--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The closest I've ever come to saying \"no\"…" description: "\"The closest I've ever come to saying \"no\" is \"Not now, we're landing.\"\" — Sam Malone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/sam-malone-72212_closest_the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no_397258.jpg" --- # The closest I've ever come to saying "no" is "Not now… ![“The closest I've ever come to saying "no" is "Not now, we're landing."” quote by Sam Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/sam-malone-72212_closest_the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no_397258.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/sam-malone-72212_closest_the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no_397258.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/sam-malone-72212_closest_the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no_397258.jpg) > “The closest I've ever come to saying "no" is "Not now, we're landing."” Sam Malone ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He avoids outright refusal by postponing the decision, using a temporary excuse. **In simple terms:** He says "no" indirectly by delaying. Key Takeaway Use timing to soften refusals. Themes communication boundaries humor Mood lighthearted pragmatic Type humorous social When to use this quote - work meetings - personal relationships - negotiations Key Concepts assertiveness social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you politely decline without deferring? - When is deferring appropriate? A Different Perspective May lead to unresolved issues if overused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [And that was the closest I've ever come to an epiphany.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-vizzini/and-that-was-the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-an-epiphany/) [Ned Vizzini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-vizzini/) > [“Must we?” This was the closest I would ever come to saying, Stay. Just stay with me. 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Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) Browse all 695 Closest quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The closest I've ever come to saying \"no\" is \"Not now, we're landing.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Malone" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-malone/the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no-is-not-now-we-re-landing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Closest" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-malone/the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no-is-not-now-we-re-landing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/sam-malone-72212_closest_the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no_397258.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/sam-malone-72212_closest_the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no_397258.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/sam-malone-72212_closest_the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no_397258.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The closest I've ever come to saying \"no\" is \"Not now, we're landing.\"” — Sam Malone", "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": "Sam Malone", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-malone/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The closest I've ever come to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-malone/the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no-is-not-now-we-re-landing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-malone/the-closest-i-ve-ever-come-to-saying-no-is-not-now-we-re-landing/#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 } } ] } ```