--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no meaningful yes unless the…" description: "\"There is no meaningful yes unless the individual could also have said no.\" — Rollo May" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/rollo-may-1295_diplomat_there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-in_3106008.jpg" --- # There is no meaningful yes unless the individual could… ![“There is no meaningful yes unless the individual could also have said no.” quote by Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/rollo-may-1295_diplomat_there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-in_3106008.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/rollo-may-1295_diplomat_there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-in_3106008.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/rollo-may-1295_diplomat_there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-in_3106008.jpg) > “There is no meaningful yes unless the individual could also have said no.” [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True freedom requires the ability to say no; consent is only meaningful when alternatives exist. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs the option to refuse. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of saying no. Themes freedom choice authenticity Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - decision making - relationships - career choices Key Concepts existentialism personal agency Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt pressured to say yes? - What consequences arise from always agreeing? A Different Perspective Saying no can damage relationships if overused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diplomat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomat/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) ## Related quotes > [If you can figure out a way for people at all different stages of life to believe that they're all meaningful to each other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-mckelvey/if-you-can-figure-out-a-way-for-people-at-all-different-stages-of/) [Miguel McKelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-mckelvey/) > [All our feelings, like the artist's paints and brush, are ways of communicating and sharing something meaningful from us to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/all-our-feelings-like-the-artist-s-paints-and-brush-are-ways-of/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Saying no to something is actually much more powerful than saying yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/saying-no-to-something-is-actually-much-more-powerful-than-saying-yes/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [I majored in political communications, so I intended to be a diplomat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-ramirez/i-majored-in-political-communications-so-i-intended-to-be-a-diplomat/) [Edgar Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-ramirez/) > [Your capacity to say "No" determines your capacity to say "Yes" to greater things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-stanley-jones/your-capacity-to-say-no-determines-your-capacity-to-say-yes-to/) [E. Stanley Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-stanley-jones/) > [“The word 'NO' is the best motivation there is for the storyteller in you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-kuykendall/the-word-no-is-the-best-motivation-there-is-for-the-storyteller-in-you/) [A.K. Kuykendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-kuykendall/) > [“When the world says “no” it means a “yes”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumedha-mahajan/when-the-world-says-no-it-means-a-yes/) [Sumedha Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumedha-mahajan/) > [“Just remember that every “yes” is actually a “no” to something else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-reardon/just-remember-that-every-yes-is-actually-a-no-to-something-else/) [Hank Reardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-reardon/) > [a diplomat ... is not worthy of the name unless he can say 'no' and make the other person like it - or at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margery-wilson/a-diplomat-is-not-worthy-of-the-name-unless-he-can-say-no-and-make/) [Margery Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margery-wilson/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“You don't have to say yes to everything, you know. It's okay to say no.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-gurtler/you-don-t-have-to-say-yes-to-everything-you-know-it-s-okay-to-say-no/) [Janet Gurtler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-gurtler/) > [I know firsthand from my experience working counterintelligence investigations for the FBI that kicking a diplomat out of the country is no small thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asha-rangappa/i-know-firsthand-from-my-experience-working-counterintelligence/) [Asha Rangappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asha-rangappa/) > [In truth, the degree of anyone's success depends on how often they can say the word yes and hear the word no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/in-truth-the-degree-of-anyone-s-success-depends-on-how-often-they-can/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Too many of us fail to fulfill our needs because we say no rather than yes, or perhaps later in life, yes when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/too-many-of-us-fail-to-fulfill-our-needs-because-we-say-no-rather/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [How much more comfortable it is to say 'Yes, and...' than 'Yes, but...'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-fagg/how-much-more-comfortable-it-is-to-say-yes-and-than-yes-but/) [Lawrence Fagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-fagg/) ## More by Rollo May > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Political freedom is to be cherished indeed. But there is no political freedom that is not indissolubly bound to the inner personal freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/political-freedom-is-to-be-cherished-indeed-but-there-is-no-political/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Joy is the effect which comes when we use our powers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/joy-is-the-effect-which-comes-when-we-use-our-powers/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [In religion, it is not the sycophants or those who cling most faithfully to the status quo who are ultimately praised. