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50 Inspirational Quotes For Bad News: A Ray of Hope in Dark Times

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In life, we all face our share of bad news and challenges that can leave us feeling disheartened. But even in the midst of darkness, there is always a glimmer of hope. Get ready to be uplifted and inspired as we present 50 unique and original quotes that will reignite your spirit and help you find strength in the face of adversity.

50 Inspirational Quotes For Bad News

1. “Bad news is not the end of the story; it is an opportunity for growth and resilience.”

2. “In the face of bad news, let hope be the guiding light that leads you through the darkness.”

3. “Every cloud of bad news carries a silver lining of hidden opportunities.”

4. “Bad news may knock you down, but it can never take away your inner strength and determination.”

5. “In the midst of bad news, remember that you have the power to rewrite the narrative and create a better outcome.”

6. “The depth of your character is revealed not in how you handle good news, but in how you rise above bad news.”

7. “Bad news can be a catalyst for change and a stepping stone towards a brighter future.”

8. “In the face of bad news, let resilience be your armor and courage be your guiding force.”

9. “Behind every bout of bad news lies the potential for a comeback story filled with triumph and resilience.”

10. “Bad news is not a reflection of your worth; it is simply a temporary obstacle on your journey.”

11. “When bad news arrives, let it be a reminder of your inner power and your ability to overcome adversity.”

12. “In the face of bad news, choose to focus on solutions rather than dwelling on the problem.”

13. “Bad news can be a turning point that leads to personal growth, wisdom, and a deeper understanding of life.”

14. “When bad news knocks on your door, let it be an invitation to tap into your inner resilience and find a way forward.”

15. “In the midst of bad news, remember that you are not defined by the circumstances, but by how you choose to respond.”

16. “Behind every storm of bad news lies the potential for a rainbow of opportunities and new beginnings.”

17. “Bad news may bring temporary disappointment, but it cannot diminish your inherent worth and potential.”

18. “In the face of bad news, let faith and optimism be your guiding principles, lighting the path ahead.”

19. “Bad news may alter your plans, but it cannot alter your determination and ability to create a positive outcome.”

20. “When bad news arises, let it ignite your resilience and inspire you to rewrite the script of your life.”

21. “In the face of bad news, remember that setbacks are temporary, but your determination is everlasting.”

22. “Bad news can serve as a catalyst for personal growth, pushing you to tap into your untapped potential.”

23. “When bad news arrives, let it fuel your determination to rise above the circumstances and achieve greatness.”

24. “In the face of bad news, let perseverance and tenacity be your allies on the journey towards success.”

25. “Bad news is a test of your character and a platform for you to demonstrate your unwavering strength and resilience.”

26. “In the realm of bad news lies the opportunity for personal transformation and the discovery of untapped inner resources.”

27. “When bad news strikes, remember that it is not a reflection of your worth but a stepping stone towards a stronger and wiser version of yourself.”

28. “Amidst the storm of bad news, find solace in knowing that you possess the power to weather any challenge that comes your way.”

29. “Bad news may darken the skies temporarily, but within you resides the eternal flame of hope that can light up even the darkest of times.”

30. “In the face of bad news, let gratitude be your anchor, guiding you towards the blessings that still surround you.”

31. “When confronted with bad news, let it be an invitation to tap into your resilience, resourcefulness, and creative problem-solving skills.”

32. “Bad news can be a catalyst for empathy and compassion, inspiring you to reach out and support others who may be facing similar challenges.”

33. “Within every episode of bad news, lies the potential for personal growth, wisdom, and a deeper understanding of life’s complexities.”

34. “In the face of bad news, remember that it is just one chapter in the story of your life, and the plot can always take an unexpected turn.”

35. “When bad news arrives, let it ignite your determination and fuel your desire to rewrite the script of your life with resilience and perseverance.”

36. “Bad news may cast a shadow, but it also serves as a reminder to seek the light within yourself and others.”

37. “Amidst the turbulence of bad news, find strength in knowing that you have overcome challenges before and will triumph once again.”

38. “In the face of bad news, embrace the power of self-compassion and grant yourself the grace to heal, learn, and grow.”

39. “When confronted with bad news, let it be a testament to your unwavering spirit and your ability to find strength in the face of adversity.”

40. “Bad news may test your patience, but it also presents an opportunity to cultivate resilience and cultivate a sense of inner calm.”

41. “In the realm of bad news, find the courage to rewrite the narrative, turning obstacles into stepping stones towards a brighter future.”

42. “When bad news knocks at your door, let it be a catalyst for resilience, creativity, and the unyielding pursuit of your dreams.”

43. “Bad news may dim the light of optimism temporarily, but it cannot extinguish the flame of hope that burns within you.”

44. “In the face of bad news, remember that you possess the power to shape your perspective and choose how you respond to life’s challenges.”

45. “When confronted with bad news, let it be a reminder that you are capable of finding solutions, adapting, and thriving in the face of adversity.”

46. “Bad news may disrupt your plans, but it cannot derail your determination and the unwavering belief in your ability to overcome.”

47. “In the realm of bad news, embrace the lessons that adversity teaches, for they are the building blocks of resilience and personal growth.”

48. “When bad news casts a shadow, let it be a reminder that even in the darkest moments, a glimmer of hope and possibility can emerge.”

49. “Bad news challenges us to tap into our inner strength, connect with our support systems, and emerge stronger and more resilient than before.”

50. “In the face of bad news, remember that it is just a chapter in the book of your life, and there are many more pages waiting to be written with hope, resilience, and triumph.”

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23 Best Quotes About Good News

At Good Good Good, we care a lot about good news . We were founded on the belief that the world is filled with good news — but that it goes underreported and unnoticed.

So we set out to look for the helpers and find the hope within the heartbreak — whether it comes to the environment , COVID-19 , racial justice , or animals .

These quotes remind us of the importance and power of good news. And they might even remind us that, in addition to celebrating good news, each of us has the power to become good news .

If you like these sayings, then you’ll also love our collections of the best quotes about hope and optimism , the best quotes about newspapers , and the best quotes from activists and activism .

Oh, and if you hate these quotes, make sure to check out our collection of the best quotes about... bad news .

