--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And yet, on balance, affirmative action…" description: "\"“And yet, on balance, affirmative action has, I think, been a qualified success.” A 13-word sentence with five hedging words. I give it first prize as ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/william-knowlton-zinsser-43472_affirmative-action_and-yet-on-balance-affirmative-action-ha_2487029.jpg" --- # And yet, on balance, affirmative action has, I think, been… ![“And yet, on balance, affirmative action has, I think, been a qualified success.” A 13-word sentence with five hedging words. I give it first prize as the most wishy-washy sentence in modern public discourse,” quote by William Knowlton Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/william-knowlton-zinsser-43472_affirmative-action_and-yet-on-balance-affirmative-action-ha_2487029.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/william-knowlton-zinsser-43472_affirmative-action_and-yet-on-balance-affirmative-action-ha_2487029.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/william-knowlton-zinsser-43472_affirmative-action_and-yet-on-balance-affirmative-action-ha_2487029.jpg) > ““And yet, on balance, affirmative action has, I think, been a qualified success.” A 13-word sentence with five hedging words. I give it first prize as the most wishy-washy sentence in modern public discourse,”” [William Knowlton Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-knowlton-zinsser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker labels a statement as overly cautious and indecisive, highlighting its lack of firm stance. **In simple terms:** The sentence is seen as wishy‑washy. Key Takeaway Recognize and avoid vague language. Themes communication politics clarity Mood skeptical critical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - political debate - media analysis - policy discussion Key Concepts hedging qualifiers public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How does hedging affect trust? - When is cautious language appropriate? A Different Perspective Such phrasing can undermine credibility and persuade audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [13 Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/13-word-925858/) [Affirmative action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmative-action/) [Hedging Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hedging-words-925859/) [Sentence Hedging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentence-hedging-925857/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Washy Sentence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washy-sentence-925856/) [Words Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-prize-925860/) ## Related quotes > [The fact is that in too many parts of our country, we still have discrimination. And affirmative action is not just something that applies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/the-fact-is-that-in-too-many-parts-of-our-country-we-still-have/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [The purpose of affirmative action is to give our nation a way to finally address the systemic exclusion of individuals of talent on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/the-purpose-of-affirmative-action-is-to-give-our-nation-a-way-to/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [If they're all so brilliant and I'm such an affirmative-action hire, how come they didn't catch me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-blair/if-they-re-all-so-brilliant-and-i-m-such-an-affirmative-action-hire/) [Jayson Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-blair/) > [“I think that even someone who got into an institution through affirmative action could prove they were qualified by what they accomplished there. Page 188”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/i-think-that-even-someone-who-got-into-an-institution-through/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [If Barack Obama believes there are no victims in U.S, then I assume he'll shut down all the civil rights offices throughout the federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/if-barack-obama-believes-there-are-no-victims-in-u-s-then-i-assume-he/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“It is scarcely the same thing to put a man on the Moon as to put a bone in your nose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-henry-iii/it-is-scarcely-the-same-thing-to-put-a-man-on-the-moon-as-to-put-a/) [William A. Henry III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-henry-iii/) > [Who knows what Yale thought it was getting when it hired Richard Rodriguez? The people who offered me the job thought there was nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/who-knows-what-yale-thought-it-was-getting-when-it-hired-richard/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [My decision was sparked by affirmative action. There was a point in my life when affirmative action would have meant something to me -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/my-decision-was-sparked-by-affirmative-action-there-was-a-point-in-my/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [The need of black conservatives to gain the respect of their white peers deeply shapes certain elements of their conservatism. In this regard, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-need-of-black-conservatives-to-gain-the-respect-of-their-white/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I read American sagas (of the west) and I do not see people who went in search of material things. I see people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/i-read-american-sagas-of-the-west-and-i-do-not-see-people-who-went-in/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [“the left had been finessing labels for years: racial preferences to affirmative action to diversity; abortion rights to pro-choice to reproductive rights; global warming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-cashill/the-left-had-been-finessing-labels-for-years-racial-preferences-to/) [Jack Cashill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-cashill/) > [Until affirmative action is described and understood as one mechanism by which to make amends for historical wrongdoing against members of marginalized communities, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/until-affirmative-action-is-described-and-understood-as-one-mechanism/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [Affirmative action was designed to recognize the uniquely difficult journey of African-Americans. This policy was justifiable and understandable, even to those who came from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/affirmative-action-was-designed-to-recognize-the-uniquely-difficult/) [Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/) > [Without application of the mind; there is no drive for taking affirmative action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mercado/without-application-of-the-mind-there-is-no-drive-for-taking/) [Joseph Mercado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mercado/) > [Affirmative action has a negative effect on our society when it means counting us like so many beans and dividing us into separate piles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/affirmative-action-has-a-negative-effect-on-our-society-when-it-means/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) ## More by William Knowlton Zinsser > [“Thinking clearly is a conscious act that writers must force on themselves,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-knowlton-zinsser/thinking-clearly-is-a-conscious-act-that-writers-must-force-on/) [William