--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not worth the paper it is written…" description: "\"It is not worth the paper it is written on unless it is backed by the kind of force that will make the other side consider the penalties too heavy to b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/yitzhak-rabin-7015_agreement_it-is-not-worth-the-paper-it-is-written_331148.jpg" --- # It is not worth the paper it is written on unless it is… ![“It is not worth the paper it is written on unless it is backed by the kind of force that will make the other side consider the penalties too heavy to break the agreement.” quote by Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/yitzhak-rabin-7015_agreement_it-is-not-worth-the-paper-it-is-written_331148.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/yitzhak-rabin-7015_agreement_it-is-not-worth-the-paper-it-is-written_331148.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/yitzhak-rabin-7015_agreement_it-is-not-worth-the-paper-it-is-written_331148.jpg) > “It is not worth the paper it is written on unless it is backed by the kind of force that will make the other side consider the penalties too heavy to break the agreement.” [Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Agreements need enforceable strength; otherwise they’re meaningless. **In simple terms:** Strong enforcement backs agreements. Key Takeaway Ensure enforceable agreements. Themes law power negotiation Mood serious thoughtful Type political legal When to use this quote - diplomacy - business contracts - legal settlements Key Concepts contract theory deterrence Questions to Reflect On - What makes an agreement credible? - How to balance force and fairness? A Different Perspective Power can be misused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agreement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agreement/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Break Agreement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-agreement-3098707/) [Consider Penalties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consider-penalties-3098708/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Heavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Paper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paper/) [Paper Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paper-written-385660/) [Penalties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/penalties/) [Penalties Heavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/penalties-heavy-3098706/) [Unless Backed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unless-backed-3098709/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) ## Related quotes > [When you break an agreement in a relationship, you must offer an amendment first, or it is meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-sylver/when-you-break-an-agreement-in-a-relationship-you-must-offer-an/) [Marshall Sylver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-sylver/) > [“Only now the words coming out of her mouth are news to me. “But in return for this unprecedented request, Soldier Everdeen has promised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/only-now-the-words-coming-out-of-her-mouth-are-news-to-me-but-in/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Strong words outlast the paper they are written upon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are-written-upon/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [“Remind me again why I put up with you?" 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Bush and Barack Obama, the US Constitution is no longer worth the paper it's written on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/between-george-w-bush-and-barack-obama-the-us-constitution-is-no/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“If left unexecuted, even the greatest competitive strategies are not worth the paper on which they were written.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lowitt/if-left-unexecuted-even-the-greatest-competitive-strategies-are-not/) [Eric Lowitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lowitt/) > [“A verbal contract is worth about as much as the paper it's written on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/a-verbal-contract-is-worth-about-as-much-as-the-paper-it-s-written-on/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [Of course a politician's promise isn't worth the paper it's written on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-pearce/of-course-a-politician-s-promise-isn-t-worth-the-paper-it-s-written-on/) [Russell Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-pearce/) > [Now everybody who knows anything at all knows perfectly well that even a business letter does not deserve the paper on which it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-hallowell-abbott/now-everybody-who-knows-anything-at-all-knows-perfectly-well-that/) [Eleanor Hallowell Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-hallowell-abbott/) > [“An oral contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-goldwyn-jr/an-oral-contract-isn-t-worth-the-paper-it-s-written-on/) [Sam Goldwyn Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-goldwyn-jr/) > [“It's a fiendishly difficult thing to do because paper that has been written on doesn't burn easily.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhael-bulgakov/it-s-a-fiendishly-difficult-thing-to-do-because-paper-that-has-been/) [Mikhael Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhael-bulgakov/) > [In 2008, Bitcoin was mysteriously introduced to the world in an obscure, technical paper written under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. By late 2013, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hanke/in-2008-bitcoin-was-mysteriously-introduced-to-the-world-in-an/) [Steve Hanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hanke/) ## More by Yitzhak Rabin > [Lebanon is a Syrian protectorate. The Lebanese dare not do anything without the approval of Damascus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/lebanon-is-a-syrian-protectorate-the-lebanese-dare-not-do-anything/) [Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/) > [I'll continue to carry out whatever we are committed to. Whatever we believe leads us to a permanent solution the way we want it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/i-ll-continue-to-carry-out-whatever-we-are-committed-to-whatever-we/) [Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/) > [I don't see any reason to discriminate against homosexuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/i-don-t-see-any-reason-to-discriminate-against-homosexuals/) [Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/) > [Israel has an important principle: It is only Israel that is responsible for our security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/israel-has-an-important-principle-it-is-only-israel-that-is/) [Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/) > [Peace is not made with friends. 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