--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you see a poor man come into your…" description: "\"“If you see a poor man come into your majlis, try to speak to him before you speak to the other people,” the king told his son. “Never make a decision ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/robert-lacey-19493_hard-time_if-you-see-a-poor-man-come-into-your-maj_1940478.jpg" --- # If you see a poor man come into your majlis, try to speak… ![“If you see a poor man come into your majlis, try to speak to him before you speak to the other people,” the king told his son. “Never make a decision on the spot. Say you will give your decision later. Never sign a paper sending someone to prison unless you are 100 percent convinced. And once…” quote by Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/robert-lacey-19493_hard-time_if-you-see-a-poor-man-come-into-your-maj_1940478.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/robert-lacey-19493_hard-time_if-you-see-a-poor-man-come-into-your-maj_1940478.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/robert-lacey-19493_hard-time_if-you-see-a-poor-man-come-into-your-maj_1940478.jpg) > ““If you see a poor man come into your majlis, try to speak to him before you speak to the other people,” the king told his son. “Never make a decision on the spot. Say you will give your decision later. Never sign a paper sending someone to prison unless you are 100 percent convinced. And once you’ve signed, don’t change your mind. Be solid. You will find that people try to test you.” Fahd was delivering his basic course in local leadership—Saudi Governance 101. “If you don’t know anything about a subject, be quiet until you do. Recruit some older people who can give you advice. And if a citizen comes with a case against the government, take the citizen’s side to start with and give the officials a hard time the government will have no shortage of people to speak for them.”” [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders should deliberate, seek counsel, and act with certainty, avoiding rash decisions and ensuring integrity. **In simple terms:** Think before acting, seek advice, be firm. Key Takeaway Pause, consult, then decide. Themes leadership decision‑making integrity Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type advice leadership When to use this quote - business negotiations - government policy - personal disputes - court rulings Key Concepts political theory ethical leadership Questions to Reflect On - When have you acted without full information? - Who can you trust for honest counsel? A Different Perspective Time constraints may force quicker decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hard time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-time/) [Older people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-people/) [Poor man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-man/) ## Related quotes > [My sincere advice to any citizen considering moving to the United States and crossing our boundaries in irregular migration, my best advice is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/my-sincere-advice-to-any-citizen-considering-moving-to-the-united/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [Stephen King told me a long time ago, when he gave me some advice about the movies. He said to take the money up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/stephen-king-told-me-a-long-time-ago-when-he-gave-me-some-advice/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Stephen King once told me he liked my writing. And that was great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/stephen-king-once-told-me-he-liked-my-writing-and-that-was-great/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [You supposed to be able to do anything in this world. That's what Martin Luther King told me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/you-supposed-to-be-able-to-do-anything-in-this-world-that-s-what/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [People like B.B. King told me I was a 'star' and told me I was 'the future of blues' - and Buddy Guy, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/people-like-b-b-king-told-me-i-was-a-star-and-told-me-i-was-the/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [“You can't leave the show," King told Nichols. "We are there because you are there." Black people have been imagined in the future, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/you-can-t-leave-the-show-king-told-nichols-we-are-there-because-you/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“Mignon' said the King, 'soon you are going to be a great king'. But he also told Anjou, in a memorable phrase 'Try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-fraser/mignon-said-the-king-soon-you-are-going-to-be-a-great-king-but-he/) [Antonia Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-fraser/) > [Lots of people will give you advice... and depending upon how well they know you, the advice might be valid or not so valid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-johnson/lots-of-people-will-give-you-advice-and-depending-upon-how-well-they/) [Abigail Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-johnson/) > [“People will always give advice and say what they wouldn't do or what they wouldn't put up with when you tell them your relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooklyn-june/people-will-always-give-advice-and-say-what-they-wouldn-t-do-or-what/) Brooklyn June > [When people give advice, they're really just talking to themselves in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/when-people-give-advice-they-re-really-just-talking-to-themselves-in/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Obviously you want to be smart enough to take other people's advice and take that into consideration, and obviously try to surround yourself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/obviously-you-want-to-be-smart-enough-to-take-other-people-s-advice/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [I am a little afraid of giving people advice for fear that they might follow it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-am-a-little-afraid-of-giving-people-advice-for-fear-that-they-might/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [I also did an Ozzy piece for him, and so I got hired. Everything happened really fast. I can't give people advice, because everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-also-did-an-ozzy-piece-for-him-and-so-i-got-hired-everything/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [I only do what my gut tells me to. I think it's smart to listen to other people's advice, but at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-only-do-what-my-gut-tells-me-to-i-think-it-s-smart-to-listen-to/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [“As near as I can make out, geniuses think they know it all, and so they won't take people's advice, but always go their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/as-near-as-i-can-make-out-geniuses-think-they-know-it-all-and-so-they/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More by Robert Lacey > [I lived in Saudi Arabia in the late 1970s. It was, for a Westerner, pretty idyllic. There were the religious police; there were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/i-lived-in-saudi-arabia-in-the-late-1970s-it-was-for-a-westerner/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“MODERN SAUDI HISTORY IN FIVE EASY LESSONS If you did not go hungry in the reign of King Abdul Aziz, you would never go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/modern-saudi-history-in-five-easy-lessons-if-you-did-not-go-hungry-in/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“Always in life carry this motto with you: When you lose your money, you lose nothing. When you lose your health, you lose something.