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/in-religion-it-is-not-the-sycophants-or-those-who-cling-most/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [One of the few blessings of living in an age of anxiety is that we are forced to become aware of ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/one-of-the-few-blessings-of-living-in-an-age-of-anxiety-is-that-we/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Intimacy requires courage because risk is inescapable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/intimacy-requires-courage-because-risk-is-inescapable/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Artists do not run away from non-being, but by encountering and wrestling with it, force it to produce being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/artists-do-not-run-away-from-non-being-but-by-encountering-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [“Technology is the knack of so arranging the world that we do not experience it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/technology-is-the-knack-of-so-arranging-the-world-that-we-do-not/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [By the creative act, we are able to reach beyond our own death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/by-the-creative-act-we-are-able-to-reach-beyond-our-own-death/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Joy is the zest that you get out of using your talents, your understanding, the totality of your being, for great aims...That's the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/joy-is-the-zest-that-you-get-out-of-using-your-talents-your/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [One must have at least a readiness to love the other person, broadly speaking, if one is to be able to understand him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/one-must-have-at-least-a-readiness-to-love-the-other-person-broadly/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Man is the "ethical animal" ethical in potentiality even if, unfortunately, not in actuality. His capacity for ethical judgment like freedom, reason and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/man-is-the-ethical-animal-ethical-in-potentiality-even-if/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Evil, in this system of ethics, is that which tears apart, shuts out the other person, raises barriers, sets people against each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/evil-in-this-system-of-ethics-is-that-which-tears-apart-shuts-out-the/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [We receive love — from our children as well as others — not in proportion to our demands or sacrifices or needs, but roughly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/we-receive-love-from-our-children-as-well-as-others-not-in-proportion/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/the-opposite-of-courage-in-our-society-is-not-cowardice-it-is/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) [Explore all 259 Rollo May quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) ## More Diplomat quotes > [How much more comfortable it is to say 'Yes, and...' than 'Yes, but...'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-fagg/how-much-more-comfortable-it-is-to-say-yes-and-than-yes-but/) [Lawrence Fagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-fagg/) > [Too many of us fail to fulfill our needs because we say no rather than yes, or perhaps later in life, yes when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/too-many-of-us-fail-to-fulfill-our-needs-because-we-say-no-rather/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [In truth, the degree of anyone's success depends on how often they can say the word yes and hear the word no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/in-truth-the-degree-of-anyone-s-success-depends-on-how-often-they-can/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I know firsthand from my experience working counterintelligence investigations for the FBI that kicking a diplomat out of the country is no small thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asha-rangappa/i-know-firsthand-from-my-experience-working-counterintelligence/) [Asha Rangappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asha-rangappa/) > [“You don't have to say yes to everything, you know. It's okay to say no.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-gurtler/you-don-t-have-to-say-yes-to-everything-you-know-it-s-okay-to-say-no/) [Janet Gurtler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-gurtler/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [a diplomat ... is not worthy of the name unless he can say 'no' and make the other person like it - or at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margery-wilson/a-diplomat-is-not-worthy-of-the-name-unless-he-can-say-no-and-make/) [Margery Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margery-wilson/) > [“Just remember that every “yes” is actually a “no” to something else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-reardon/just-remember-that-every-yes-is-actually-a-no-to-something-else/) [Hank Reardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-reardon/) > [“When the world says “no” it means a “yes”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumedha-mahajan/when-the-world-says-no-it-means-a-yes/) [Sumedha Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumedha-mahajan/) > [“The word 'NO' is the best motivation there is for the storyteller in you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-kuykendall/the-word-no-is-the-best-motivation-there-is-for-the-storyteller-in-you/) [A.K. Kuykendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-kuykendall/) > [Your capacity to say "No" determines your capacity to say "Yes" to greater things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-stanley-jones/your-capacity-to-say-no-determines-your-capacity-to-say-yes-to/) [E. Stanley Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-stanley-jones/) > [I majored in political communications, so I intended to be a diplomat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-ramirez/i-majored-in-political-communications-so-i-intended-to-be-a-diplomat/) [Edgar Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-ramirez/) > [Saying no to something is actually much more powerful than saying yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/saying-no-to-something-is-actually-much-more-powerful-than-saying-yes/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [My father was a diplomat and served as Pakistan's ambassador to 14 countries. I was born in London and grew up there and studied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-sami/my-father-was-a-diplomat-and-served-as-pakistan-s-ambassador-to-14/) [Adnan Sami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-sami/) > [“Did I want him to act? Or would I prefer a lifetime of longing provided we both kept this little Ping-Pong game going: not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/did-i-want-him-to-act-or-would-i-prefer-a-lifetime-of-longing/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) [Browse all 340 Diplomat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no meaningful yes unless the individual could also have said no.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rollo May" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-individual-could-also-have-said/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Diplomat" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-individual-could-also-have-said/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/rollo-may-1295_diplomat_there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-in_3106008.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/rollo-may-1295_diplomat_there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-in_3106008.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/rollo-may-1295_diplomat_there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-in_3106008.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no meaningful yes unless the individual could also have said no.” — Rollo May", "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": "Rollo May", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is no meaningful yes unless...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-individual-could-also-have-said/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/there-is-no-meaningful-yes-unless-the-individual-could-also-have-said/#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 } } ] } ```