---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Stubbornness is a virtue if you are right."
description: "\"Stubbornness is a virtue if you are right.\" — Tony Dungy"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/tony-dungy-2343_character_stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-righ_612041.png"
---

#  Stubbornness is a virtue if you are right.

![“Stubbornness is a virtue if you are right.” quote by Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/tony-dungy-2343_character_stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-righ_612041.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/tony-dungy-2343_character_stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-righ_612041.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/tony-dungy-2343_character_stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-righ_612041.png)

> “Stubbornness is a virtue if you are right.”

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Stubbornness can be positive when it upholds truth, but only if it aligns with moral correctness.

**In simple terms:** Being stubborn is good when right.

Key Takeaway

Stand firm on truth, but stay open to correction.

Themes

integrity confidence leadership

Mood

determined reflective

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- team decision making
- policy advocacy
- personal negotiations

Key Concepts

principled perseverance ethical conviction

Questions to Reflect On

- When does firmness become rigidity?
- How to balance conviction with humility?

A Different Perspective

Blind stubbornness can ignore better alternatives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Stubbornness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stubbornness/) [Stubbornness Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stubbornness-virtue-4968454/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Virtue Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue-right-624204/)

## Related quotes

> [“Of course we would all like to "believe" in something, like to assuage our private guilts in public causes, like to lose our tiresome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/of-course-we-would-all-like-to-believe-in-something-like-to-assuage/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [In my own case, who have spent my whole life in the practice of virtue, right conduct from habitual has become natural.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sallust/in-my-own-case-who-have-spent-my-whole-life-in-the-practice-of-virtue/)

[Sallust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sallust/)

> [Being stubborn is a virtue when you're right; it's only a character flaw when you're wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/being-stubborn-is-a-virtue-when-you-re-right-it-s-only-a-character/)

[Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/)

> [Virtue is nothing else than right reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/virtue-is-nothing-else-than-right-reason/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [We cannot have right virtue without right conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/we-cannot-have-right-virtue-without-right-conditions/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [It is plain that there is no separate essence called courage, no cup or cell in the brain, no vessel in the heart containing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-plain-that-there-is-no-separate-essence-called-courage-no-cup/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [The Logos came down out of love for us. Let us not keep Him down permanently, but let us go up with Him to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximus-the-confessor/the-logos-came-down-out-of-love-for-us-let-us-not-keep-him-down/)

[Maximus the Confessor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximus-the-confessor/)

> [“As long as we insist on hanging on to our hate, the world will not know peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-overmire/as-long-as-we-insist-on-hanging-on-to-our-hate-the-world-will-not/)

[Laurence Overmire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-overmire/)

> [“People you don't like are pigheaded. Your friends are stubborn, or hold to their purpose.~Victor Radcliff”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-turtledove/people-you-don-t-like-are-pigheaded-your-friends-are-stubborn-or-hold/)

[Harry Turtledove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-turtledove/)

> [“Stubbornness is a weapon. People tend to draw it out when a sensitive part of their identity is threatened—be it dignity, honor, pride, desires,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/stubbornness-is-a-weapon-people-tend-to-draw-it-out-when-a-sensitive/)

[Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/)

> [I promise I shall never give up, and that I'll die yelling &amp; laughing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-promise-i-shall-never-give-up-and-that-i-ll-die-yelling-laughing/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [Man's worst ill is stubbornness of heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/man-s-worst-ill-is-stubbornness-of-heart/)

[Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/)

> [Put that pride/stubbornness aside and reach out to someone n make amends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-that-pride-stubbornness-aside-and-reach-out-to-someone-n-make/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/)

[Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/)

> [Although their parents died in the wilderness for their stubbornness, Israel could profit from the older generation's failure by remembering that God had used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/although-their-parents-died-in-the-wilderness-for-their-stubbornness/)

[Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/)

## More by Tony Dungy

> [We only wanted to pay significant sums to keep truly special players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/we-only-wanted-to-pay-significant-sums-to-keep-truly-special-players/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [They were unwillingly to give 100 percent if they didn't personally think it was important. What you don't understand is the champions know it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/they-were-unwillingly-to-give-100-percent-if-they-didn-t-personally/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [I need to treat everybody fairly, but fair doesn't always mean equal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/i-need-to-treat-everybody-fairly-but-fair-doesn-t-always-mean-equal/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [Change isn't always bad; we should always be learning and improving. But the change I was seeing involved principles, not procedures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/change-isn-t-always-bad-we-should-always-be-learning-and-improving/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [We wanted guys who had been productive in college, and we made it a point to pick performance over potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/we-wanted-guys-who-had-been-productive-in-college-and-we-made-it-a/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [Hard work and togetherness. They go hand in hand. You need the hard work because it's such a tough atmosphere... to win week in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/hard-work-and-togetherness-they-go-hand-in-hand-you-need-the-hard/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [Character is the glue that bonds solid and meaningful relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/character-is-the-glue-that-bonds-solid-and-meaningful-relationships/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [As a father of seven kids, and been a kid myself at one point, I realize you don't always make the best decisions every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/as-a-father-of-seven-kids-and-been-a-kid-myself-at-one-point-i/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [What's important is not the uniform or the number, and it's not what team you play for or whether anyone else sees your value;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/what-s-important-is-not-the-uniform-or-the-number-and-it-s-not-what/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [Engage, educate, equip, encourage, empower, energize, and elevate. Those are the methods for maximizing the potential of any individual, team, organization, or institution for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/engage-educate-equip-encourage-empower-energize-and-elevate-those-are/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [There are weaknesses that you have to understand and it takes a lot of discipline for the players to be able to play it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/there-are-weaknesses-that-you-have-to-understand-and-it-takes-a-lot/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [Integrity is what you do when no one is watching; its doing the right thing all the time, even when it may work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/integrity-is-what-you-do-when-no-one-is-watching-its-doing-the-right/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [Courage is the ability to do the right thing, all the time, no matter how painful or uncomfortable it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/courage-is-the-ability-to-do-the-right-thing-all-the-time-no-matter/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [I would want America to know our kids need us. Spend as much time with your kids as you can. Enjoy them. Be with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/i-would-want-america-to-know-our-kids-need-us-spend-as-much-time-with/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [“Without Peyton, there would be no Lucas Oil Stadium. This team would be playing in L.A. right now. I don't understand Jim saying this.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/without-peyton-there-would-be-no-lucas-oil-stadium-this-team-would-be/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

[Explore all 171 Tony Dungy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

## More Character quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/)

[David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/)

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [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/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

[Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Stubbornness is a virtue if you are right.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tony Dungy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-right/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-right/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/tony-dungy-2343_character_stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-righ_612041.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/tony-dungy-2343_character_stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-righ_612041.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/tony-dungy-2343_character_stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-righ_612041.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Stubbornness is a virtue if you are right.” — Tony Dungy",
                "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 Dungy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Stubbornness is a virtue if you...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-right/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/stubbornness-is-a-virtue-if-you-are-right/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
