--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never hesitated to promote someone I…" description: "\"I never hesitated to promote someone I didn't like. The comfortable assistant - the nice guy you like to go on fishing trips with - is a great pitfall...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/tom-watson-12148_assistants_i-never-hesitated-to-promote-someone-i-d_2813330.png" --- # I never hesitated to promote someone I didn't like. The… ![“I never hesitated to promote someone I didn't like. The comfortable assistant - the nice guy you like to go on fishing trips with - is a great pitfall. Instead I looked for those sharp, scratchy, harsh, almost unpleasant guys who see and tell you about things as they really are. If you can get…” quote by Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/tom-watson-12148_assistants_i-never-hesitated-to-promote-someone-i-d_2813330.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/tom-watson-12148_assistants_i-never-hesitated-to-promote-someone-i-d_2813330.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/tom-watson-12148_assistants_i-never-hesitated-to-promote-someone-i-d_2813330.png) > “I never hesitated to promote someone I didn't like. The comfortable assistant - the nice guy you like to go on fishing trips with - is a great pitfall. Instead I looked for those sharp, scratchy, harsh, almost unpleasant guys who see and tell you about things as they really are. If you can get enough of them around you, and have patience enough to hear them out, there is no limit to where you can go.” [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoid comfortable, agreeable allies; instead, seek candid, sometimes harsh critics who provide truthful insight, leading to limitless growth. **In simple terms:** Prefer honest critics over easy companions. Key Takeaway Listen to truth, not comfort. Themes leadership truth growth Mood critical motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - business - personal development - team building - mentoring Key Concepts psychology organizational behavior Questions to Reflect On - Who challenges you honestly? - How do you handle criticism? A Different Perspective Harsh feedback can damage morale. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assistants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assistants/) [Comfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfortable/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Fishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fishing/) [Goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-on/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Guy Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy-like/) [Harsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harsh/) [Having patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-patience/) [Hesitated Promote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hesitated-promote-3535819/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Like Fishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-fishing-832705/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice/) [Nice guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice-guy/) [Pitfalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pitfalls/) [Unpleasant Guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpleasant-guys-3535818/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I would like to go fishing and catch a fish stick. That would be convenient. I could easily get a job at Mrs. Paul's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-would-like-to-go-fishing-and-catch-a-fish-stick-that-would-be/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [It's like fishing -- you got to get that first one in the boat. Once you get that first one, the skunk is off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-baker/it-s-like-fishing-you-got-to-get-that-first-one-in-the-boat-once-you/) [Dusty Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-baker/) > [Whether people know it or not, I'm a big nature guy. I like snowboarding, I like fishing, and those are my ways to wind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daymond-john/whether-people-know-it-or-not-i-m-a-big-nature-guy-i-like/) [Daymond John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daymond-john/) > [There's nothing like fishing to pass the time and to incline toward a sort of magnificent stupidity in which nothing matters but tackle, bait,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-baldwin/there-s-nothing-like-fishing-to-pass-the-time-and-to-incline-toward-a/) [Faith Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-baldwin/) > [“It was like fishing a swamp, where you feel the tug of something that at first seems promising and then resistant and finally hopeless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/it-was-like-fishing-a-swamp-where-you-feel-the-tug-of-something-that/) [Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/) > [I like fishing as much when I don't catch anything as when I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lauer/i-like-fishing-as-much-when-i-don-t-catch-anything-as-when-i-do/) [Matt Lauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lauer/) > [“We go back to our silent fishing, but I'm smiling the whole time. The tension has dimmed. Well, until Blake shoves Graham into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-zart/we-go-back-to-our-silent-fishing-but-i-m-smiling-the-whole-time-the/) [Lindy Zart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-zart/) > [I like fishing, I like painting; I like painting fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/i-like-fishing-i-like-painting-i-like-painting-fish/) [Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/) > [“Networking is like fishing. Just give some beer and a boat and I’ll be in business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/networking-is-like-fishing-just-give-some-beer-and-a-boat-and-i-ll-be/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Life, to me, is like fishing: you won’t catch anything until you start, and every year you get older is another year the fish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-staniforth/life-to-me-is-like-fishing-you-won-t-catch-anything-until-you-start/) [Alex Staniforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-staniforth/) > [I like fishing. We do all kinds of fun fishing trips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-valanciunas/i-like-fishing-we-do-all-kinds-of-fun-fishing-trips/) [Jonas Valanciunas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-valanciunas/) > [I love hunting. It's part of my life. It's more of a lifestyle thing than, like, fishing. I look at fishing as more of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-love-hunting-it-s-part-of-my-life-it-s-more-of-a-lifestyle-thing/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I like fishing because it's the one thing I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/i-used-to-like-fishing-because-i-thought-it-had-some-larger/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [The English countryside is the most staggeringly beautiful place. I can't spend as much time there as I like, but I like everything about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-ritchie/the-english-countryside-is-the-most-staggeringly-beautiful-place-i/) [Guy Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-ritchie/) > [Street Photography is like fishing. Catching the fish is more exciting than eating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-leuthard/street-photography-is-like-fishing-catching-the-fish-is-more-exciting/) [Thomas Leuthard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-leuthard/) ## More by Tom Watson > [Ballybunion is the course on which many golf architects should live and play on before they build golf courses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/ballybunion-is-the-course-on-which-many-golf-architects-should-live/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I hope that I've been able to treat people with the respect they've shown me. That's basically the tenet you try to live by.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-hope-that-i-ve-been-able-to-treat-people-with-the-respect-they-ve/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I guess I have never been much of a complainer. You just take what is given you, and don't complain about what you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-guess-i-have-never-been-much-of-a-complainer-you-just-take-what-is/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I love the competition, and if I can continue to compete and give myself a chance to win tournaments, I'll still play out here.