Thread: what is this expression for?

'for all the wrong reasons'

how to use it correctly?

1) I have done it for all the wrong reasons?
is that the same as saying
2) I should have done it for all the right reasons but I didn't?

Examples: Wanting to be a doctor simply for the money & the glory.
Wanting to be a politician for the fame & power.
Wanting to marry someone to get away from your old life, or because they're hot & rich.
Wanting to be a writer only for the money (oooo gonna get hit for this one yeeeeeouch!).

In essence they mean exactly the opposite.

"I have done it for all the wrong reasons" does not actually mean what it says, it means that all the reasons for doing it were wrong, as in the examples given by CFFTB.
For example money and glory are not all the wrong reasons to want to be a doctor, one could include access to prescription drugs, getting to see patients bodies, and many other wrong reasons, but it is one of those phrases which should not be taken literally, the 'all' is only there for emphasis.

Originally Posted by Olly Buckle

"I have done it for all the wrong reasons" does not actually mean what it says, it means that all the reasons for doing it were wrong

It's funny you should say that. Even though your explanation is perfectly correct, that it doesn't mean precisely what it says, all my life I have interpreted the expression correctly. Just goes to show, some people's minds can sometimes make automatic and necesary adjustments to the construction of a phrase, to arrive at what the writer intended.

And then there are some who just plough through life reading everything without ever once asking themselves what the writer meant.




And while I'm here, here's another similar question:
What precisely does "I don't suffer fools gladly" mean? I think I know, but how about you?

Originally Posted by CFFTB

Examples: Wanting to be a doctor simply for the money & the glory.
Wanting to be a politician for the fame & power.
Wanting to marry someone to get away from your old life, or because they're hot & rich.
Wanting to be a writer only for the money (oooo gonna get hit for this one yeeeeeouch!).

Thank you CFFTB..it is funny how I could not interpret it in any way because my brain in not geared towards doing something then saying they were wrong.
I mean even though you trained as a Doctor for money I still do not consider that wrong.
I consider it as an incentive or a bonus.

Originally Posted by Olly Buckle

"I have done it for all the wrong reasons" does not actually mean what it says, it means that all the reasons for doing it were wrong, as in the examples given by CFFTB.
For example money and glory are not all the wrong reasons to want to be a doctor, one could include access to prescription drugs, getting to see patients bodies, and many other wrong reasons, but it is one of those phrases which should not be taken literally, the 'all' is only there for emphasis.

Thank you Olly.
This makes sense.
Would you however agree that not all consider those reasons quoted as wrong are not necessarily wrong to the listener or the reader?
One must not assume that we share the same views about certain ideas.
For example the reason I find it 'misquoted' is because I do not consider pursuing a career for money or fame as wrong.
I hope I am making sense here.

And then there are some who just plough through life reading everything without ever once asking themselves what the writer meant.

It is a good point but one can only interpret what the writer meant within a certainty because we do not all share the same views on things.
The best way to clear it up is evidently to ask questions.
Itis not possible ot expect a reader to second guess the writer when such expressions are used fro the reasons I stated above.

And while I'm here, here's another similar question:
What precisely does "I don't suffer fools gladly" mean? I think I know, but how about you?

At first glance for me this means 'one does not suck up to silly people' easily (sorry about the word 'to suck up')O
On second thoughts one can go with the idea freely but then expect them to come back and ask questions because they happen to have taken it without questions asked there and then.
Just because one appeared to have nodded their heads and accepted somethin as point blank does not mean it won't come up again in a different context where they will perhaps think about it twice then.
Again Imight be totally wrong, barking at the wrong tree, so excuse me but at least I gave it a shot.

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

And while I'm here, here's another similar question:
What precisely does "I don't suffer fools gladly" mean? I think I know, but how about you?

I'm fairly sure it means you won't stand to be in the company of fools willingly and without protest.

To put up with, to tolerate. (Oxford)

garza, Oxford is all very well, but what about the word "gladly" in that particular context?

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

What precisely does "I don't suffer fools gladly" mean? I think I know, but how about you?

A person who doesn't suffer fools gladly is one who doesn't like to see his own shortcomings reflected in others.

