--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tell him he's wrong. Tell him that even…" description: "\"Tell him he's wrong. Tell him that even if he's right about waiting, he's right for the wrong reasons, and that makes him all the way wrong.\" — Stephen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/stephen-king-13_reason_tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-i_2219136.jpg" --- # Tell him he's wrong. Tell him that even if he's right… ![“Tell him he's wrong. Tell him that even if he's right about waiting, he's right for the wrong reasons, and that makes him all the way wrong.” quote by Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/stephen-king-13_reason_tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-i_2219136.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/stephen-king-13_reason_tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-i_2219136.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/stephen-king-13_reason_tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-i_2219136.jpg) > “Tell him he's wrong. Tell him that even if he's right about waiting, he's right for the wrong reasons, and that makes him all the way wrong.” [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticizing a stance that appears correct but is fundamentally flawed, urging deeper scrutiny. **In simple terms:** Wrong reasons make a right answer wrong. Key Takeaway Question motives behind arguments. Themes critical thinking logic argumentation truth ethics Mood skeptical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - debates - policy decisions - personal convictions - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts cognitive bias philosophical reasoning Questions to Reflect On - What hidden motives influence your judgments? - How do you differentiate right from wrong reasons? A Different Perspective Even correct facts can be misused if motives are impure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Right Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-wrong/) [Tell Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-wrong/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) [Wrong reasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-reasons/) [Wrong Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-tell-1735095/) ## Related quotes > [Most people, whether bull or bear, when they are right, are right for the wrong reason, in my opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lauriston-livermore/most-people-whether-bull-or-bear-when-they-are-right-are-right-for/) [Jesse Lauriston Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lauriston-livermore/) > [“What's wrong with all of us, Bill? Can you tell me that?' 'Hell if I know', he said. 'We drink too much for starters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/what-s-wrong-with-all-of-us-bill-can-you-tell-me-that-hell-if-i-know/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“(from A Love Story, Eight Takes) 8 As it turns out, there is a wrong way to tell this story. I was wrong to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-shaughnessy/from-a-love-story-eight-takes-8-as-it-turns-out-there-is-a-wrong-way/) [Brenda Shaughnessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-shaughnessy/) > [A bestfriend is there to get mad when you do something wrong but tell you that they love you and miss you still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-bestfriend-is-there-to-get-mad-when-you-do-something-wrong-but-tell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With a certain amount of time, people can't be crucified for what they've done wrong. It's what I always tell people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-hogan/with-a-certain-amount-of-time-people-can-t-be-crucified-for-what-they/) [Brooke Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-hogan/) > [Some day...after I am dead, you may perhaps come to learn the right and wrong of this. I cannot tell you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/some-day-after-i-am-dead-you-may-perhaps-come-to-learn-the-right-and/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“Really? Is this wrong? Because I can't tell anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-moody-writer-on-showtime-californication/really-is-this-wrong-because-i-can-t-tell-anymore/) [Hank Moody writer on Showtime Californication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-moody-writer-on-showtime-californication/) > [As someone who has been wrong often, I can tell you one thing for sure: hindsight reminds you of your follies every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-malik/as-someone-who-has-been-wrong-often-i-can-tell-you-one-thing-for-sure/) [Om Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-malik/) > [I don't like it when people tell me I'm wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-leung/i-don-t-like-it-when-people-tell-me-i-m-wrong/) [Alvin Leung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-leung/) > [“When people tell you there’s something wrong with a story, they’re almost always right. When they tell what it is that’s wrong and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/when-people-tell-you-there-s-something-wrong-with-a-story-they-re/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [The moment you think having a baby is going t0 keep a man is the moment your having the baby for the wrong reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naishalova/the-moment-you-think-having-a-baby-is-going-t0-keep-a-man-is-the/) [Naishalova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naishalova/) > [We turn to God for the wrong reasons...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trunxbeats/we-turn-to-god-for-the-wrong-reasons/) [Trunxbeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trunxbeats/) > [“Too often, we love for the wrong reasons, when we think the right one comes along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/too-often-we-love-for-the-wrong-reasons-when-we-think-the-right-one/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [“When everything in my gut is telling me it’s right, how can it be wrong?