---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If some of my judgments were wrong - and…"
description: "\"If some of my judgments were wrong - and some were wrong - they were made in what I believed at the time to be the best interest of the nation.\" — Rich..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/richard-m-nixon-727_being-the-best_if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-s_856758.jpg"
---

#  If some of my judgments were wrong - and some were wrong…

![“If some of my judgments were wrong - and some were wrong - they were made in what I believed at the time to be the best interest of the nation.” quote by Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/richard-m-nixon-727_being-the-best_if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-s_856758.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/richard-m-nixon-727_being-the-best_if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-s_856758.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/richard-m-nixon-727_being-the-best_if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-s_856758.jpg)

> “If some of my judgments were wrong - and some were wrong - they were made in what I believed at the time to be the best interest of the nation.”

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

## About This Quote

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

Decisions made with perceived national interest may later be judged wrong.

**In simple terms:** Well‑intended choices can be mistaken.

Key Takeaway

Learn from past judgments.

Themes

politics ethics decision‑making

Mood

serious reflective

Type

historical cautionary

When to use this quote

- government service
- leadership
- crisis management
- legislative drafting

Key Concepts

public policy moral reasoning

Questions to Reflect On

- What safeguards improve decision integrity?
- How can leaders admit errors constructively?

A Different Perspective

Hindsight bias can distort accountability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Being the best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-the-best/) [Believed Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believed-time-809231/) [Best Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-nation-809233/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Judgments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgments/) [Judgments Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgments-wrong-809226/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wrong Believed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-believed-809228/)

## Related quotes

> [All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them. No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/all-collective-judgments-are-wrong-only-racists-make-them-no-human/)

[Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/)

> [“I don’t see why the things we believe absolutely now shouldn’t be just as wrong as what they believed in the past.’ ‘Neither do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-don-t-see-why-the-things-we-believe-absolutely-now-shouldn-t-be/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [When they prove something wrong you believed in so long, you go crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kristofferson/when-they-prove-something-wrong-you-believed-in-so-long-you-go-crazy/)

[Kris Kristofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kristofferson/)

> [“What if you were wrong? What if everything you ever believed was a lie? What if you missed your opportunity because you didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/what-if-you-were-wrong-what-if-everything-you-ever-believed-was-a-lie/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [Not voting is disrespecting the best of what this nation stands for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/not-voting-is-disrespecting-the-best-of-what-this-nation-stands-for/)

[Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/)

> [The best of our nation is exemplified by our nation's veterans who embody what it means to put service above self. Who have sacrificed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/the-best-of-our-nation-is-exemplified-by-our-nation-s-veterans-who/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [America may not be the best nation on earth, but it has conceived loftier ideals and dreamed higher dreams than any other nation. America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/america-may-not-be-the-best-nation-on-earth-but-it-has-conceived/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [I really believe that even with all of our problems, we're still the best nation in the world. The idea of the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-plame/i-really-believe-that-even-with-all-of-our-problems-we-re-still-the/)

[Valerie Plame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-plame/)

> [And all along I believed I would find you. Time has brought your heart to me. I have loved you for a thousand years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-perri/and-all-along-i-believed-i-would-find-you-time-has-brought-your-heart/)

[Christina Perri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-perri/)

> [“Despite everything, I believed somehow there was time. Love's first mistake. Perhaps love's only mistake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-king/despite-everything-i-believed-somehow-there-was-time-love-s-first/)

[Lily King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-king/)

> [“When I was alive, I believed — as you do — that time was at least as real and solid as myself, and probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-beagle/when-i-was-alive-i-believed-as-you-do-that-time-was-at-least-as-real/)

[Peter S. Beagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-beagle/)

> [Thats because, like everyone else on the planet, you believed that time would teach you to grow closer to God. But time doesnt teach;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/thats-because-like-everyone-else-on-the-planet-you-believed-that-time/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> ['All along I believed I would find you, Time has brought you're heart to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-perri/all-along-i-believed-i-would-find-you-time-has-brought-you-re-heart/)

[Christina Perri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-perri/)

> [“She had believed him to be hers, time and again, but still she could not stay the feeling that he might at any moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-godbersen/she-had-believed-him-to-be-hers-time-and-again-but-still-she-could/)

[Anna Godbersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-godbersen/)

> [Many things I might not write today because I no longer believe them, but I wouldn't change them, since I believed them at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-amado/many-things-i-might-not-write-today-because-i-no-longer-believe-them/)

[Jorge Amado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-amado/)

