--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm an avowed centrist, and I believe…" description: "\"I'm an avowed centrist, and I believe that - centrism is often - it's almost the wrong word to use, because it's often seen as sort of splitting the di..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/tony-blair-812_believe_i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-tha_967440.jpg" --- # I'm an avowed centrist, and I believe that - centrism is… ![“I'm an avowed centrist, and I believe that - centrism is often - it's almost the wrong word to use, because it's often seen as sort of splitting the difference between right and left.” quote by Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/tony-blair-812_believe_i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-tha_967440.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/tony-blair-812_believe_i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-tha_967440.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/tony-blair-812_believe_i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-tha_967440.jpg) > “I'm an avowed centrist, and I believe that - centrism is often - it's almost the wrong word to use, because it's often seen as sort of splitting the difference between right and left.” [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He identifies as a centrist but notes the term can imply a vague compromise between extremes, which may be misleading. **In simple terms:** He calls himself centrist but questions the label. Key Takeaway Clarify your political stance beyond vague labels. Themes politics moderation ideology Mood analytical political Type theoretical inquisitive When to use this quote - policy debates - voting decisions - public discourse - party alignment Key Concepts Political theory centrist critique Questions to Reflect On - What does centrism mean to you? - How can one maintain principles while seeking balance? A Different Perspective Centrist positions can be seen as indecisive or lacking conviction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Centrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centrist/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Wrong words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-words/) ## Related quotes > [“Political centrism ≠ neutrality. Being a centrist doesn't make you unbiased; it biases you in favour of the centre.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-ulyate/political-centrism-neutrality-being-a-centrist-doesn-t-make-you/) [Rodney Ulyate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-ulyate/) > [I haven't come to the conclusion that centrist politics is wrong or dead. On the contrary. I think it's very much alive - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-haven-t-come-to-the-conclusion-that-centrist-politics-is-wrong-or/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Historically we have rejected extremism on the left and the right. Centrism is the right course for America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-brooke/historically-we-have-rejected-extremism-on-the-left-and-the-right/) [Edward Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-brooke/) > [“No centrism based on the temporary historical "glory" of any nation or region should any longer be allowed to distort our universal human understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-centrism-based-on-the-temporary-historical-glory-of-any-nation-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Kamalasila's Illumination of Centrism explains: Thus, those who cannot understand all at once that all phenomena lack a nature, for the time being, gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/kamalasila-s-illumination-of-centrism-explains-thus-those-who-cannot/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“In brief, if Centrism is explained as a consistent philosophical, ontological, or logical system, that may appeal to our wish for some well-organized, all-explanatory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/in-brief-if-centrism-is-explained-as-a-consistent-philosophical/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [Now fiscal responsibility is generally a good thing, and so a centrism mindlessly focused on tweaking legislation away from deficit spending has its uses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/now-fiscal-responsibility-is-generally-a-good-thing-and-so-a-centrism/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [“Buddhism in general and Centrism in particular is not meant as a philosophical edifice but as a set of tools for experientially attaining an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/buddhism-in-general-and-centrism-in-particular-is-not-meant-as-a/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [Centrism is bogus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/centrism-is-bogus/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [I am not a centrist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-abzug/i-am-not-a-centrist/) [Bella Abzug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-abzug/) > [Obama behaves like a centrist who leans tentatively left on certain social programs but boldly right on military force and civil liberties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-k-shipler/obama-behaves-like-a-centrist-who-leans-tentatively-left-on-certain/) [David K. Shipler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-k-shipler/) > [We're living in a world that's divided into two economies: the economy of the 1%, and the economy of the bottom 99%. I guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/we-re-living-in-a-world-that-s-divided-into-two-economies-the-economy/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [I'm a true centrist: my beliefs put me in the middle... You know what happens to people who drive in the middle of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-m-a-true-centrist-my-beliefs-put-me-in-the-middle-you-know-what/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [Within the paradigm of Democratic politics, even though people probably think I'm a centrist, I'm more a liberal, except for abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-powers/within-the-paradigm-of-democratic-politics-even-though-people/) [Kirsten Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-powers/) > [How is it that labels like 'centrist' and 'moderate,' which common sense tells us should reflect the views of a majority of Americans, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehdi-hasan/how-is-it-that-labels-like-centrist-and-moderate-which-common-sense/) [Mehdi Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehdi-hasan/) ## More by Tony Blair > [I happen to think it's the politics that makes you electable, but the reason for that is politicians sometimes talk about electability as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-happen-to-think-it-s-the-politics-that-makes-you-electable-but-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I have absolutely no doubt at all that we will find evidence of weapons of mass destruction programmes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-have-absolutely-no-doubt-at-all-that-we-will-find-evidence-of/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I mean, you can agree or disagree with Iraq or Afghanistan, but by the way, now the great campaigning cause out there is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-mean-you-can-agree-or-disagree-with-iraq-or-afghanistan-but-by-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [My dad was a militant atheist, or is a militant atheist. My mum was sort of bought up in a religious family because she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/my-dad-was-a-militant-atheist-or-is-a-militant-atheist-my-mum-was/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Politics may be the art of the possible, but at least in life, give the impossible a go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/politics-may-be-the-art-of-the-possible-but-at-least-in-life-give-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I also, as I think most people do, have a healthy instinct that if we upset the balance of nature, we are in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-also-as-i-think-most-people-do-have-a-healthy-instinct-that-if-we/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [It is not a sensible or intelligent response for us in Europe to ridicule American arguments and parody their political leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/it-is-not-a-sensible-or-intelligent-response-for-us-in-europe-to/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I am absolutely delighted to give my full support to Gordon as the next leader of the Labour Party and as prime minister and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-am-absolutely-delighted-to-give-my-full-support-to-gordon-as-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Society works by putting opportunity and responsibility together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/society-works-by-putting-opportunity-and-responsibility-together/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [The great advantage of the Lib Dems is precisely that no-one knows what they stand for](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/the-great-advantage-of-the-lib-dems-is-precisely-that-no-one-knows/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [People know where I stand in the Labour party and what I believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/people-know-where-i-stand-in-the-labour-party-and-what-i-believe-in/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [The only society that works today is also one founded on mutual respect, on a recognition that we have a responsibility collectively and individually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/the-only-society-that-works-today-is-also-one-founded-on-mutual/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [How do we deal with not just the acts of violence, but the extremist ideology that lies behind them? Because though the numbers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/how-do-we-deal-with-not-just-the-acts-of-violence-but-the-extremist/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [The public think the politicians don't know or care about their lives; and the politicians feel misunderstood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/the-public-think-the-politicians-don-t-know-or-care-about-their-lives/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I think it's important for people like me to evaluate and reevaluate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-think-it-s-important-for-people-like-me-to-evaluate-and-reevaluate/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) [Explore all 363 Tony Blair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm an avowed centrist, and I believe that - centrism is often - it's almost the wrong word to use, because it's often seen as sort of splitting the difference between right and left.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Blair" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-that-centrism-is-often-it-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-that-centrism-is-often-it-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/tony-blair-812_believe_i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-tha_967440.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/tony-blair-812_believe_i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-tha_967440.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/tony-blair-812_believe_i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-tha_967440.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm an avowed centrist, and I believe that - centrism is often - it's almost the wrong word to use, because…” — Tony Blair", "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": "Tony Blair", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm an avowed centrist, and I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-that-centrism-is-often-it-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-m-an-avowed-centrist-and-i-believe-that-centrism-is-often-it-s/#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 } } ] } ```