James Nesbitt Quotes

It is a great evil, as well as a misfortune, to be unable to utter a prompt and decided 'no'.

I didn't hold back.

Discretion is a very valuable asset.

Let men decide firmly what they will not do, and they will be free to do vigorously what they ought to do.

Now the thing is not to get into unnecessary quarrels by talking too much and not to indicate any weakness by talking too much; let our actions speak for themselves.

I've always been able to keep my private life separate from my business.

Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

One of the most beneficial things I've ever learned is how to keep my mouth shut.

You can be strong and true to yourself without being rude or loud.

I will talk and act, not on my knees, but with prudence.

A man without decision can never be said to belong to himself.

When you arrive at a certain level it's very easy to say yes: that is the moment to learn to say no.

Will power is only the tensile strength of one's own disposition. One cannot increase it by a single ounce.

Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.

I always mean what I say, but I don't always say what I'm thinking.

It's very important in life to know when to shut up. You should not be afraid of silence.

It is a great thing to have a big brain, a fertile imagination, grand ideals, but the man with these, bereft of a good backbone, is sure to serve no useful end.

I do say no to things that I think are completely gratuitous.

It's much nicer to be known as Mr. Nice Guy than Mr. Nasty Guy. But you've got to have lines - and when you hit the line, that's the end of the story, nice guy or not.

A man is known by the silence he keeps.

When I was younger I probably didn't understand something basic about tact, but I think it kept faint-hearted people at arm's distance and that's not such a bad thing, because life is short and I know the kind of people I want to work with.

Tact in audacity is knowing how far you can go without going too far.

It is a sad thing when men have neither the wit to speak well, nor the judgment to hold their tongues.

We have exercised restraint and adopted a wise and sane policy. But this should never be construed as weakness…

There are too many things I find it difficult to say 'no' to.