--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can't win the struggle for high…" description: "\"We can't win the struggle for high standards if we just talk a good game . . . we've got to play a good game.\" — Price Pritchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/price-pritchett-12389_can-t-win_we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-stand_7056.png" --- # We can't win the struggle for high standards if we just… ![“We can't win the struggle for high standards if we just talk a good game . . . we've got to play a good game.” quote by Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/price-pritchett-12389_can-t-win_we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-stand_7056.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/price-pritchett-12389_can-t-win_we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-stand_7056.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/price-pritchett-12389_can-t-win_we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-stand_7056.png) > “We can't win the struggle for high standards if we just talk a good game . . . we've got to play a good game.” [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Meaning: Talk alone doesn't raise standards; action must match rhetoric to achieve improvement. **In simple terms:** Simple: Talk is insufficient; act to raise standards. Key Takeaway Takeaway: Align words with deeds. Themes accountability performance leadership integrity culture Mood determined critical motivational Type advice observation When to use this quote - team meetings - project planning - policy implementation - performance reviews Key Concepts standards action communication Practical Applications - leadership training - organizational change initiatives Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure your actions reflect your stated standards? - What barriers prevent translating talk into action? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Can't win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-t-win/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Good Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-game/) [High standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-standards/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-struggle/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-good/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Talk Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-good/) [Win Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-struggle-323982/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [The battle of life is, in most cases, fought uphill; and to win it without a struggle were perhaps to win it without honor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/the-battle-of-life-is-in-most-cases-fought-uphill-and-to-win-it/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) > [Most can talk a good game but in the clutch they won't even show up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gee-linder/most-can-talk-a-good-game-but-in-the-clutch-they-won-t-even-show-up/) [Gee Linder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gee-linder/) > [I will put pressure on myself to play good every game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/memphis-depay/i-will-put-pressure-on-myself-to-play-good-every-game/) [Memphis Depay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/memphis-depay/) > [When you are young, you sometimes play one good game and then one bad game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eden-hazard/when-you-are-young-you-sometimes-play-one-good-game-and-then-one-bad/) [Eden Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eden-hazard/) > [If I had a bad game and we lost I take it very seriously. I feel if I play a good game that other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-roenick/if-i-had-a-bad-game-and-we-lost-i-take-it-very-seriously-i-feel-if-i/) [Jeremy Roenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-roenick/) > [I'll know that when I play a good game, a decent game, and I know when I can play a lot better and aggressive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-oden/i-ll-know-that-when-i-play-a-good-game-a-decent-game-and-i-know-when/) [Greg Oden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-oden/) > [You know when you play a good game and you know when you play a bad game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/you-know-when-you-play-a-good-game-and-you-know-when-you-play-a-bad/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [What Barcelona almost always do is play a good game, but we don't always win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerardo-martino/what-barcelona-almost-always-do-is-play-a-good-game-but-we-don-t/) [Gerardo Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerardo-martino/) > [It has been said that each generation must win its own struggle to be free. -Robert F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/it-has-been-said-that-each-generation-must-win-its-own-struggle-to-be/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [You will never ever, in any circumstance, win any struggle at any time. That being said, we have a long way to go. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-waterman-mcchesney/you-will-never-ever-in-any-circumstance-win-any-struggle-at-any-time/) [Robert Waterman McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-waterman-mcchesney/) > [You win by struggle, and that requires understanding and serious analysis of the options and the circumstances, and then you can do a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-win-by-struggle-and-that-requires-understanding-and-serious/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We can win the struggle to avoid responsibility for our personal lives, but if we do, what we lose is our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-coudert/we-can-win-the-struggle-to-avoid-responsibility-for-our-personal/) [Jo Coudert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-coudert/) > [You don't have to push or pull or fight or win, the struggle is illusory. Sometimes or rather, all times, you just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mcmahon/you-don-t-have-to-push-or-pull-or-fight-or-win-the-struggle-is/) [Andrew McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mcmahon/) > [When you hold out for high standards, people are impressed-but they don't always like you for it. Not everybody will be on your side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/when-you-hold-out-for-high-standards-people-are-impressed-but-they/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [We all faced painful ethical challenges before we even knew how to spell our names. There were tough choices. Tradeoffs. Confusing signals regarding how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/we-all-faced-painful-ethical-challenges-before-we-even-knew-how-to/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) ## More by Price Pritchett > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [As tough as it sometimes looks on the front end, it's easier to do right than undo wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/as-tough-as-it-sometimes-looks-on-the-front-end-it-s-easier-to-do/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [In these times of self-directed teams, empowered employees, and "boundaryless" organizations, your worth as an individual employee will also get measured by your work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/in-these-times-of-self-directed-teams-empowered-employees-and/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [Some people argue against both optimism and pessimism in favor of so-called realistic thinking. They distrust optimism on the grounds that it causes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/some-people-argue-against-both-optimism-and-pessimism-in-favor-of-so/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [Your doubts are not the product of accurate thinking, but habitual thinking. Years ago you excepted flawed conclusions as correct, begin to live your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/your-doubts-are-not-the-product-of-accurate-thinking-but-habitual/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [We all faced painful ethical challenges before we even knew how to spell our names. There were tough choices. Tradeoffs. Confusing signals regarding how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/we-all-faced-painful-ethical-challenges-before-we-even-knew-how-to/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [Excellence is a process, not just an outcome. Sure, we have to hold out for high standards in the products or services we provide.