The Best Quotes About Good News:

“I think there needs to be a change of consciousness with the news ... to try to seek a higher ground. Why can't it be more representative of the way the world really is? I think we don't know what the bombardment of crime and violence does to our minds, I think we're in denial about it.” — Oprah Winfrey

“We are the good news that we have been looking for, Demonstrating that every dusk holds a dawn disguised within it. Today we don't burst into a new world. We begin it.” — Amanda Gorman , in the Some Good News Graduation episode

“A lot of times good news happens slowly and bad news happens all at once. And so we tend to focus on the bad news that’s crashing over us in waves, and not on the slow long-term work that people are doing together to try to make a better world for us to share.” — John Green , in conversation with Steve Levitt on People I (Mostly) Admire

“Bad news travels at the speed of light; good news travels like molasses.” — Tracy Morgan

‍ “The good news is that every morning we have the choice; not to be controlled by circumstances nor our past but by purposely designing our day, hence our lives better. Not to react to life but to respond with love.” — Bernard Kelvin Clive

“I realize how this event [the 'Miracle on the Hudson] had touched people's lives, how ready they were for good news, how much they wanted to feel hopeful again. We've had a worldwide economic downturn, and people are confused, fearful and just so ready for good news. They want to feel reassured that all the things we value, all our ideals, still exist.” — Captain “Sully” Sullenberger

“It's good to remember that in crises, natural crises, human beings forget for awhile their ignorances, their biases, their prejudices. For a little while, neighbors help neighbors and strangers help strangers.” — Dr. Maya Angelou

“I'm convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they're stones that don't matter. As long as you're breathing, it's never too late to do some good.” — Dr. Maya Angelou

“The news media are, for the most part, the bringers of bad news... and it's not entirely the media's fault, bad news gets higher ratings and sells more papers than good news.” — Peter McWilliams ‍

“I have found ... that people are thirsting for images of goodness in order to maintain their hope in a difficult world. Sometimes, the measure of our work as journalists is not the professional recognition of colleagues, but rather the mark we make in the hearts of readers who see our work.” — Gerald Herbert, photojournalist

“Bad news travels fast. Good news takes the scenic route.” — Doug Larson

“Headlines, in a way, are what mislead you because bad news is a headline, and gradual improvement is not.” — Bill Gates

“My job is to collect stories of hope — because there's so much going on that's awful. Animals becoming extinct, forests disappearing, people suffering tremendously. If this is the only aspect that gets out to the general public, they think there's not much we can do and they do nothing. And so these stories that show what can be done I think are tremendously important.” — Jane Goodall , in an interview with Ecosia

“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” — Anne Frank

“The good news is we have everything we need to leave fossil fuels in the ground. All we need is for you to join the rest of the world to bring about a cleaner, more stable, and peaceful future.” — Mark Ruffalo

→ Related: Good climate change news

“Celebrating good news reminds you that there's still hope — and the end of the story isn't here yet.” — Branden Harvey , founder of Good Good Good

“Better to have bad news that's true than good news we made up.” — Eric Ries

“The bad news is nothing lasts forever, The good news is nothing lasts forever.” — J. Cole

“Remember: things can be bad, and getting better.” — Hans Rosling

“The good news is hopeful doesn't mean dumb. The bad news is cynical doesn't mean smart.” — Sarah Silverman

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” — Desmond Tutu

→ Related: Best Desmond Tutu quotes

“When I read the newspaper, I look for the good news because every thought we think changes our biochemistry. Your hormones are all affected by your thoughts. Pay attention to things that bring you joy.” ‍ — Dr. Christiane Northup

Fill Your World with Positive News

If you need more good news in your life, we've got you covered. In fact, that's all we do at Good Good Good.

You can get good delivered to your email inbox every week by subscribing to our positive news newsletter .

We also make a monthly Goodnewspaper (yes, a real newspaper filled with reasons to be hopeful). You can subscribe and get monthly positive news snail mail .

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65 Bad News Quotes On Success In Life

These bad news quotes will inspire you. Bad news is any news that drastically, negatively, and seriously affects an individual’s view of their future.

Below you will find a collection of motivating, happy, and encouraging bad news quotes, bad news sayings, and bad news proverbs.

Best Bad News Quotes

• “The brains of humans contain a mechanism that is designed to give priority to bad news.” ~ Daniel Kahneman
• “Better to have bad news that’s true than good news we made up” ~ Eric Ries
• “Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws.” ~ Douglas Adams
• “Never awake me when you have good news to announce, because with good news nothing presses; but when you have bad news, arouse me immediately, for then there is not an instant to be lost.” ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

“Bad news isn’t wine. It doesn’t improve with age.” ~ Colin Powell

• “The good news is that Jesus is praying for us. The bad news is that we are going to need it!” ~ John Wimber
• “Bad news sells because the amygdala is always looking for something to fear.” ~ Peter Diamandis
• “Bad news travels fast. Good news takes the scenic route.” ~ Doug Larson
• “Headlines, in a way, are what mislead you because bad news is a headline, and gradual improvement is not.” ~ Bill Gates

“Though it be honest, it is never good to bring bad news.” ~ William Shakespeare

• “In the business world, bad news is usually good news – for somebody else.” ~ James Surowiecki
• “I’d rather get bad news from an honest man than lies from a flatterer.” ~ Ursula K. Le Guin
• “Sometimes, I think my most important job as a CEO is to listen for bad news. If you don’t act on it, your people will eventually stop bringing bad news to your attention and that is the beginning of the end.” ~ Bill Gates
• “The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do.” ~ Ted Nelson

“Quit sharing bad news and gossip you aren’t a garbage truck.” ~ Grant Cardone

• “bad news travels faster than good.” ~ Catherine the Great
• “More bad news for the Taliban. Remember how they are promised 72 virgins when they die? Turns out that it’s only one 72-year-old virgin.” ~ Jay Leno
• “You are powerful. Sorry. Hate to be the bearer of bad news. You are. You can continue arm wrestling with yourself, or you can use both arms, your whole heart, and all your strength to wrestle with greatness. The choice is yours.” ~ Peter McWilliams , Bearer of bad news quotes
• “When you’re expecting bad news you have to be prepared for it a long time ahead so that when the telegram comes you can already pronounce the syllables in your mouth before opening it.” ~ Robert Pinget

“The good news is hopeful doesn’t mean dumb. The bad news is cynical doesn’t mean smart.” ~ Sarah Silverman

• “More information is always better than less. When people know the reason things are happening, even if it’s bad news, they can adjust their expectations and react accordingly. Keeping people in the dark only serves to stir negative emotions.” ~ Simon Sinek
• “Oxytocin is a Teflon hormone – bad news rolls off it.” ~ Robert M. Sapolsky
• “Bad news has never been broken gently in my family. Because, breaking it gently takes a few extra seconds. And who’s got that kinda time? Hey, we maybe failures, but we are very busy.” ~ Christopher Titus
• “For a long period of time, the media covered rap music and hip hop the same way they cover a lot of black people, people of color, you know, the bad news happens to be news. They used to have these little stupid colloquialisms that pop up like, “You know what? No news is bad news!” They trick the masses into thinking that any news is great for you. And I just think that’s a piece of crap.” ~ Chuck D

“Bad news travels at the speed of light; good news travels like molasses.” ~ Tracy Morgan

