--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like it or not, people say \"no\" more than…" description: "\"“Like it or not, people say \"no\" more than they say “yes.”\" — Scott Nicholson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/scott-nicholson-16566_diplomat_like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-t_1242161.png" --- # Like it or not, people say "no" more than they say “yes. ![“Like it or not, people say "no" more than they say “yes.” quote by Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/scott-nicholson-16566_diplomat_like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-t_1242161.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/scott-nicholson-16566_diplomat_like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-t_1242161.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/scott-nicholson-16566_diplomat_like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-t_1242161.png) > ““Like it or not, people say "no" more than they say “yes.”” [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People tend to reject ideas more often than they accept them, highlighting a bias toward saying no. **In simple terms:** People say no more than yes. Key Takeaway Expect resistance and prepare responses. Themes communication psychology negotiation Mood cautious realistic Type advice observational When to use this quote - sales pitches - team meetings - creative brainstorming - relationship building Key Concepts rejection bias social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you reframe a “no” as an opportunity? - What strategies turn a refusal into collaboration? A Different Perspective Not all refusals are final; some are protective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diplomat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomat/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I know, it's amazing, but I never feel like I have done anything. 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But there are people I know who are much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/the-fringe-is-by-far-my-favorite-time-of-year-i-like-everything-about/) [Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) ## More by Scott Nicholson > [“And just what is the nature of things?” “It’s beyond us. Not to be understood. The sun blows a fuse here and shoots energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/and-just-what-is-the-nature-of-things-it-s-beyond-us-not-to-be/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“Heaven looked like a lonely place. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/heaven-looked-like-a-lonely-place-and/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [Well, who’s real? The living or the dead?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/well-who-s-real-the-living-or-the-dead/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“DeVontay touched his left eye and wiggled the glass prosthetic. “You got that right. My depth perception is for the birds.” “That wasn’t funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/devontay-touched-his-left-eye-and-wiggled-the-glass-prosthetic-you/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“spine as she sneaked a look down the forested slope. 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He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/lying-like-marksmanship-and-tomato-growing-got-easier-with-practice-he/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“compassion and humanity are the first casualties of any war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/compassion-and-humanity-are-the-first-casualties-of-any-war/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“periwinkle flowers. 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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": "“Like it or not, people say \"no\" more than they say “yes.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott Nicholson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-they-say-yes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Diplomat" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-they-say-yes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/scott-nicholson-16566_diplomat_like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-t_1242161.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/scott-nicholson-16566_diplomat_like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-t_1242161.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/scott-nicholson-16566_diplomat_like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-t_1242161.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Like it or not, people say \"no\" more than they say “yes.” — Scott Nicholson", "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": "Scott Nicholson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Like it or not, people say...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-they-say-yes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/like-it-or-not-people-say-no-more-than-they-say-yes/#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 } } ] } ```