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/always-in-life-carry-this-motto-with-you-when-you-lose-your-money-you/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“on December 7, 2001, Osama announced that he was leaving. “He deserted us,” remembers Al-Hubayshi bitterly. “After five weeks his people came round telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/on-december-7-2001-osama-announced-that-he-was-leaving-he-deserted-us/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [The Billy Carter of the British monarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/the-billy-carter-of-the-british-monarchy/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“Compared by one commentator to “the death rattle of a seagull,” Costello’s voice was later said to have provided the model for Marlon Brando’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/compared-by-one-commentator-to-the-death-rattle-of-a-seagull-costello/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“There was no law that explicitly banned women from driving in Saudi Arabia. There is none today—the Kingdom’s notorious female driving ban is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/there-was-no-law-that-explicitly-banned-women-from-driving-in-saudi/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“Of all the varieties of modern pollution, noise is the most insidious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/of-all-the-varieties-of-modern-pollution-noise-is-the-most-insidious/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“We were not willing to be the tool of a foreign government,” remembers Sheikh Hassan today. “There were a number of people in authority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/we-were-not-willing-to-be-the-tool-of-a-foreign-government-remembers/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“What, they had asked Meyer, did he do for a living? “Business,” he replied. “What kind of business?” came the question. “My business,” came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/what-they-had-asked-meyer-did-he-do-for-a-living-business-he-replied/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [Fear generates anger, and fear generates violence, and those were part of what built the Saudi state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/fear-generates-anger-and-fear-generates-violence-and-those-were-part/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“The challenge of carving an honest and accurate accounting out of the hidden casino syndicates of Las Vegas in the early 1960s was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/the-challenge-of-carving-an-honest-and-accurate-accounting-out-of-the/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“Whoever wins society will win this war.”says Prince Mohammed bin Nayef”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/whoever-wins-society-will-win-this-war-says-prince-mohammed-bin-nayef/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [It seems to me that Sotheby's is very much like the British monarchy: an old and apparently very venerable institution which is in fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/it-seems-to-me-that-sotheby-s-is-very-much-like-the-british-monarchy/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“Better that anger should be directed into jihad abroad than into Iran-style revolution at home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/better-that-anger-should-be-directed-into-jihad-abroad-than-into-iran/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) [Explore all 32 Robert Lacey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) ## More Hard time quotes > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Hard times may test me, they cannot destroy me,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-b-joshua/hard-times-may-test-me-they-cannot-destroy-me/) [T. B. Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-b-joshua/) > [I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mero/i-have-no-regrets-in-my-life-i-think-that-everything-happens-to-you/) [Rita Mero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mero/) > [I nibbled my lower lip. "If you could see into my past just by touching my back, you'd have a hard time resisting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-nibbled-my-lower-lip-if-you-could-see-into-my-past-just-by-touching/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [I've seen every one, from Motley Crue to John Denver, with tears running down my face. I had no idea everyone had such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-nicks/i-ve-seen-every-one-from-motley-crue-to-john-denver-with-tears/) [Stevie Nicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-nicks/) > [I think zombies have always been an easy metaphor for hard times. Because they're this big, faceless, brainless group of evil things that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/i-think-zombies-have-always-been-an-easy-metaphor-for-hard-times/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [I do talk about hard times, but I also try to bring out the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-mark/i-do-talk-about-hard-times-but-i-also-try-to-bring-out-the-light/) [Amber Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-mark/) > ['Heirs' became an emotional experience for me. I had a hard time bringing out my emotions in the series. I used all my physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-min-ho/heirs-became-an-emotional-experience-for-me-i-had-a-hard-time/) [Lee Min-ho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-min-ho/) > [In love, the hard times will surely call, and no lover is without their flaw. But you must have rain to see the rainbows,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-love-the-hard-times-will-surely-call-and-no-lover-is-without-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was having such a hard time when I made Sylvia. I gave everything I had for that role. It's one or two or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-was-having-such-a-hard-time-when-i-made-sylvia-i-gave-everything-i/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [Tom Stafford was an odd character, you know - a brilliant guy. He looked weird and I think he took a really defensive attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-fritts/tom-stafford-was-an-odd-character-you-know-a-brilliant-guy-he-looked/) [Donnie Fritts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-fritts/) > [ It wasn't \[Barack\] Obama per se; it was the feeling on the ground; it was seeing an old black woman in a wheelchair being… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the-feeling-on-the-ground-it-was/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [Man, I just feel so fortunate to be a jazz musician at all. I have a hard time thinking of it any other way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-elling/man-i-just-feel-so-fortunate-to-be-a-jazz-musician-at-all-i-have-a/) [Kurt Elling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-elling/) > [“I have a hard time keeping my hands off you without that added bonus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-have-a-hard-time-keeping-my-hands-off-you-without-that-added-bonus/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [I was a little-known political consultant until Bill Clinton made me. When he came upon hard times, I felt it my duty - whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/i-was-a-little-known-political-consultant-until-bill-clinton-made-me/) [James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/) [Browse all 1,864 Hard time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you see a poor man come into your majlis, try to speak to him before you speak to the other people,” the king told his son. “Never make a decision on the spot. Say you will give your decision later. Never sign a paper sending someone to prison unless you are 100 percent convinced. And once you’ve signed, don’t change your mind. Be solid. You will find that people try to test you.” Fahd was delivering his basic course in local leadership—Saudi Governance 101. “If you don’t know anything about a subject, be quiet until you do. 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