• “The bad news is that ignoring the performance of people is almost as bad as shredding their effort in front of their eyes. Ignoring gets you a whole way out there. The good news is that by simply looking at something that somebody has done, scanning it and saying “Uh huh,” that seems to be quite sufficient to dramatically improve people’s motivations.” ~ Dan Ariely , Good news bad news quotes
• “Each stage of development, remember, has a dialectic of progress–in plain language, every new development is good news, bad news.” ~ Ken Wilber
• “Good news is only really good to those directly involved. Most people lead such futile and useless lives that only bad news makes them feel better. If not better, certainly gooder. If one cannot gain recognition for anything else, he can rest well with the assurance that he is “good”, which in most case equates with “right”.” ~ Anton Szandor LaVey

“Tell your husbands any bad news when everything is calm, not just as they come through the door.” ~ Indra Devi

• “We’d already lost the possibility of stopping global warming entirely. That hasn’t been in the cards for a long time. The triumph of Trump probably means that we’re not going to be able to stop it at the two-degree mark that the world had been aiming for. That’s very bad news, mostly because the planet seems to be more sensitive than we thought to even small increases in temperature.” ~ Bill McKibben
• “The good news may be that Nature is phasing out the white man, but the bad news is that’s who She thinks we all are.” ~ Alice Walker
• “The good news is your surgery was a success and now you look like a movie star! The bad news is that movie star is Drew Carey!” ~ Ryan Stiles
• “Newsmen winding up the nation, a little bad news helps circulation, pass on the panic to the population.” ~ Ray Davies
• “The bad news is that Iran wants to talk about everything except their nuclear program. They want to talk about regional cooperation, they want to talk about the sanctions issues, and it seems like the western powers want to talk about nothing more than the nuclear issue.” ~ Reza Aslan

“The good news is, we’re not bankrupt. The bad news is, we’re close.” ~ Richard Codey

• “So here you are, in your twenties, thinking that you’ll have another 40 years to go. Four decades in which to live long and prosper.Bad news. Read the papers. There are people dropping dead when they’re 50, 40, 30 years old. Or quite possibly just after finishing their convocation. They would be very disappointed that they didn’t meet their life expectancy.I’m here to tell you this. Forget about your life expectancy.” ~ Adrian Tan , Bad news quotes life
• “Bad news drives out good news. The irrational is more controversial than the rational. Concurrence can no longer compete with dissent. One minute of Eldridge Cleaver is worth ten minutes of Roy Wilkins. The labor crises settled at the negotiating table is nothing compared to the confrontation that results in a strike … normality has become the nemesis of network news.” ~ Spiro T. Agnew
• “It is funny, I don’t feel old enough to give advice… But with the advisers you trust, you better listen to them. It may be bad news but that’s the only way you’re going to improve.” ~ Ben Heppner
• “Everything in my life is in perspective. OK, perspective ebbs and flows. I’ve had bad days, but they weren’t in the last years. A bad day is 2 October 1996: ‘We’ve got bad news for you, you’ve got advanced testicular cancer and you’ve got a coin’s toss chance of survival.’ That’s a bad day.” ~ Lance Armstrong

“People do not like to have their favorite myths of idols challenged and as a rule I think that the public does not like bad news.” ~ Tom Brokaw

• “I tried for the longest time to find out what deconstructionism was. Nobody was able to explain it to me clearly. The best answer I got was from a writer, who said, ‘Honey, it’s bad news for you and me.” ~ Margaret Atwood
• “What can I do to see Reality as it is?” The master smiled and said, “I have good news and bad news for you, my friend.” “What’s the bad news?” “There’s nothing you can do to see it is a gift.” “And what’s the good news?” “There’s nothing you can do to see it is a gift.” ~ Anthony de Mello
• “I have got this letter which actually goes out the day after I die. It has already been written. And it says that: “Yesterday I died”. And then it says: “That’s bad news for me, but it’s not bad news for you, the shareholders of Berkshire”. And then I go on and explain what is going to happen. I know that is one time when they will be really interested in hearing from me.” ~ Warren Buffett
• “The investment business has taught me – increasingly as the years have passed – that people, especially investors (and, I believe, Americans), prefer good news and wishful thinking to bad news; and that there are always vested interests to offer facile, optimistic alternatives to the bad news.” ~ Jeremy Grantham

“Bosses and leaders everywhere should cherish the people who bring them bad news, disappointing data or hard problems.” ~ Margaret Heffernan

• “I think of bad news as a huge bird, with the wings of a crow and the face of my Grade Four school teacher, sparse bun, rancid teeth, wrinkly frown, pursed mouth and all, sailing around the world under cover of darkness pleased to be the bearer of ill tidings, carrying a basket of rotten eggs, and knowing- as the sun comes up- exactly where to drop them. On me, for one.” ~ Margaret Atwood
• “But there’s a reason we recognize Hamlet as a masterpiece: it’s that Shakespeare told us the truth, and people so rarely tell us the truth in this rise and fall here [indicates blackboard]. The truth is, we know so little about life, we don’t really know what the good news is and what the bad news is.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut
• “Today they have proven once again that the mainstream media can’t print enough bad news about our troops.” ~ Joe Scarborough
• “I mean, the idea that Bar could have sent him off on a Grand Tour. But he wasn’t the least bit interested. Why? Why isn’t he interested in the world? Because here’s the bad news for him: He’s in the world now.” ~ Chris Matthews

“Republicans have to be relieved. Given all the bad news this White House has faced, at least the president’s hemorrhaging has stopped.” ~ Stuart Rothenberg

• “Ideological warriors whether from the Left or the Right are bad news for the bench. They tend to make law, not interpret law. And that’s not what any of us should want from our judges.” ~ Charles Schumer
• “And when that bad news washes over you and that pain sponges in, I just hope you feel like you’ve always got two choices.  One, you can swirl and twirl and gloom and doom forever.  Or two, you can grieve, and then face the future with newly sober eyes.” ~ Neil Pasricha
• “There are no secrets on an successful software project. Both good and bad news must be able to move up and down the ptoject hierarchy without restriction.” ~ Steve McConnell
• “I do miss Glasgow but Malibu is home now. I love it here and when I do go back to Scotland it takes me a bit of time to acclimatise. I am a spoilt so-and-so. I live in the mountains of Malibu in the most gorgeous house and I phone my mum every day and tell her that I have got bad news – that it is only 70 degrees here.” ~ Tommy Flanagan

