--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Admitting weakness seems to be such a…" description: "\"Admitting weakness seems to be such a severe psychic threat for Bush that when he makes a mistake it's safer just to reinforce it. The strategy creates..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/tina-brown-2434_admitting_admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-se_26495.jpg" --- # Admitting weakness seems to be such a severe psychic… ![“Admitting weakness seems to be such a severe psychic threat for Bush that when he makes a mistake it's safer just to reinforce it. The strategy creates a perverse system of rewards and punishments” quote by Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/tina-brown-2434_admitting_admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-se_26495.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/tina-brown-2434_admitting_admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-se_26495.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/tina-brown-2434_admitting_admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-se_26495.jpg) > “Admitting weakness seems to be such a severe psychic threat for Bush that when he makes a mistake it's safer just to reinforce it. The strategy creates a perverse system of rewards and punishments” [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that Bush's fear of appearing weak leads him to double down on errors, creating a self‑reinforcing cycle of reward for denial and punishment for admission. **In simple terms:** Fear of weakness fuels denial, compounding mistakes. Key Takeaway Denial can become a strategic liability. Themes power dynamics psychology of leadership cognitive bias organizational behavior political strategy Mood critical skeptical cautious Type analysis observation When to use this quote - political decision‑making - corporate crisis handling - public relations crises - military command decisions Key Concepts self‑fulfilling prophecy reward‑punishment loops image management Practical Applications - policy analysis - leadership training Questions to Reflect On - How does fear of vulnerability shape leadership choices? - What mechanisms can break a cycle of denial? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Admitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admitting/) [Admitting Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admitting-weakness-413382/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Psychic Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychic-threat-413384/) [Reinforce Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reinforce-strategy-413385/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Severe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/severe/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [Threat Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat-bush-413383/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) ## Related quotes > [Often admitting our weakness and fear is the first step to finding rest in God. Our trust in Him isn't conveyed though superhuman confidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracie-peterson/often-admitting-our-weakness-and-fear-is-the-first-step-to-finding/) [Tracie Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracie-peterson/) > [“He could not admit that he had known the truth then and was now mistaken, because as soon as he began to think calmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-could-not-admit-that-he-had-known-the-truth-then-and-was-now/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Donald learned that you can never admit you're wrong. That was considered a weakness... it's a kind of toxic positivity, there was no admitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/donald-learned-that-you-can-never-admit-you-re-wrong-that-was/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [All he needs to do is look at me and the butterflies come. I drives me crazy…when he talks to me, his voice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany/all-he-needs-to-do-is-look-at-me-and-the-butterflies-come-i-drives-me/) [Brittany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany/) > [“So, Zoe told me today that—” “Wait. Are you going to talk like that?” I glanced down and realized he was referring to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/so-zoe-told-me-today-that-wait-are-you-going-to-talk-like-that-i/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [how can he love me then not? He went,he ran. And I cannot bring him back. Yet I left the door metaphorically wide open,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-north/how-can-he-love-me-then-not-he-went-he-ran-and-i-cannot-bring-him/) [Freya North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-north/) > [Nobody likes me!" "I wish I could like you, Charlie Brown, but I can't... If I were to like you, it would be admitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/nobody-likes-me-i-wish-i-could-like-you-charlie-brown-but-i-can-t-if/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [There is a difference between admitting and confessing. Admitting involves softening, making excuses for things that cannot be excused; confessing just names the crimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/there-is-a-difference-between-admitting-and-confessing-admitting/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [The only tough thing is admitting to my wife how much a certain article of clothing costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taye-diggs/the-only-tough-thing-is-admitting-to-my-wife-how-much-a-certain/) [Taye Diggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taye-diggs/) > [The first step is always admitting you have a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-step-is-always-admitting-you-have-a-problem/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Another person is, at the heart of it, unknowable. And if you cannot know a person enough to always guess what they’re capable of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/another-person-is-at-the-heart-of-it-unknowable-and-if-you-cannot/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [“Maybe that is what growing up was all about. It was about changing your mind. Opening it right up. Admitting to yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/maybe-that-is-what-growing-up-was-all-about-it-was-about-changing/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [“Admitting we're not heroic is when we're the most heroic of all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dorian-scrubs/admitting-we-re-not-heroic-is-when-we-re-the-most-heroic-of-all/) [John Dorian- scrubs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dorian-scrubs/) > [“The truth is I do love you. Admitting that means opening myself up to all that pain when you leave. After you realize this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-moran/the-truth-is-i-do-love-you-admitting-that-means-opening-myself-up-to/) [Kelly Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-moran/) > [I think there's a lot of power in admitting that you don't know everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-williamson/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-power-in-admitting-that-you-don-t-know/) [Kit Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-williamson/) ## More by Tina Brown > [Oprah's stock in trade has always been her powerful unmediated connection. She could feel your pain and empower you to talk about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/oprah-s-stock-in-trade-has-always-been-her-powerful-unmediated/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [The digitally native generation has no idea what has been lost to the freedom of intimacy that has no fear of being recorded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/the-digitally-native-generation-has-no-idea-what-has-been-lost-to-the/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [Obama can't change his cool disposition, though it would be nice if he lost the vaguely grudging air he gives off that problems of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/obama-can-t-change-his-cool-disposition-though-it-would-be-nice-if-he/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [I'm trying to be entertaining without being mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/i-m-trying-to-be-entertaining-without-being-mean/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > ['America' is synonymous with opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/america-is-synonymous-with-opportunity/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [Washington's Alfalfa Club dinner is a populist's nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/washington-s-alfalfa-club-dinner-is-a-populist-s-nightmare/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [Politicians have always been required to be fake, but now the career havoc wrought by a stray, flying sound bite means they have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/politicians-have-always-been-required-to-be-fake-but-now-the-career/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [American newspapers are dying mostly because they were so dull for so long, a whole generation gave up on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/american-newspapers-are-dying-mostly-because-they-were-so-dull-for-so/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [Powerful women always interpret hostility as unrequited love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/powerful-women-always-interpret-hostility-as-unrequited-love/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [Obama's great asset has always been an ability to maintain his air of authority without being baritone about it. He can be boring, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/obama-s-great-asset-has-always-been-an-ability-to-maintain-his-air-of/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > ['The Daily Beast' and Howard Kurtz have parted company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/the-daily-beast-and-howard-kurtz-have-parted-company/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [The women of Afghanistan, left behind as their men fought, did what the women of World War II did - used their wits and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/the-women-of-afghanistan-left-behind-as-their-men-fought-did-what-the/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [Your normal Wall Street big-swinging Richard has enough of a lingering moral compass to at least tell himself that his wizardry benefits somebody or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/your-normal-wall-street-big-swinging-richard-has-enough-of-a/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [Manners are the ability to put someone else at their ease...by turning any answer into another question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/manners-are-the-ability-to-put-someone-else-at-their-ease-by-turning/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [I keep thinking about how terrifyingly vulnerable women are in so many countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/i-keep-thinking-about-how-terrifyingly-vulnerable-women-are-in-so/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) [Explore all 166 Tina Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) ## More Admitting quotes > [I think there's a lot of power in admitting that you don't know everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-williamson/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-power-in-admitting-that-you-don-t-know/) [Kit Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-williamson/) > [“The truth is I do love you. Admitting that means opening myself up to all that pain when you leave. After you realize this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-moran/the-truth-is-i-do-love-you-admitting-that-means-opening-myself-up-to/) [Kelly Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-moran/) > [“Admitting we're not heroic is when we're the most heroic of all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dorian-scrubs/admitting-we-re-not-heroic-is-when-we-re-the-most-heroic-of-all/) [John Dorian- scrubs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dorian-scrubs/) > [“Maybe that is what growing up was all about. It was about changing your mind. Opening it right up. Admitting to yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/maybe-that-is-what-growing-up-was-all-about-it-was-about-changing/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [Another person is, at the heart of it, unknowable. And if you cannot know a person enough to always guess what they’re capable of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/another-person-is-at-the-heart-of-it-unknowable-and-if-you-cannot/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [The first step is always admitting you have a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-step-is-always-admitting-you-have-a-problem/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only tough thing is admitting to my wife how much a certain article of clothing costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taye-diggs/the-only-tough-thing-is-admitting-to-my-wife-how-much-a-certain/) [Taye Diggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taye-diggs/) > [There is a difference between admitting and confessing. Admitting involves softening, making excuses for things that cannot be excused; confessing just names the crimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/there-is-a-difference-between-admitting-and-confessing-admitting/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Nobody likes me!" "I wish I could like you, Charlie Brown, but I can't... If I were to like you, it would be admitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/nobody-likes-me-i-wish-i-could-like-you-charlie-brown-but-i-can-t-if/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [how can he love me then not? He went,he ran. And I cannot bring him back. Yet I left the door metaphorically wide open,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-north/how-can-he-love-me-then-not-he-went-he-ran-and-i-cannot-bring-him/) [Freya North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-north/) > [First and foremost, be faithful to your superiors, keep all promises, refuse the friendship of all who are not like you; and if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/first-and-foremost-be-faithful-to-your-superiors-keep-all-promises/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Oust me if you want, but if I stepped down, I would be admitting guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-temer/oust-me-if-you-want-but-if-i-stepped-down-i-would-be-admitting-guilt/) [Michel Temer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-temer/) > [I think that lawyers are terrible at admitting that they're wrong. And not just admitting it; also realizing it. Most lawyers are very successful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-think-that-lawyers-are-terrible-at-admitting-that-they-re-wrong-and/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [Courageous? Courageous would have been admitting weakness and leaving Dauntless, no matter what shame accompanied it. Pride is what killed Al, and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/courageous-courageous-would-have-been-admitting-weakness-and-leaving/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Rather than admit a mistake, nations have gone to war, families have separated, and good people have sacrificed everything dear to them. Admitting that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-ward/rather-than-admit-a-mistake-nations-have-gone-to-war-families-have/) [Don Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-ward/) [Browse all 302 Admitting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admitting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Admitting weakness seems to be such a severe psychic threat for Bush that when he makes a mistake it's safer just to reinforce it. The strategy creates a perverse system of rewards and punishments", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tina Brown" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-severe-psychic-threat-for-bush/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Admitting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-severe-psychic-threat-for-bush/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/tina-brown-2434_admitting_admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-se_26495.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/tina-brown-2434_admitting_admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-se_26495.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/tina-brown-2434_admitting_admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-se_26495.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Admitting weakness seems to be such a severe psychic threat for Bush that when he makes a mistake it's safer…” — Tina Brown", "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": "Tina Brown", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Admitting weakness seems to be such...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-severe-psychic-threat-for-bush/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-severe-psychic-threat-for-bush/#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 } } ] } ```