--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you think everything is someone else's…" description: "\"“If you think everything is someone else's fault, you'd be wrong. If you think everything is your fault, you're also wrong. Assigning blame can keep yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sue-fitzmaurice-18484_blame_if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else_841628.jpg" --- # If you think everything is someone else's fault, you'd be… ![“If you think everything is someone else's fault, you'd be wrong. If you think everything is your fault, you're also wrong. Assigning blame can keep you stuck in the problem. Move on to solutions.” quote by Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sue-fitzmaurice-18484_blame_if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else_841628.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sue-fitzmaurice-18484_blame_if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else_841628.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sue-fitzmaurice-18484_blame_if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else_841628.jpg) > ““If you think everything is someone else's fault, you'd be wrong. If you think everything is your fault, you're also wrong. Assigning blame can keep you stuck in the problem. Move on to solutions.”” [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blame attribution is a false dichotomy; both externalizing and internalizing fault hinder progress, so focus on solutions instead. **In simple terms:** Blaming others or yourself stops you from solving problems. Key Takeaway Shift focus from blame to actionable solutions. Themes responsibility problem solving mindset Mood reflective determined Type advice self‑help When to use this quote - personal conflict - team projects - leadership challenges - relationship disputes - career setbacks Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can you recognize when blame is constructive? - What steps help you move from blame to solution? A Different Perspective Blame can sometimes be useful for accountability; ignoring it entirely may prevent learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Ultimately, even if you follow the advice of a mentor or board member, it's still your fault if they were wrong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/ultimately-even-if-you-follow-the-advice-of-a-mentor-or-board-member/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) > [“I think how there are fault lines in men as old and uncharted as the earth itself. Made known just before the ground starts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-warlick/i-think-how-there-are-fault-lines-in-men-as-old-and-uncharted-as-the/) Ashley Warlick > [“When you think everything is someone else’s fault, chances are that you’re looking at the wrong side of the looking glass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-megan-varnadore/when-you-think-everything-is-someone-else-s-fault-chances-are-that/) [Jennifer Megan Varnadore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-megan-varnadore/) > [When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/when-you-think-everything-is-someone-else-s-fault-you-will-suffer-a/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [It was my fault, in the wrong time, I wonder so often, regret gets exhausting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-jontel/it-was-my-fault-in-the-wrong-time-i-wonder-so-often-regret-gets/) [Miguel Jontel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-jontel/) > [“Because assigning blame assigns responsibility. So I blame myself and give myself the responsibility to make it right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-matthews/because-assigning-blame-assigns-responsibility-so-i-blame-myself-and/) [Lena Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-matthews/) > [“Yet by assigning blame or pointing to specific causes we disregard the fact that the whole system only worked because everyone made approximate adjustments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-hollnagel/yet-by-assigning-blame-or-pointing-to-specific-causes-we-disregard/) Erik Hollnagel > [Concern yourself more with accepting responsibility than with assigning blame. Let the possibilities inspire you more than the obstacles discourage you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-marston/concern-yourself-more-with-accepting-responsibility-than-with/) [Ralph Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-marston/) > [Many think that assigning blame settles matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/many-think-that-assigning-blame-settles-matters/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“There, arrows are thrown slowly — but they hurt. The first arrow comes from a one-sided decision — as though only one voice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-wibowo/there-arrows-are-thrown-slowly-but-they-hurt-the-first-arrow-comes/) Tommy Wibowo > [There is nothing wrong with underlining personal agency, but there is something unfair about using personal responsibility as a basis for assigning blame while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-underlining-personal-agency-but-there-is/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [Now when I bore people at a party they think it's their fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/now-when-i-bore-people-at-a-party-they-think-it-s-their-fault/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [“The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you think it is your fault. Therefore you think you can’t do that task. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-norman/the-vicious-cycle-starts-if-you-fail-at-something-you-think-it-is-2/) [Don Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-norman/) > [People who think they're generous to a fault usually think that's their only fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/people-who-think-they-re-generous-to-a-fault-usually-think-that-s/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [“The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you think it is your fault. Therefore you think you can’t do that task. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/the-vicious-cycle-starts-if-you-fail-at-something-you-think-it-is/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) ## More by Sue Fitzmaurice > [“You can't move forward if you're still hanging on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/you-can-t-move-forward-if-you-re-still-hanging-on/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“Disappointment doesn't stem from expectations. It stems from unrealistic or unreasonable expectations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/disappointment-doesn-t-stem-from-expectations-it-stems-from/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“People come and go from our lives all the time. It's not our fault that people leave. The Universe is just making room for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/people-come-and-go-from-our-lives-all-the-time-it-s-not-our-fault/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“Depression is a lying bastard. You'll have better days, I promise you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/depression-is-a-lying-bastard-you-ll-have-better-days-i-promise-you/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“Letting go doesn't have to mean walking away. It means the things that hurt you don't hurt you anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/letting-go-doesn-t-have-to-mean-walking-away-it-means-the-things-that/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“When your position is one of peace, then you're truly powerful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/when-your-position-is-one-of-peace-then-you-re-truly-powerful/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“The real you, the inner you, loves and adores you; but you cut off that power when you think badly of yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/the-real-you-the-inner-you-loves-and-adores-you-but-you-cut-off-that/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“You don't ever finish constructing yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/you-don-t-ever-finish-constructing-yourself/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“War doesn't cause peace. Period.