“If you’ve got bad news, you want to kick them blues, cocaine.” ~ J.J. Cale

• “Listening to his songs she heard nothing but bad news, still she made her mind up to try to get him win or lose.” ~ Waylon Jennings
• “A man goes to the doctor for a check, and the doctor exams him and says I’ve got bad news, you’ve got cancer and alzheimers. The man goes Thank god I don’t have cancer.” ~ Gilbert Gottfried
• “Bad news is just an excuse.” ~ Neil Young
• “One of the most persistent cultural tics of the early 21st century is Americans’ reluctance to absorb, let alone prepare for, bad news.” ~ Frank Rich

“So, good news/bad news: good news that I’m progressing; bad news that life is short and art is long.” ~ George Saunders

• “We cannot truly plan, because we do not understand the future-but this is not necessarily a bad news. We could plan while bearing in mind such limitations. It just takes guts.” ~ Nassim Nicholas Taleb
• “People who travel in China tell me that the mood there is still very upbeat, because their media is different from our media. Chinese media emphasize how well things are going and suppress the bad news and publish the good news.” ~ Freeman Dyson
• “The good news is we had this idea of cloud computing. The bad news is we were 10 years too early.” ~ Marc Andreessen
• “I think when tragic things happen it is on surface. It is like the ocean. One the surface a waves and sometimes the wave is very serious and strong. But it comes and goes, comes and goes, and underneath, the ocean always remains calm. Tibetans have a saying: “If bad news comes to you listen here” (points to the right ear) “and let it our here” (points to the left ear).” ~ Dalai Lama
• “So, I am a b*stard, and the English are b*stards. But the really bad news is that you are too. My vision of Europe would be Europe of b*stards for whom the question of legitimacy was a site of endless struggle and contestation.” ~ Simon Critchley

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Good And Bad Quotes

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It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.

As soon as you concern yourself with the "good" and "bad" of your fellows, you create an opening in your heart for maliciousness to enter. Testing, competing with, and criticizing others weakens and defeats you.

The meaning of good and bad, of better and worse, is simply helping or hurting.

Because of its tremendous solemnity death is the light in which great passions, both good and bad, become transparent, no longer limited by outward appearances.

It seemed the world was divided into good and bad people. The good ones slept better while the bad ones seemed to enjoy the waking hours much more.

There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.

There are good and bad times, but our mood changes more often than our fortune.

Terms like 'good' and 'bad' are extremely simplistic in what is a far more complex situation.

I talked to the players and tried to make them aware of what was good and bad, but I didn't try to run their lives.

Working out what it would take to program goodness into a robot shows not only how much machinery it takes to be good but how slippery the concept of goodness is to start with.

The more perfect a thing is, the more susceptible to good and bad treatment it is.

Rather like Batman, I embody the themes of the movie which are the values of family, courage and compassion and a sense of right and wrong, good and bad and justice.

If you work for a living, why do you kill yourself working?

There are two kinds of people in the world, observers and non-observers.

When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk.

Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.

Man is physical as well as metaphysical, a thing of shreds and patches, borrowed unequally from good and bad ancestors, and a misfit from the start.

If you want to kill something, neglect it. It happens in both good and bad. Neglect a relationship, it dies. Neglect your iman, it dies. But the same principal applies when you want to kill something like a thought or a desire. Neglect it, it dies.

Voters are more than Catholics, Protestants or Jews. They make up their minds for many diverse reasons, good and bad. To submit the candidates to a religious test is unfair enough - to apply it to the voters is divisive, degrading and wholly unwarranted.

Good and bad men are each less so than they seem.

I am old enough to know only too well my good and bad qualities, which were often one in the same.

Animals don't think in terms of victims and villains, or good and bad, or evil, or shame.

If I'm in LA, I'm close to home, and that just brings up all these other things, good and bad. There is a reason why I am not there .

It is easy to love perfection. The difficulty consists in loving the human with his good and bad. We mostly know as much as we love. Only loving God but not its creatures, you can never really know, neither really love.

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Bob Knight’s words reveal good, bad, ugly of storied coach

The late Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight is a national champion with some memorable quotes. And while his story has been told and retold over seven decades, perhaps nobody can recount the good, the bad and the bizarre moments of his career quite like the man himself.

FILE - In this April 27, 2016, file photo, former Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight speaks during campaign stop for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Indianapolis. Bob Knight, the brilliant and combustible coach who won three NCAA titles at Indiana and for years was the scowling face of college basketball has died. He was 83. Knight’s family made the announcement on social media Wednesday evening, Nov. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

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Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight won three national championships, 11 Big Ten titles and 902 career games. He led the last undefeated Division I men’s basketball champion. He won an Olympic gold medal in 1984 and a national title as an Ohio State player in 1960.

Knight’s family announced his death Wednesday at 83 .

To help remember the tempestuous giant of the sport, here’s a sampling of some of Knight’s most memorable quotes:

“If you want to be a real winner, you have to consider a place like Indiana. (Long Island coach) Clair Bee has been like a father to me ever since I’ve been in the East. He told me I had no choice; I had to go to Indiana. And I felt the same way,” — Knight, after becoming Hoosiers coach in 1971.

“Defense is the key to winning in any sport and that’s what I believe in.” — Knight, at his introductory news conference in 1971.

“My little talk to them went like this: Winning the Big Ten didn’t make any difference and winning the national championship didn’t make any difference. If you will continue to work and follow what we want done, you have the ability to go undefeated and anything less than that would not be the equivalent of what your capabilities were.” — Knight on his opening message to the 1975-76 team in the movie “Perfect in ’76.”

“I think it’s the goal of any coach to reach the NCAA Tournament. It’s almost beyond the realm of comprehension to think you can win it.” — Knight after the Hoosiers completed their undefeated season for the first of his three national titles.

“I’ve always said, all along, that if I ever get to a point where I can’t control myself, I’ll quit.” — Knight to Sports Illustrated in 1981.

“I should have gone to his home and talked to him. I’m sure I could have brought him back to IU.” — Knight to The Bloomington Herald-Times in 1985, reflecting on Larry Bird’s departure. ___

“I hear somebody across the floor keep hollering, ‘Coach! Coach! Coach Knight!’ I get all kinds of suggestions. I try not to pay any attention to it. Here’s a little old lady across the floor, reminded me of my grandmother. I said, ‘Did you want me for something?’ She said, ‘If you’re not going to sit down any more today than you have so far, could I have your chair?’” — Knight’s joking explanation of why he threw a chair across the court during a game in 1985.

“It didn’t look good. In fact, my assistants had just about given up, and so had I. Then I looked down toward the other bench, and I saw (coach) Dale Brown standing there. I knew then that we had a chance. ... To paraphrase Churchill, probably never has so little been done with so much.” — Knight, referencing the Hoosiers’ NCAA Tournament game comeback against LSU en route to his final national championship in 1987.