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-de-la-o/when-everything-in-my-gut-is-telling-me-it-s-right-how-can-it-be-wrong/) [Gretchen de la O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-de-la-o/) > [It's so much easier to do it right than to do it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/it-s-so-much-easier-to-do-it-right-than-to-do-it-wrong/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) ## More by Stephen King > [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? Not as friends, but as enemies and equals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/shall-there-be-truth-between-us-as-two-men-not-as-friends-but-as/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“October 3, 2017 The clown, Hagarty said, looked like a cross between Ronald McDonald and that old TV clown, Bozo—or so he thought at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/october-3-2017-the-clown-hagarty-said-looked-like-a-cross-between/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Eddie saw great things and near misses. Albert Einstein as a child, not quite struck by a run-away milk-wagon as he crossed a street.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/eddie-saw-great-things-and-near-misses-albert-einstein-as-a-child-not/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [It hurt, of course, but more often than not the best things do, I've found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-hurt-of-course-but-more-often-than-not-the-best-things-do-i-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The sun had burned through and the day had gone from dull to dazzling, yet in the west blask-satin thunderheads continued to stack up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-sun-had-burned-through-and-the-day-had-gone-from-dull-to-dazzling/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Flakes of snow swirled and danced across the porch. The Overlook faced it as it had for nearly three-quarters of a century, its darkened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/flakes-of-snow-swirled-and-danced-across-the-porch-the-overlook-faced/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“In that instant it all seemed to come clear to him- it came in a grisly flash of light, and he realized that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-that-instant-it-all-seemed-to-come-clear-to-him-it-came-in-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Who gets to be best-liked in any community? Who is the most trusted? Why, the man who does the dirty job, of course, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/who-gets-to-be-best-liked-in-any-community-who-is-the-most-trusted/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“¿Lo ves, tonto? Volvió a regañarse. Tú lo inventaste todo, gato asustado. No fue más que tu imaginación, gato asustado, gato asustado... No te…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/lo-ves-tonto-volvi-a-rega-arse-t-lo-inventaste-todo-gato-asustado-no/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Death . . . but not for you. That was what Walter, clever as Satan even at the end, had said. A lawyer’s answer . . . so close to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/death-but-not-for-you-that-was-what-walter-clever-as-satan-even-at/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The ghost story movie that scared me the most was The Changeling with George C. Scott. I think that's sometimes overlooked, but it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-ghost-story-movie-that-scared-me-the-most-was-the-changeling-with/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Climb aboard, Jonesy. I'm going to send you up where the air is rare and the view is much more than fair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/climb-aboard-jonesy-i-m-going-to-send-you-up-where-the-air-is-rare/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) [Explore all 3,589 Stephen King quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More Reason quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [One of the reasons that I do a lot of different kinds of pictures is because I learn a lot when I'm doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/one-of-the-reasons-that-i-do-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of-pictures-is/) [Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/) > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. If China said they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-into-space-because-of-war-i-think-we-would-if-it/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [If you can do anything for love there's no reason you can't do everything to someone you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayjay-guillermo/if-you-can-do-anything-for-love-there-s-no-reason-you-can-t-do/) [Jayjay Guillermo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayjay-guillermo/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [“There's no need for a reason for people to fall in love. Even if people say there is a reason, that's just something they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuna-takagi/there-s-no-need-for-a-reason-for-people-to-fall-in-love-even-if/) [Yuna Takagi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuna-takagi/) > [The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason is terror and force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-one-means-that-wins-the-easiest-victory-over-reason-is-terror-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) [Browse all 23,417 Reason quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Tell him he's wrong. Tell him that even if he's right about waiting, he's right for the wrong reasons, and that makes him all the way wrong.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen King" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-if-he-s-right-about-waiting-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Reason" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-if-he-s-right-about-waiting-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/stephen-king-13_reason_tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-i_2219136.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/stephen-king-13_reason_tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-i_2219136.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/stephen-king-13_reason_tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-i_2219136.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Tell him he's wrong. Tell him that even if he's right about waiting, he's right for the wrong reasons, and…” — Stephen King", "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": "Stephen King", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Tell him he's wrong. Tell him...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-if-he-s-right-about-waiting-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/tell-him-he-s-wrong-tell-him-that-even-if-he-s-right-about-waiting-he/#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 } } ] } ```