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/war-doesn-t-cause-peace-period/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“When you stop doing what insults your Soul, your Journey accelerates and your Life beings to fill with joy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/when-you-stop-doing-what-insults-your-soul-your-journey-accelerates/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“Anger will always stand in the way of your dreams. Don't let anyone take your dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/anger-will-always-stand-in-the-way-of-your-dreams-don-t-let-anyone/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“When you live life connected to purpose, you don't have to chase opportunities, they come to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/when-you-live-life-connected-to-purpose-you-don-t-have-to-chase/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“Even when we're standing at the scariest precipice ever, our soul still cries out for joy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/even-when-we-re-standing-at-the-scariest-precipice-ever-our-soul/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“Our wounds can so easily turn us into people we don't want to be, and we hardly see it happening. Protect your heart, love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/our-wounds-can-so-easily-turn-us-into-people-we-don-t-want-to-be-and/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [“You can become what you want. You have an army of angels behind you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/you-can-become-what-you-want-you-have-an-army-of-angels-behind-you/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) [Explore all 34 Sue Fitzmaurice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) ## More Blame quotes > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. Me girlfriend sort of blames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/me-mum-used-to-always-have-the-radio-on-even-now-she-has-it-on-in/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-the-great/i-like-to-praise-and-reward-loudly-to-blame-quietly/) [Catherine the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-the-great/) > [Some of the things that I said I hated to say, but blame yourself mother fucker you made it this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedi-mind-tricks/some-of-the-things-that-i-said-i-hated-to-say-but-blame-yourself/) [Jedi Mind Tricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jedi-mind-tricks/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In places where government priorities and market imperatives create a world so capricious that to help a neighbor is to risk your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/in-places-where-government-priorities-and-market-imperatives-create-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't blame anyone .. I did this to myself .. It's my fault .. Everything is my FAULT ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nurnizz95/i-don-t-blame-anyone-i-did-this-to-myself-it-s-my-fault-everything-is/) Nurnizz95 > [“They would congratulate themselves every morning on keeping their integrity, and blame themselves each night for that missed opportunity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/they-would-congratulate-themselves-every-morning-on-keeping-their/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. So I try to choose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-aronofsky/i-try-to-live-my-life-where-i-end-up-at-a-point-where-i-have-no/) [Darren Aronofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-aronofsky/) > [How come you don't feel that magic in the air? I guess I knew you'll never be there. I guess I knew you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-come-you-don-t-feel-that-magic-in-the-air-i-guess-i-knew-you-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am down mentally. I can't understand how it happened and who is to blame? I don't know why the ground was rolled before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yeasin-khan/i-am-down-mentally-i-can-t-understand-how-it-happened-and-who-is-to/) Yeasin Khan > [A refusal to admit one's mistake & not accepting responsibility for that mistake by blaming everyone else, is d beginning of one's decline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-refusal-to-admit-one-s-mistake-not-accepting-responsibility-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Listen, the guy was not created by coverage from MSNBC and CNN. If you want to blame us for making Donald Trump president because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/listen-the-guy-was-not-created-by-coverage-from-msnbc-and-cnn-if-you/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) Browse all 3,779 Blame quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you think everything is someone else's fault, you'd be wrong. If you think everything is your fault, you're also wrong. Assigning blame can keep you stuck in the problem. Move on to solutions.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sue Fitzmaurice" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else-s-fault-you-d-be-wrong-if-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blame" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else-s-fault-you-d-be-wrong-if-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sue-fitzmaurice-18484_blame_if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else_841628.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sue-fitzmaurice-18484_blame_if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else_841628.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sue-fitzmaurice-18484_blame_if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else_841628.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you think everything is someone else's fault, you'd be wrong. If you think everything is your fault…” — Sue Fitzmaurice", "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": "Sue Fitzmaurice", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you think everything is someone...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else-s-fault-you-d-be-wrong-if-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else-s-fault-you-d-be-wrong-if-you/#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 } } ] } ```