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-love-the-competition-and-if-i-can-continue-to-compete-and-give/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I learned how to win by losing and not liking it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-learned-how-to-win-by-losing-and-not-liking-it/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [Golfers who play a lot of courses often encounter short ledges or retaining walls, and I always had fun hopping down from them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/golfers-who-play-a-lot-of-courses-often-encounter-short-ledges-or/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [When you come off that last hole and you've just finished a good round of golf, life is good. When you come off that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/when-you-come-off-that-last-hole-and-you-ve-just-finished-a-good/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [From the time I won the Kansas City Match Play championship at age 14, I never wanted to be anything but a golfer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/from-the-time-i-won-the-kansas-city-match-play-championship-at-age-14/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [My golf swing is a bit like ironing a shirt. You get one side smoothed out, turn it over and there is a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-shirt-you-get-one-side-smoothed/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/all-the-problems-of-the-world-could-be-settled-easily-if-men-were-2/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I love the way the game of golf is lived and played in Scotland. I always have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-love-the-way-the-game-of-golf-is-lived-and-played-in-scotland-i/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [Sometimes you have to lose major championships before you can win them. It's the price you pay for maturing. The more times you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/sometimes-you-have-to-lose-major-championships-before-you-can-win/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I've said many times, 'You learn to win through not liking to lose.' And that's what I mean by learning how to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-ve-said-many-times-you-learn-to-win-through-not-liking-to-lose-and/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [My career was one of just taking it step by step. I didn't know how I was gonna fare on the professional circuit when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/my-career-was-one-of-just-taking-it-step-by-step-i-didn-t-know-how-i/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I have a special feeling for Blue Hills CC, where I won perhaps the most important tournament of my life when I was 14…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-have-a-special-feeling-for-blue-hills-cc-where-i-won-perhaps-the/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) [Explore all 54 Tom Watson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) ## More Assistants quotes > [I'm a good assistant. That's why I don't have an assistant, because I'm so on it that no one can be as on it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-dunst/i-m-a-good-assistant-that-s-why-i-don-t-have-an-assistant-because-i-m/) [Kirsten Dunst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-dunst/) > [Since, however, it is immaterial whether the work is done by assistants or a machine, I decided to build a machine equivalent to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-however-it-is-immaterial-whether-the-work-is-done-by-assistants/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My dad's a prominent theatre director in Toronto, so I grew up in that world, directing and producing theater since I was a teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gass-donnelly/my-dad-s-a-prominent-theatre-director-in-toronto-so-i-grew-up-in-that/) [Ed Gass-Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gass-donnelly/) > [To this day, I've never had an assistant. I really insist on doing everything myself because I value the role of the artist's hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-robleto/to-this-day-i-ve-never-had-an-assistant-i-really-insist-on-doing/) [Dario Robleto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-robleto/) > [ Well, that would be a title \[the busiest guy in Hollywood\] still reserved for Ryan Seacrest. I have one assistant; he has about nine.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mchale/well-that-would-be-a-title-the-busiest-guy-in-hollywood-still/) [Joel McHale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-mchale/) > [Everyone believed the Senate could not really be led. It used to take so long to rise up through seniority. In two years Lyndon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/everyone-believed-the-senate-could-not-really-be-led-it-used-to-take/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [I know that you observe Christmas Day as you learned it at home. I do not observe it. However, as assistant director of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/odilo-globocnik/i-know-that-you-observe-christmas-day-as-you-learned-it-at-home-i-do/) [Odilo Globocnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/odilo-globocnik/) > [Hollywood is a whole other level of crazy. I've never met so many assistants who have assistants. It's a stratified society on its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/hollywood-is-a-whole-other-level-of-crazy-i-ve-never-met-so-many/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [Photoshop is useful in many ways but must NEVER be used for the altering of photographs. My assistants and my agency do whatever Photoshop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/photoshop-is-useful-in-many-ways-but-must-never-be-used-for-the/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [Remember, this is back in the '40s, and the idea of a museum being a place where interested people could come in direct contact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/remember-this-is-back-in-the-40s-and-the-idea-of-a-museum-being-a/) [Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/) > [The mind reels at the multiplication of books intended to justify the author's promotion from assistant to associate professor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/the-mind-reels-at-the-multiplication-of-books-intended-to-justify-the/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [I was in Japan, and my assistant director had worked with Kurosawa. I used quite of number of Kurosawa's crew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/i-was-in-japan-and-my-assistant-director-had-worked-with-kurosawa-i/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [It's one of the most beautiful memories of my life. Not everyone has a chance to meet Greta Garbo! I was so in awe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giovanna-cau/it-s-one-of-the-most-beautiful-memories-of-my-life-not-everyone-has-a/) [Giovanna Cau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giovanna-cau/) > [Think like a head coach, but act like an assistant coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-amaker/think-like-a-head-coach-but-act-like-an-assistant-coach/) [Tommy Amaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-amaker/) > [I must have assistants who will solve their own problems and tell me later what they've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-marshall/i-must-have-assistants-who-will-solve-their-own-problems-and-tell-me/) [George C. Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-marshall/) [Browse all 322 Assistants quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assistants/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never hesitated to promote someone I didn't like. The comfortable assistant - the nice guy you like to go on fishing trips with - is a great pitfall. Instead I looked for those sharp, scratchy, harsh, almost unpleasant guys who see and tell you about things as they really are. 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