“I think if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it.” — Knight, to Connie Chung of NBC News in 1988. Knight contended the quote was taken out of context, later saying: “The word rape can be used in several ways. One is in something that has gone out of control or over which you have no control. It obviously was in that context that I was using the word.”

“Probably no motivational device I’ve come across is as good as this.” — Knight, while snapping a bullwhip during an NCAA Tournament news conference in 1992.

“When my time on Earth is gone and my activities here are past, I want they bury me upside down and my critics can kiss my ass.” — Knight, on Indiana’s Senior Day 1994.

“I think there are circumstances that could develop surrounding any human being that would set that human being off in an abnormal way. I think that we all hope that when such a situation would arise that we can control our emotions, or we can react to the circumstances in such a way that doesn’t put either that person or people surrounding them in any kind of a highly embarrassing or difficult situation. But I don’t think that we ever really know.” — Knight, responding to a question from ESPN’s Digger Phelps in 1998 who asked his former coaching rival if he was a potential time bomb in the manner of Woody Hayes.

“‘Son, my name isn’t Knight to you, it’s coach Knight or it’s Mr. Knight. I don’t call people by their last name and neither should you.’” — Knight, explaining what he told IU student Kent Harvey during the incident that led to his firing in September 2000.

“I hope they’re all dead.” — Knight, on Dan Patrick’s radio show in 2017 while discussing the Indiana decision-makers who fired him. When Patrick noted some of the people had died, Knight responded: ”Well, I hope the rest of them go.”

“Early failure is usually better than early success, because the lesson in humility lasts a long time and makes you more effective over the long term.” — Knight, in his book “The Power of Negative Thinking: An Unconventional Approach To Achieving Positive Results.”

“I’ll remember that until I’m gone. You are the best fans in the history of college basketball.” — Knight, after receiving a standing ovation at Bloomington North High School during a 2017 speech.

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Quotes / Good News, Bad News

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The Doctor: Clara, do you want the good news or the bad news? Clara: ( fleeing the Monster of the Week ) We're in the bad news! I'm living the bad news! — Doctor Who , "Flatline"

The Doctor: Er, a bit of a good news, bad news, good news again thing going on. (Clara brandishes her BFG at him) So, good news, I've kidnapped the Cyberplanner and right now I'm sort of in control of this Cyberman. Clara: Bad news? The Doctor: Bad news, the Cyberplanner's in my head . And, different bad news, the kids are, well, it's complicated. (starts to back off from Clara ) Clara: Complicated how? The Doctor: Complicated as in ... walking coma. (hides behind his chessboard) Clara: (gasps in horror, then points BFG ) Please tell me you can wake them up! The Doctor: Hope so. Clara: Other good news? The Doctor: Well, in other good news, there are a few more repaired and reactivated Cybermen on the way, and the Cyberplanner's installing a patch for the gold thing. No, wait, that isn't good news, is it... Er, so, good news, I have a very good chance of winning my chess match! — Doctor Who , "Nightmare in Silver"

Jack Harkness: Doctor, I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is the last of Robertson's Daleks has been destroyed. The Doctor: Can we stop there and pretend there's no bad news? Jack Harkness: The bad news is Robertson is negotiating with the Daleks and has sold you out. The Daleks know it was you who brought them here, as a trap . The Doctor: I knew I wouldn't like the bad news. — Doctor Who , "Revolution of the Daleks"

Shifu: Master! Master! I have... It's, uh... It's very bad news! Oogway: Ah, Shifu, there is just news. There is no good or bad. Shifu: Master, your vision! Your vision was right! Tai Lung has broken out of prison! He's on his way! Oogway: ( Beat ) That is bad news... if you do not believe that the Dragon Warrior can stop him. — Kung Fu Panda

Those of you who volunteered to be injected with praying mantis DNA , I've got some good news and some bad news. Bad news is we're postponing those tests indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts. — Cave Johnson , CEO of Aperture Science, Portal 2

Admiral Emm : Commodore Bhotsu plays an amusing game with me. At least, I presume it to be amusing for him. I would now like to play it with you. It is called "Good News Bad News". DeHaans : Umm... I know this game well, Admiral. I'd rather not play . — Schlock Mercenary

I'm crying inside because the guy who can remove your sick sense of humor went down with the bad news. — Tagon, Schlock Mercenary

Tagon: Thank you for not phrasing this as 'good news, bad news'. Thurl: I know how much you hate that game. Besides, it just felt like 'bad news, worse news', and where's the fun in that? — Schlock Mercenary

Keita: Hey crew, I know you guys've been working really hard, and I've got some good news! Kirito: And? Keita: A-and some bad news. The good news is, we're in debt to the mob! No, wait, that's the bad news. Also, there's no good news. — Sword Art Online Abridged

Gathers : Do you want the bad news or the good news first? Brock : I don't know, the good I guess- Gathers : There is no good news! Just bad news and weird news. — The Venture Bros. , "ORB"

Doctor: Well, I've got good news... Dr. Venture: Oh, thank- Doctor: ...and bad news. Dr. Venture: You son of a bitch! — The Venture Bros.

Robin: Titans, I have some bad news and some bad news. First the bad news. Beast Boy was bitten by a rattlesnake. Beast Boy: I was? [Looks at a rattlesnake biting his arm] Ahhh! I can't feel my hand! It's swelling so bad! Robin: Now for the bad news. Beast Boy has dysentery. Beast Boy: What's that? Raven: That's where you poop till you croak. Beast Boy: [Stomach growling] Uh oh! [Rushes to the bushes to poop] — Teen Titans Go! , "Oregon Trail"

"Bad news, three guys died yesterday working the top of the wall. The good news is, I got three new job openings, top of the wall." — Foreman , Pacific Rim

Marco: <The good news is, we're out of the ship. I used a couple Hork-Bajirs as a ladder and climbed over them! That's the good news.> Ax: <You seem to be implying that there might be some bad news, too.> Marco: <Oh yeah. The bad news is we're about two miles up in the air and we are plummeting to Earth .> — Animorphs - Megamorphs #1

Nick Fury: Well, don't start nibbling my ear just yet, my friend, because all your recent health problems mean that twelve-digit budget comes with a very specific condition Bruce Banner: Which is...? Nick Fury: We're demoting you to Number Two. — The Ultimates

"The good news is, we're going to name a disease after you." — Brad Sherwood , during a game of "Scenes From a Hat," Whose Line Is It Anyway?