Originally Posted by Nacian

'for all the wrong reasons'

I think there's a much better example.

Saddam Hussain. I assume that nobody here is a fan of his. It was known he committed human rights abuses (although arguably also kept out certain detrimental forces), and had a large number of people killed. A believer of human rights could have simply argued for 'regime change' based on that.

However, the various intelligence agencies willfully invented notions of WMDs, possible nuclear weapon items, drone WMD planes which could fly 1000kms with pinpoint accuracy yet without satellite technology, Al Queda support, etc. They were all knowingly bogus at the time, and therefore even if the action to remove him was the correct one (which anti-interference supporters would argue against), the action to remove him was done for all of the wrong reasons.

Similarly, and going on from that; there's the saying, 'the ends doesn't justify the means'.

Even if you could argue that we're better off without Saddam, does it justify destroying our own integrity (in a web of willful lies) to achieve that?


Hope I'm not breaking any forum rule here. Apologies if i am.

What precisely does "I don't suffer fools gladly" mean? I think I know, but how about you?

It means that I do not tolerate interference from, suffer at a disadvantage from or have to put up with fools and pretend 'gladness'. However, 'gladly' is a somewhat old fashioned word and there is a tendency for old fashioned uses to be kept on in phrases such as this; consider 'prove' in 'exception proves the rule' for example. This brings to mind the archaic use of 'suffer', "So I won't be pleased if fools are brought into my presence (and I will let them know it)". An original reasonable wish to avoid fools with a modern threatening sub text attached."

What would a literally minded person make of constructions like 'I wouldn't if I were you' and I wouldn't suggest that', especially when people mix them up, as they do in day to day conversation, "I wouldn't suggest you sit there if I were you; it's just been painted".

Originally Posted by Olly Buckle

It means that I do not tolerate interference from, suffer at a disadvantage from or have to put up with fools and pretend 'gladness'. However, 'gladly' is a somewhat old fashioned word and there is a tendency for old fashioned uses to be kept on in phrases such as this; consider 'prove' in 'exception proves the rule' for example. This brings to mind the archaic use of 'suffer', "So I won't be pleased if fools are brought into my presence (and I will let them know it)". An original reasonable wish to avoid fools with a modern threatening sub text attached."

Thank you for most of that. I disagree about 'prove' being old-fashioned in the example given. How else would one say it, without going into some long-winded alternative?

What would a literally minded person make of constructions like 'I wouldn't if I were you' and I wouldn't suggest that', especially when people mix them up, as they do in day to day conversation, "I wouldn't suggest you sit there if I were you; it's just been painted".

Most people, when involved in day-to-day conversation, simply soak up what is being said without any attempt to understand it. All one needs do, to realise the truth of this, is eavesdrop on a pair of women blethering in the supermarket.

Put simply the archaic sense of 'prove' is to 'test' so 'the exception proves the rule' means 'the exception tests the rule', not that the exception demonstrates the truth of the rule.

Most people, when involved in day-to-day conversation, simply soak up what is being said without any attempt to understand it. All one needs do, to realise the truth of this, is eavesdrop on a pair of women blethering in the supermarket.

I would agree that they soak up what is being said, but not with the misogynist oriented rest of it, the brain automatically tries to make sense of things, I notice this all the time since my sight has deteriorated, seeing what is not there is as much of a problem as not seeing what is. Similarly in hearing, most people would hear the parts of familiar phrases, the final statement about it being just painted, and their brain would put it in a sensible order without questioning it. It is not that those women's brains are less efficient than those of their precise and literal male counterparts and ignore huge amounts of information, simply that they order things to different priorities. Listen to their next conversation and you will find that the information has been taken in, sorted, and the relevant parts are being regurgitated, how else do you think they find so much to talk about when their main experience is social interaction?

Originally Posted by Olly Buckle

Put simply the archaic sense of 'prove' is to 'test' so 'the exception proves the rule' means 'the exception tests the rule', not that the exception demonstrates the truth of the rule.

Oh. I see. That's just like "the proof of the pudding's in the eating" then. Thank you. The more I learn, the more I forget. Or something.