## More by Richard M. Nixon

> [I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is opposed to every instinct in my body. But as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-have-never-been-a-quitter-to-leave-office-before-my-term-is/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [I have earned every cent. And in all of my years of public life I have never obstructed justice,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-have-earned-every-cent-and-in-all-of-my-years-of-public-life-i-have/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [Restoring nature to its natural state is a cause beyond party and beyond factions. It has become a common cause of all the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/restoring-nature-to-its-natural-state-is-a-cause-beyond-party-and/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [What kind of nation we will be, what kind of world we will live in, whether we shape the future in the image of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/what-kind-of-nation-we-will-be-what-kind-of-world-we-will-live-in/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [Once you get into this great stream of history you can't get out. You can drown. Or you can be pulled ashore by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/once-you-get-into-this-great-stream-of-history-you-can-t-get-out-you/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [The ultimate test of a nation's character is not how it responds to adversity in war but how it meets the challenge of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/the-ultimate-test-of-a-nation-s-character-is-not-how-it-responds-to/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [History is a pathetic junkyard of broken treaties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/history-is-a-pathetic-junkyard-of-broken-treaties/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [I refuse to make a decision that somebody else can make. The first rule of leadership is to save yourself for the big decision.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-refuse-to-make-a-decision-that-somebody-else-can-make-the-first/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [Those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/those-who-hate-you-don-t-win-unless-you-hate-them-and-then-you/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [I made my mistakes, but in all of my years in public life, I have never profited, never profited from public serviceI have earned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-made-my-mistakes-but-in-all-of-my-years-in-public-life-i-have-never/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [I know you heard what you thought I said, but what I said isn't what I meant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-know-you-heard-what-you-thought-i-said-but-what-i-said-isn-t-what-i/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [I want to be sure...that nothing is done on these veterans. Is that understood?...Is the word out? That they are not to touch em,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-want-to-be-sure-that-nothing-is-done-on-these-veterans-is-that/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [“Nations not possessing great power can indulge in the luxury of criticism of others; those possessing it have the responsibility of decision. Faced with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/nations-not-possessing-great-power-can-indulge-in-the-luxury-of/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [The peace we seek in the world is not the flimsy peace which is merely an interlude between wars, but a peace which can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/the-peace-we-seek-in-the-world-is-not-the-flimsy-peace-which-is/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

[Explore all 388 Richard M. Nixon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

## More Being the best quotes

> [High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/high-school-sucked-it-was-a-universal-truth-and-whoever-said-these/)

[Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/)

> [I think my days of trying outrageous things are over. I'm not looking for trends, I just want to be the best version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-think-my-days-of-trying-outrageous-things-are-over-i-m-not-looking/)

[Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/)

> [I want to be the best, it's not about the ranking, it's about being consistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saina-nehwal/i-want-to-be-the-best-it-s-not-about-the-ranking-it-s-about-being/)

[Saina Nehwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saina-nehwal/)

> [Ah simple laughter that you trewing on my face. Is a simple karma that you will get for tomorrow.. Ah big clap from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leodonessiony/ah-simple-laughter-that-you-trewing-on-my-face-is-a-simple-karma-that/)

[Leodonessiony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leodonessiony/)

> [To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/to-be-tested-is-good-the-challenged-life-may-be-the-best-therapist/)

[Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/)

> [There's no guarantee for the future; might as well be HAPPY now, and give my BEST in everything I do! In that way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/there-s-no-guarantee-for-the-future-might-as-well-be-happy-now-and/)

[London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/)

> [Success lies not in the result but in the effort. BEING the Best is not at all important. DOING the Best is all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prabin-shrestha/success-lies-not-in-the-result-but-in-the-effort-being-the-best-is/)

[Prabin Shrestha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prabin-shrestha/)

> [Sometimes you choose the wrong actor, he could be the best actor ever, but hes not cast in the right part then it doesnt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-marceau/sometimes-you-choose-the-wrong-actor-he-could-be-the-best-actor-ever/)

[Sophie Marceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-marceau/)

> [I am not impressed with what people own. But I’m impressed with what they achieve. I’m proud to be a physician. Always strive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-stanley/i-am-not-impressed-with-what-people-own-but-i-m-impressed-with-what/)

[Thomas J. Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-j-stanley/)

> [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/)

[Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/)

> [My role is to think about tennis and to help Serena Williams be the best she can be and do what she wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-mouratoglou/my-role-is-to-think-about-tennis-and-to-help-serena-williams-be-the/)

[Patrick Mouratoglou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-mouratoglou/)

> [One of my mom's best lines is... You're not training to be the best in the world, you're training to be the best in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronda-rousey/one-of-my-mom-s-best-lines-is-you-re-not-training-to-be-the-best-in/)

[Ronda Rousey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronda-rousey/)

> [I've learned a simple principle: all I have to do is be the best 'me' that I can be. One day when I read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-ve-learned-a-simple-principle-all-i-have-to-do-is-be-the-best-me/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [We have to consider who is going to be the best prime minister to take on a "one nation" agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/we-have-to-consider-who-is-going-to-be-the-best-prime-minister-to/)

[Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/)

> [Every day the sun rises is a new day to be your best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-vargas/every-day-the-sun-rises-is-a-new-day-to-be-your-best/)

[Anthony Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-vargas/)

[Browse all 1,358 Being the best quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-the-best/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If some of my judgments were wrong - and some were wrong - they were made in what I believed at the time to be the best interest of the nation.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard M. Nixon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-some-were-wrong-they-were-made/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Being the best"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-some-were-wrong-they-were-made/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/richard-m-nixon-727_being-the-best_if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-s_856758.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/richard-m-nixon-727_being-the-best_if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-s_856758.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/richard-m-nixon-727_being-the-best_if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-s_856758.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If some of my judgments were wrong - and some were wrong - they were made in what I believed at the time to…” — Richard M. Nixon",
                "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": "Richard M. Nixon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If some of my judgments were...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-some-were-wrong-they-were-made/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/if-some-of-my-judgments-were-wrong-and-some-were-wrong-they-were-made/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