"I have good news and bad news. I suggest the good news first; it tends to soften the blow of the bad news." — Felicity , Arrow , "Blind Spot"

"I�ve got good news and bad news. The good news is, we�ll be landing immediately! The bad news is, we�re crash landing . When it comes to air travel, we know you have no choice whatsoever, but thanks again for choosing Air Penguin!" — Skipper , Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

"First the bad news: you're definitely hooked." — Fish Doctor , The Far Side (the good news is that the fisherman is dead and a skeleton)

"Good news: that's it for the jokes. Bad news: that's it for the jokes." — Songdrops , "Good News, Bad News"

Peter Venkman : "Sit down, Egon. We've got some good news and some bad news." Egon Spengler : "Bad news first." Winston Zeddemore : "You've been turned into a werechicken." — The Real Ghostbusters , " Poultrygeist "

Good news! You get rescued. Hooray! Bad news! By aliens. Boo! Good news! They're friendly. Hooray! Bad news. They smell like babies' nappies. Poo! — Good News Bad News

The Good News: There is oxygen in water. The Bad News: What do you mean it doesn't work that way? Wow. Being a human is rough some days. — Nancy Drew : Shadow at the Water's Edge if you get a Game Over from drowning.

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Bob Knight's words reveal good, bad, ugly of storied coach

Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight won three national championships, 11 Big Ten titles and 902 career games. He led the last undefeated Division I men’s basketball champion. He won an Olympic gold medal in 1984 and a national title as an Ohio State player in 1960.

Knight’s family announced his death Wednesday at 83 . To help remember the tempestuous giant of the sport, here’s a sampling of some of Knight’s most memorable quotes:

“If you want to be a real winner, you have to consider a place like Indiana. (Long Island coach) Clair Bee has been like a father to me ever since I’ve been in the East. He told me I had no choice; I had to go to Indiana. And I felt the same way,” — Knight, after becoming Hoosiers coach in 1971.

“Defense is the key to winning in any sport and that’s what I believe in.” — Knight, at his introductory news conference in 1971.

“My little talk to them went like this: Winning the Big Ten didn’t make any difference and winning the national championship didn’t make any difference. If you will continue to work and follow what we want done, you have the ability to go undefeated and anything less than that would not be the equivalent of what your capabilities were.” — Knight on his opening message to the 1975-76 team in the movie “Perfect in ’76.”

“I think it’s the goal of any coach to reach the NCAA Tournament. It’s almost beyond the realm of comprehension to think you can win it.” — Knight after the Hoosiers completed their undefeated season for the first of his three national titles.

“I’ve always said, all along, that if I ever get to a point where I can’t control myself, I’ll quit.” — Knight to Sports Illustrated in 1981.

“I should have gone to his home and talked to him. I’m sure I could have brought him back to IU.” — Knight to The Bloomington Herald-Times in 1985, reflecting on Larry Bird’s departure. ___

“I hear somebody across the floor keep hollering, ‘Coach! Coach! Coach Knight!’ I get all kinds of suggestions. I try not to pay any attention to it. Here’s a little old lady across the floor, reminded me of my grandmother. I said, ‘Did you want me for something?’ She said, ‘If you’re not going to sit down any more today than you have so far, could I have your chair?’” — Knight’s joking explanation of why he threw a chair across the court during a game in 1985.

“It didn’t look good. In fact, my assistants had just about given up, and so had I. Then I looked down toward the other bench, and I saw (coach) Dale Brown standing there. I knew then that we had a chance. ... To paraphrase Churchill, probably never has so little been done with so much.” — Knight, referencing the Hoosiers’ NCAA Tournament game comeback against LSU en route to his final national championship in 1987.

“I think if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it.” — Knight, to Connie Chung of NBC News in 1988. Knight contended the quote was taken out of context, later saying: “The word rape can be used in several ways. One is in something that has gone out of control or over which you have no control. It obviously was in that context that I was using the word.”

“Probably no motivational device I’ve come across is as good as this.” — Knight, while snapping a bullwhip during an NCAA Tournament news conference in 1992.

“When my time on Earth is gone and my activities here are past, I want they bury me upside down and my critics can kiss my ass.” — Knight, on Indiana’s Senior Day 1994.

“I think there are circumstances that could develop surrounding any human being that would set that human being off in an abnormal way. I think that we all hope that when such a situation would arise that we can control our emotions, or we can react to the circumstances in such a way that doesn’t put either that person or people surrounding them in any kind of a highly embarrassing or difficult situation. But I don’t think that we ever really know.” — Knight, responding to a question from ESPN’s Digger Phelps in 1998 who asked his former coaching rival if he was a potential time bomb in the manner of Woody Hayes.

“’Son, my name isn’t Knight to you, it’s coach Knight or it’s Mr. Knight. I don’t call people by their last name and neither should you.’” — Knight, explaining what he told IU student Kent Harvey during the incident that led to his firing in September 2000.

“I hope they’re all dead.” — Knight, on Dan Patrick’s radio show in 2017 while discussing the Indiana decision-makers who fired him. When Patrick noted some of the people had died, Knight responded: ”Well, I hope the rest of them go.”

“Early failure is usually better than early success, because the lesson in humility lasts a long time and makes you more effective over the long term.” — Knight, in his book “The Power of Negative Thinking: An Unconventional Approach To Achieving Positive Results.”

“I’ll remember that until I’m gone. You are the best fans in the history of college basketball.” — Knight, after receiving a standing ovation at Bloomington North High School during a 2017 speech.

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

20 Best Quotes From The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

Posted: November 3, 2023 | Last updated: November 3, 2023

• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly's script and dialogue, particularly between Clint Eastwood's Blondie and Eli Wallach's Tuco, contribute to its status as one of the best Spaghetti Westerns ever made.
• The film's memorable quotes, like "Two Hundred Thousand Dollars Is A Lot of Money. We're Gonna Have To Earn It," establish the thrilling treasure hunt premise and the determination of the characters to come away rich.
• The movie balances humor with its Western genre, seen in lines like "I Never Hurt Anybody" as Tuco hilariously denies his crimes, providing levity in an otherwise violent setting.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly quotes help cement the iconic Spaghetti Western in cinema history. It is not only one of the best Westerns ever made, but it also ranks highly in many "Greatest Movies Of All Time" lists — and for good reason. Director Sergio Leone created an everlasting masterpiece in this final installment of the Dollars Trilogy . The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 's script is terse, but it also includes quite a few great lines of dialogue, ranging from the humorous to the profound.

Credit has to be given to the screenplay team of Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Donati, and Furio Scapelli. The starring duo of Clint Eastwood (Blondie aka The Good) and Eli Wallach (Tuco aka The Ugly) also outdid themselves with their deliveries as the juiciest quotes are from conversations between these two. The dialogue and chemistry between the central characters are part of what made the film one of the best Spaghetti Westerns ever, and is evident in the many great The Good, The Bad and the Ugly quotes.

RELATED: The 50 Best Movies of All Time

"Hey, Blond! You Know What You Are? Just A Dirty Son-Of-A-B-!"