Knowlton Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-knowlton-zinsser/) > [“Probably no subject is too hard if people take the trouble to think and write and read clearly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-knowlton-zinsser/probably-no-subject-is-too-hard-if-people-take-the-trouble-to-think/) [William Knowlton Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-knowlton-zinsser/) > [“There are many good reasons for writing that have nothing to do with being published. Writing is a powerful search mechanism, and one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-knowlton-zinsser/there-are-many-good-reasons-for-writing-that-have-nothing-to-do-with/) [William Knowlton Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-knowlton-zinsser/) > [“Be grateful for everything you can throw away. Reexamine each sentence you put on paper. Is”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-knowlton-zinsser/be-grateful-for-everything-you-can-throw-away-reexamine-each-sentence/) [William Knowlton Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-knowlton-zinsser/) > [“As a writer you must keep a tight rein on your subjective self—the traveler touched by new sights and sounds and smells—and keep an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-knowlton-zinsser/as-a-writer-you-must-keep-a-tight-rein-on-your-subjective-self-the/) [William Knowlton Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-knowlton-zinsser/) > [“Don’t fight such a current if it feels right. Trust your material if it’s taking you into terrain you didn’t intend to enter but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-knowlton-zinsser/don-t-fight-such-a-current-if-it-feels-right-trust-your-material-if/) [William Knowlton Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-knowlton-zinsser/) > [“Whenever I listen to an artist or an art historian I'm struck by how much they see and how much they know --and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-knowlton-zinsser/whenever-i-listen-to-an-artist-or-an-art-historian-i-m-struck-by-how/) [William Knowlton Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-knowlton-zinsser/) > [“Every writing project must be reduced before you start to write.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-knowlton-zinsser/every-writing-project-must-be-reduced-before-you-start-to-write/) [William Knowlton Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-knowlton-zinsser/) [Explore all 9 William Knowlton Zinsser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-knowlton-zinsser/) ## More Affirmative action quotes > [The fact is that in too many parts of our country, we still have discrimination. And affirmative action is not just something that applies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/the-fact-is-that-in-too-many-parts-of-our-country-we-still-have/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Without application of the mind; there is no drive for taking affirmative action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mercado/without-application-of-the-mind-there-is-no-drive-for-taking/) [Joseph Mercado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mercado/) > [Affirmative action was designed to recognize the uniquely difficult journey of African-Americans. This policy was justifiable and understandable, even to those who came from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/affirmative-action-was-designed-to-recognize-the-uniquely-difficult/) [Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/) > [Until affirmative action is described and understood as one mechanism by which to make amends for historical wrongdoing against members of marginalized communities, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/until-affirmative-action-is-described-and-understood-as-one-mechanism/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [“the left had been finessing labels for years: racial preferences to affirmative action to diversity; abortion rights to pro-choice to reproductive rights; global warming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-cashill/the-left-had-been-finessing-labels-for-years-racial-preferences-to/) [Jack Cashill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-cashill/) > [I read American sagas (of the west) and I do not see people who went in search of material things. I see people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/i-read-american-sagas-of-the-west-and-i-do-not-see-people-who-went-in/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [The need of black conservatives to gain the respect of their white peers deeply shapes certain elements of their conservatism. In this regard, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-need-of-black-conservatives-to-gain-the-respect-of-their-white/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [My decision was sparked by affirmative action. There was a point in my life when affirmative action would have meant something to me -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/my-decision-was-sparked-by-affirmative-action-there-was-a-point-in-my/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [Who knows what Yale thought it was getting when it hired Richard Rodriguez? The people who offered me the job thought there was nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/who-knows-what-yale-thought-it-was-getting-when-it-hired-richard/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [“It is scarcely the same thing to put a man on the Moon as to put a bone in your nose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-henry-iii/it-is-scarcely-the-same-thing-to-put-a-man-on-the-moon-as-to-put-a/) [William A. Henry III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-henry-iii/) > [If Barack Obama believes there are no victims in U.S, then I assume he'll shut down all the civil rights offices throughout the federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/if-barack-obama-believes-there-are-no-victims-in-u-s-then-i-assume-he/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“I think that even someone who got into an institution through affirmative action could prove they were qualified by what they accomplished there. Page 188”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/i-think-that-even-someone-who-got-into-an-institution-through/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [If they're all so brilliant and I'm such an affirmative-action hire, how come they didn't catch me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-blair/if-they-re-all-so-brilliant-and-i-m-such-an-affirmative-action-hire/) [Jayson Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-blair/) > [The purpose of affirmative action is to give our nation a way to finally address the systemic exclusion of individuals of talent on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/the-purpose-of-affirmative-action-is-to-give-our-nation-a-way-to/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Affirmative action has a negative effect on our society when it means counting us like so many beans and dividing us into separate piles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/affirmative-action-has-a-negative-effect-on-our-society-when-it-means/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) [Browse all 231 Affirmative action quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmative-action/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And yet, on balance, affirmative action has, I think, been a qualified success.” A 13-word sentence with five hedging words. 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