--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: These meetings, they're like thieves—they…" description: "\"“These meetings, they're like thieves—they follow you around, wait until you're not looking, and pounce.”\" — Robert Jackson Bennett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/robert-jackson-bennett-11596_bureaucracy_these-meetings-they-re-like-thieves-they_2462413.jpg" --- # These meetings, they're like thieves—they follow you… ![“These meetings, they're like thieves—they follow you around, wait until you're not looking, and pounce.” quote by Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/robert-jackson-bennett-11596_bureaucracy_these-meetings-they-re-like-thieves-they_2462413.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/robert-jackson-bennett-11596_bureaucracy_these-meetings-they-re-like-thieves-they_2462413.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/robert-jackson-bennett-11596_bureaucracy_these-meetings-they-re-like-thieves-they_2462413.jpg) > ““These meetings, they're like thieves—they follow you around, wait until you're not looking, and pounce.”” [Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jackson-bennett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Meetings can be intrusive and opportunistic, exploiting moments of distraction to seize advantage. **In simple terms:** Meetings can be sneaky. Key Takeaway Stay alert and protect your time. Themes productivity distraction strategy Mood cautious analytical Type practical advisory When to use this quote - workplace - personal planning - negotiations Key Concepts psychology time management Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can you set for meetings? - How do you recognize opportunistic behavior? A Different Perspective Even planned gatherings can become traps if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bureaucracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bureaucracy/) [Follow Wait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-wait-670202/) [Like Thieves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-thieves-670199/) [Meetings Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings-like-670201/) [Thieves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thieves/) [Thieves Follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thieves-follow-670200/) ## Related quotes > [They heard somewhere in that tenantless night a bell that tolled and ceased where no bell was and they rode out on the round…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-heard-somewhere-in-that-tenantless-night-a-bell-that-tolled-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [ The threat \[of the U.S. bills SOPA and PIPA\] is the inversion of the burden of proof, where we suddenly are all treated like… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/the-threat-of-the-u-s-bills-sopa-and-pipa-is-the-inversion-of-the/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [Why grab possessions like thieves, or divide them like socialists when you can ignore them like wise men?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-clifford-barney/why-grab-possessions-like-thieves-or-divide-them-like-socialists-when/) [Natalie Clifford Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-clifford-barney/) > [I enjoyed the meetings, too. It was like having friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-enjoyed-the-meetings-too-it-was-like-having-friends/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We have shared out, like thieves, the amazing treasures of days and nights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/we-have-shared-out-like-thieves-the-amazing-treasures-of-days-and/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Treating your audience like thieves is absurd. Anyone who chooses to listen to our music becomes a collaborator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/treating-your-audience-like-thieves-is-absurd-anyone-who-chooses-to/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [I like thieves. Some of my best friends are thieves. Why, just last week we had the president of the bank over for dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/i-like-thieves-some-of-my-best-friends-are-thieves-why-just-last-week/) [W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/) > [Syncronistic meetings are like mirrors that reflect something of ourselves. If we want to grow spiritually, all we have to do is take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-shinoda-bolen/syncronistic-meetings-are-like-mirrors-that-reflect-something-of/) [Jean Shinoda Bolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-shinoda-bolen/) > [Meetings ... are rather like cocktail parties. You don't want to go, but you're cross not to be asked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jilly-cooper/meetings-are-rather-like-cocktail-parties-you-don-t-want-to-go-but/) [Jilly Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jilly-cooper/) > [“And fantasy it was, for we were not strong, only aggressive; we were not free, merely licensed; we were not compassionate, we were polite;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/and-fantasy-it-was-for-we-were-not-strong-only-aggressive-we-were-not/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [It's been super weird because you have zoom meetings and then it's like high school again, I'm stuck at home with my parents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-burrow/it-s-been-super-weird-because-you-have-zoom-meetings-and-then-it-s/) [Joe Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-burrow/) > [“The green fractals of the forest and the eons of faint star clusters above—my math’s teacher’s order in the universe—were nothing like the thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-allyn/the-green-fractals-of-the-forest-and-the-eons-of-faint-star-clusters/) [Anya Allyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-allyn/) > [I don't have an agent. I don't take meetings or anything like that, so I don't really know what's out there. I'm not closed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-swanberg/i-don-t-have-an-agent-i-don-t-take-meetings-or-anything-like-that-so/) [Joe Swanberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-swanberg/) > [I don't really like meetings, I like recording and performing music. I need to set myself up for when the time does come that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chance-the-rapper/i-don-t-really-like-meetings-i-like-recording-and-performing-music-i/) [Chance the Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chance-the-rapper/) > [“they rode out on the round dais of the earth which alone was dark and no light to it and which carried their figures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-rode-out-on-the-round-dais-of-the-earth-which-alone-was-dark-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## More by Robert Jackson Bennett > [“After all, deep in every Texan’s heart, there remains the steadfast belief that any problem can be solved with a big enough gun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jackson-bennett/after-all-deep-in-every-texan-s-heart-there-remains-the-steadfast/) [Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jackson-bennett/) > [Voters might have short memories. Politicians do not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jackson-bennett/voters-might-have-short-memories-politicians-do-not/) [Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jackson-bennett/) > [“My definition of an adult is someone who lives their life aware they are sharing the world with others. 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But that which you draw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jackson-bennett/we-are-or-were-divinities-shara-komayd-we-drew-power-from-the-hearts/) [Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jackson-bennett/) > [ “I put my office right in the middle of the death they threaten us with. \[...\] here I sit, every day, hanging over all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jackson-bennett/i-put-my-office-right-in-the-middle-of-the-death-they-threaten-us/) [Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jackson-bennett/) > [“The city knows. It remembers. Its past is written in its bones, though the past now speaks in silences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jackson-bennett/the-city-knows-it-remembers-its-past-is-written-in-its-bones-though/) [Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jackson-bennett/) > [“My first question is- do you have a name ? "A name? Yes." "Ah!" said the wolf. It wrote several extensive notes. "And what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jackson-bennett/my-first-question-is-do-you-have-a-name-a-name-yes-ah-said-the-wolf/) [Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jackson-bennett/) > [“It is a fool who lives his life believing the waves upon which he sails shall remember him. The seas know nothing. This makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jackson-bennett/it-is-a-fool-who-lives-his-life-believing-the-waves-upon-which-he/) [Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jackson-bennett/) > [“For a caterpillar to become a butterfly, it must forget it was ever a caterpillar at all. 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Or is there a way… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-tett/the-utopia-of-rules-should-offer-a-challenge-to-us-all-should-we-just/) [Gillian Tett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-tett/) > [“Catholics form a majority in Chile, although there are more and more Evangelicals and Pentacostals who irritate everyone because they have a direct understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/catholics-form-a-majority-in-chile-although-there-are-more-and-more/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“Plato argued that good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will always find a way around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-howard/plato-argued-that-good-people-do-not-need-laws-to-tell-them-to-act/) [Philip K. 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