Tuco may not be an honorable character, but Eli Wallach's hilarious performance makes him strangely likable. Unlike the genuinely evil Angel Eyes, the audience doesn't really want to see Tuco die in the end, but that doesn't mean they want to see him win either. That is part of what makes The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 's ending so satisfying as Blondie shoots down Angel Eyes, but leaves Tuco alive. As he heads out with the entire fortune they found, Tuco yells after him with this memorable curse, showing that he is still the despicable character in the end and will continue living as a scoundrel looking for his own good fortune.

"Two Hundred Thousand Dollars Is A Lot of Money. We’re Gonna Have To Earn It."

Along with being a masterpiece of the Western genre, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is a thrilling treasure hunt movie . The premise of three characters going after the same hidden fortune is a brilliantly simple setup for the adventure. This quote from Blondie also shows the audience that it is not going to be an easy journey. It helps to cement that Blondie was the right man out of the three to get the treasure as he is the only one who doesn't think he is owed the treasure by simply knowing about it. He will risk his life yet not be dishonorable in order to come away a rich man.

"I Never Hurt Anybody."

Apart from spoof movies like Blazing Saddles , the Western genre is not typically known for providing big laughs. With stoic heroes, dastardly villains, and dangerous scenarios, there are few moments of levity. While The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is certainly not a comedy, there are some very funny moments, most involving Tuco. One of the biggest laughs in the movie comes as Tuco stands on the gallows with a noose around his neck. He proclaims that he is not a bad person and never hurt anyone only for the officer to proceed in giving a hilariously long list of Tuco's crimes.

"I’ll Keep The Money And You Can Have The Rope."

While Blondie is "the Good" out of the three main characters in the movie, he is more of an anti-hero than a real hero. When the audience meets him, he is pulling off a scheme with Tuco in which he turns Tuco over to authorities, collects the bounty, then frees Tuco at the last minute to do it again in a new town. While that alone is pretty dishonest, Blondie also decides to unceremoniously end his partnership with Tuco. Blondie tells him he's keeping the money while Tuco can keep the ropes that his hands are tied with. It is a merciless moment for the hero of the story but makes him more likable.

Rent The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly on Apple TV

"I’ve Never Seen So Many Men Wasted So Badly."

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is also a Civil War movie as the adventure takes place during the American war with Blondie and Tuco coming across a bloody battle in process. The Western is mostly content simply being an entertaining genre movie, but this is the point in the movie when there is some commentary. Even the man of few words, Blondie, comments on the senselessness of the war. This is a man who has killed and lived a life surrounded by violence but is appalled at the death he sees in battle.

"One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six. Six. Perfect Number."

Blondie wasn't afraid to intimidate his opponents with a little arrogant, chest-puffing bravado, but he also did it with style. When facing down Angel Eyes and his men, Blondie begins counting them out in this cool-headed way. When Angel Eyes asks him why he doesn't think three is the perfect number, Blondie replies " Mmmm, yeah, but I've got six more bullets in my gun. " Eastwood's ice-cold delivery helps to paint the picture of a truly memorable Western movie hero.

"You Never Had A Rope Around Your Neck. Well, I'm Going To Tell You Something. When That Rope Starts To Pull Tight, You Can Feel The Devil Bite Your Ass!"

Though not a deep thinker, there's some truth to this observation from Tuco, which has a similar meaning to the common phrase " There are no atheists in foxholes. " Tuco mutters this quote to describe what it feels like right before a hanging. In many respects, the psychological impact of knowing one is moments away from dying such an unpleasant death would be enough to make anybody sit up and take notice. Perhaps this statement is truer than people think.

"Whoever Has The Most Liquor To Get The Soldiers Drunk And Send Them To Be Slaughtered - He's The Winner."

Union general.

When coming across the Civil War battle, Blondie and Tuco meet a Union General who seems to be as disillusioned with the war as they are. With a feeling of hopelessness, he offers this brutally honest take on the soldiers and their "liquid courage." The conversation goes on to say that both sides are partaking of the spirits in order to muster up a bit of combat bravado. This quote sums up The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 's cynical portrayal of the Civil War and the generally dark nature of Sergio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy .

"I'll Tell You One Thing, Blondie. If I Knew That My Last Hour Had Come, I Swear, In My Place... In Your Place I Would Do The Same Thing. I Would Tell About The Gold. Yes, Yes, I Would."

Tuco wasn't above using any tactic to get what he wanted, including faking sympathy and compassion. In an attempt to get a dehydrated Blondie to reveal the location of the grave containing a cache of gold, he tried using a mixture of mercy and logic in order to sway him. Hilariously, despite leading Blondie to his death, Tuco insists to his former colleague that he would tell him where the treasure was if their circumstances were reversed. It is a hilarious look and the depths Tuco will sink to as well as his lack of self-awareness with how he is perceived.

"Every Gun Makes Its Own Tune."

Clint Eastwood helped to establish himself as a true Western icon over the years and it is memorable lines like this that helped build that legacy. Blondie utters these words, making it well known that this is a man who knows his gun intimately. This quote is in direct reference to the fact that no two guns are identical, or alike, despite their model. Each has its own history and story to tell. There is a sense that Blondie has heard many guns fire in his life and, despite the violence they bring, he can see the music in them.

"Hey, Amigo! You Know You Have A Face Beautiful Enough To Be Worth Two Thousand Dollars?"

When a couple of bounty hunters locate Tuco, one of them makes fun of his ugly face. Blondie then appears and casually lets them know that he won't let them collect the bounty. The next minute, he guns them down, causing Tuco to make reference to Blondie's own bounty with a hint of jealousy. Though they find themselves at odds for most of the movie, there is an undeniable connection between Blondie and Tuco, making them an odd-ball pair who would have been fun to follow on adventures outside of this one.

RELATED: The 20 Best Westerns Ever Made Ranked

"When You Have To Shoot, Shoot. Don't Talk."

Tuco is not as slick as Blondie or Angel Eyes as his temper can often cause him to act impulsively, but this moment shows that there is a reason he has managed to stay alive this long in the Wild West. A man looking for revenge tracks Tuco and finds him relaxing in a bathtub. He mistakenly thinks Tuco is helpless, and expounds at length about his plan for revenge. However, he isn't aware that Tuco is holding a gun under the water. After killing the man, Tuco offers him some posthumous advice about seizing the moment and not talking too much.

"I Almost Forgot... He Gave Me 1000 Dollars. I Think His Idea Was That I Kill You."

In one of the most interesting scenes in The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly , Angel Eyes reports to Baker, an old man who paid him $500 to murder another man. Unfortunately for Baker, Angel Eyes was given $1000 by the man he killed. He goes on to state that when he is paid, he always gets the job done, killing Baker as well. Though Blondie and Tuco get most of the screen time, this is a brilliant introduction for Angel Eyes that makes him a true Western villain to be feared while also carrying a twisted code he abides by.

