you follow it far enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/any-road-is-bound-to-arrive-somewhere-if-you-follow-it-far-enough/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [A lie that is half a truth is ever the hardest to fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/a-lie-that-is-half-a-truth-is-ever-the-hardest-to-fight/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [Mary Stuart wrote, 'My end is in my beginning.' It is easier to agree with her than to decide what is the beginning, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/mary-stuart-wrote-my-end-is-in-my-beginning-it-is-easier-to-agree/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [“Henry, for heaven's sake! You can't propose when I'm fainting!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/henry-for-heaven-s-sake-you-can-t-propose-when-i-m-fainting/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [When you've just made the most complete fool of yourself, you feel the need of a specially high horse to ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/when-you-ve-just-made-the-most-complete-fool-of-yourself-you-feel-the/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [Husbands and wives quarrel a lot more than anyone thinks, and it's oftener about little things than big ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/husbands-and-wives-quarrel-a-lot-more-than-anyone-thinks-and-it-s/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [My dear father always said that when everybody had a telephone nobody would have any manners, because there wouldn't be time for them. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/my-dear-father-always-said-that-when-everybody-had-a-telephone-nobody/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [There is a country proverb which says, 'If you don't trouble trouble - trouble won't trouble you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/there-is-a-country-proverb-which-says-if-you-don-t-trouble-trouble/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) [Explore all 51 Patricia Wentworth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) Browse all 7,138 Asks quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "it isn't good tactics to ask for something that you know will be refused.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patricia Wentworth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-something-that-you-know-will-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asks" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-something-that-you-know-will-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/patricia-wentworth-13321_asks_it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-somethi_1574094.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/patricia-wentworth-13321_asks_it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-somethi_1574094.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/patricia-wentworth-13321_asks_it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-somethi_1574094.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“it isn't good tactics to ask for something that you know will be refused.” — Patricia Wentworth", "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": "Patricia Wentworth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "it isn't good tactics to ask...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-something-that-you-know-will-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/it-isn-t-good-tactics-to-ask-for-something-that-you-know-will-be/#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 } } ] } ```