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/excellence-is-a-process-not-just-an-outcome-sure-we-have-to-hold-out/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [Notice that "I" is at the center of the word "ethical." There is no "they." Achieving the ethics of excellence is our individual assignment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/notice-that-i-is-at-the-center-of-the-word-ethical-there-is-no-they/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [The only way we can develop muscle is through regular exercise. As soon as we stop stretching and working toward higher ethics, our standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/the-only-way-we-can-develop-muscle-is-through-regular-exercise-as/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [When you hold out for high standards, people are impressed-but they don't always like you for it. Not everybody will be on your side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/when-you-hold-out-for-high-standards-people-are-impressed-but-they/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [Everybody makes honest mistakes, but there's no such thing as an honest cover-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-there-s-no-such-thing-as-an/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [If you must doubt something, doubt your limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/if-you-must-doubt-something-doubt-your-limits/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [High personal standards aren't enough for organizational excellence. You've got to be intolerant of low standards in others. . . . If you accommodate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/high-personal-standards-aren-t-enough-for-organizational-excellence/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [You can't put someone else in charge of your morals. Ethics is a personal discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-put-someone-else-in-charge-of-your-morals-ethics-is-a/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [If you become a giver, you'll make them feel like they want to reciprocate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/if-you-become-a-giver-you-ll-make-them-feel-like-they-want-to/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) [Explore all 55 Price Pritchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) ## More Can't win quotes > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [You can't win 'til you're not afraid to lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-win-til-you-re-not-afraid-to-lose/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I hate games I can't win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/i-hate-games-i-can-t-win/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [Well you can't win the lottery if you don't have a ticket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/well-you-can-t-win-the-lottery-if-you-don-t-have-a-ticket/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [The people that can't win elections, outside of Barack Obama, the people on the Democrat side who cannot win elections, who do not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-people-that-can-t-win-elections-outside-of-barack-obama-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't know how you change that. There's hardly anybody left like me in the Democratic Party in Congress. These districts have been so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/collin-peterson/i-don-t-know-how-you-change-that-there-s-hardly-anybody-left-like-me/) [Collin Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/collin-peterson/) > [Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/oh-the-places-you-ll-go-there-is-fun-to-be-done-there-are-points-to/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Italians can't win the game against you, but you can lose the game against the Italians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/italians-can-t-win-the-game-against-you-but-you-can-lose-the-game/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [Self-esteem can’t win you a race if you’re not in shape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-zamperini/self-esteem-can-t-win-you-a-race-if-you-re-not-in-shape/) [Louis Zamperini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-zamperini/) > [Certainly the game is rigged. Don't let that stop you; if you don't bet you can't win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/certainly-the-game-is-rigged-don-t-let-that-stop-you-if-you-don-t-bet/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [You can't win for losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakim/you-can-t-win-for-losing/) [Rakim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakim/) > [Ball so hard that you can't win it. So much money bank can't fit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/ball-so-hard-that-you-can-t-win-it-so-much-money-bank-can-t-fit-it/) [Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/) > [People are already talking about the next presidential election. There's stories all over about who might run. At a recent speech, a prominent Democrat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/people-are-already-talking-about-the-next-presidential-election-there/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [All my life, the naysayers have told me that I can't win because I'm a progressive... because I'm a woman... even because I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-baldwin/all-my-life-the-naysayers-have-told-me-that-i-can-t-win-because-i-m-a/) [Tammy Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-baldwin/) > [I think that if you don't think we're in a war that you can't win the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-think-that-if-you-don-t-think-we-re-in-a-war-that-you-can-t-win-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Browse all 156 Can't win quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-t-win/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can't win the struggle for high standards if we just talk a good game . . . we've got to play a good game.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Price Pritchett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-standards-if-we-just-talk-a-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Can't win" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-standards-if-we-just-talk-a-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/price-pritchett-12389_can-t-win_we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-stand_7056.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/price-pritchett-12389_can-t-win_we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-stand_7056.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/price-pritchett-12389_can-t-win_we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-stand_7056.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can't win the struggle for high standards if we just talk a good game . . . we've got to play a good game.” — Price Pritchett", "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": "Price Pritchett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We can't win the struggle for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-standards-if-we-just-talk-a-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-standards-if-we-just-talk-a-good/#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 } } ] } ```