"God's Not On Our Side Because He Hates Idiots, Also."

While searching for the hidden gold, Tuco tells Blondie that they will be successful in their endeavor because God is on their side. However, Blondie shuts him down by stating that God doesn't like idiots. It is another example of what makes Tuco such a fun character. Not only does he think that he is the type of person who deserves God's help in finding buried treasure, but he is also confident enough to suggest he is not an idiot. Of course, Blondie likes to take any opportunity he can to prove him wrong on that account.

"People With Ropes Around Their Necks Don’t Always Hang."

Angel Eyes says this in reference to the fact that bandits that have been sentenced to hang don't usually end up hanging. They are always saved by bounty hunters so that the reward money can be increased. Angel Eyes is aware of this very merry-go-round money-making scheme that Blondie and Tuco are engaged in. Angel Eyes has been on his own for most of the movie at this point, but the suggestive quote shows that he is a man who is well-informed, knowing all about Blondie and Tuco's scheme.

"If You Work For A Living, Why Do You Kill Yourself Working?"

It is clear that Tuco is a man who enjoys the life of an outlaw, even if it is not always an easy road for him and it is filled with danger. However, quite cleverly, he suggests the alternative is just a more hard-working path to the grave. Tuco is talking to himself as he is plucking off a dead chicken's feathers. He wonders why anyone would work so hard and put their own lives in danger. Instead of working hard to scrape a living by, Tuco engages in dangerous crime in an attempt to get rich quickly.

"You See In This World There's Two Kinds Of People, My Friend - Those With Loaded Guns, And Those Who Dig. You Dig."

Clint Eastwood's Blondie says this to Tuco after the two finally locate the Confederate gold at the cemetery. Tuco thought that there would be a division of labor between them but he was mistaken. Even though Tuco doesn't like being ordered around by anyone, he reluctantly agrees. Throughout the movie, there are various references to the different kinds of people in the world, speaking to the simple world of the Old West. However, this final reference to the idea is the most succinct and important of them all as there are those in power and those without.

"The Next Town Is 70 Miles... If You Save Your Breath, I Feel a Man Like You Could Manage It."

It is hard to determine just what Blondie thinks of Tuco. After having enough of Tuco's complaints, Blondie cuts ties with him and takes the bounty that they are supposed to share before riding away on his horse. He tells Tuco to save his breath and try walking 70 miles. It seems like a bitter betrayal and that Blondie is simply leaving Tuco to die. However, in the end, even after Tuco tried to kill him, Blondie lets him go once again. He clearly finds no guilt in leaving Tuco stranded but he also likes to give him a chance to survive.

"You May Run The Risks, My Friend, But I Do The Cutting. If We Cut Down My Percentage... Who knows? It Might Just Interfere With My Aim."

In a movie in which all of the characters are seeking their fortune, Tuco is the most greedy of them all. Continuing the scheme with Blondie, he demands a bigger cut of the bounty because he is the one who normally gets captured and placed on the hangman's noose. However, Blondie uses his calm yet somewhat sinister rationale to suggest it is best for everyone if his cut stays healthy. Up until this point, Blondie has seemed like a laidback and cool-headed gunslinger but this subtle threat shows he's a real danger as well.

"If You Miss You Better Miss Very Well. Whoever Double-Crosses Me And Leaves Me Alive Understands Nothing About Tuco. Nothing!"

The brilliant thing about Tuco is that he always had very witty responses to everything he was told, which make up some of the best The Good, the Bad and the Ugly quotes. After Blondie suggests that he might intentionally miss his shot at the noose, Tuco issues a threat of his own. He tells Blondie to make sure he's dead or else he'll exert revenge. Interestingly, Blondie still manages to double-cross Tuco at the end of the movie by leaving him with a noose around his neck and no way to access his cut of the Confederate gold. Tuco's egotistical words set up the punch of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 's iconic ending.

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

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The economy is good, but that’s not what polls show. What’s going on?

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Voters are mad about the economy. All the polls say so .

The U.S. economy has seldom been stronger. The numbers say so .

Those two statements are hard to square. Common sense says so.

What’s going on, and how might it affect the election, now a year away?

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As the campaign heats up, economists, political scientists and all sorts of media types have been arguing over the disconnect between economic data and poll data. Is the economy worse than the numbers show, or is something misleading going on with the polls?

Here’s what you should know.

The economic picture

The economist Justin Wolfers puts it this way: Suppose you had fallen asleep in August 2019 and didn’t wake up for four years. On awakening, if you were an economist, the first thing you’d want to know is what the latest data show.

You’d be happily surprised: Unemployment , which was at a historic low when you fell asleep, has remained near that point — 3.8% in September. The economy has grown significantly, even adjusting for inflation, meaning the country has gotten richer. And perhaps most surprisingly, for the first time since before the Great Recession, income distribution has become a bit more equal as the biggest gains have gone to low-wage workers.

In all, you would find that the economy was doing better than most of your colleagues in 2019 had predicted.

“You would wonder what really good thing had happened while you were sleeping,” said Wolfers, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

In fact, of course, you would have slept through a vast social trauma brought on by a worldwide plague, accompanied by a short, but very steep, recession. That makes the good economic numbers all the more impressive.

That’s not the entire picture, of course: A wave of price increases has washed through the economy since 2021, peaking in the summer of 2022 . and leading the Federal Reserve to sharply increase interest rates . At this point, however, inflation has subsided. The rate the Fed watches most closely now sits just slightly above 3% — higher than the central bank’s 2% target, but not alarmingly so.

“The economy is good. Full stop,” says Wolfers. “That’s the story.”

The polling picture

That’s not the story the polls tell.

Last month, only 16% of U.S. adults said the economy was even “somewhat good ,” according to the latest poll for the Associated Press conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. More than 7 in 10 Americans labeled the economy as some level of poor, with 31% calling it “very poor.”

Over the past year, more than half of registered voters consistently have said the U.S. economy was getting worse , according to weekly surveys by YouGov.

The White House has spent the last year touting economic growth and seeking credit , hoping voters will see Bidenomics as a synonym for success.

So far, that effort has landed with a thud.

A poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University found just 40% of voters approved of President Biden ‘s handling of the economy, compared with 57% who disapproved. That’s no worse than his overall job approval rating, but it’s certainly not what the Bidenomics campaign was designed to achieve.

What’s going on?

Several theories try to explain the radical gap between the polls and the economic statistics.

One focuses on time lags. Perhaps in another few months, as Americans adjust to lower inflation and higher wages, polls will start pointing upward, that theory suggests.

A second notes that although inflation has slowed, prices remain higher than people were used to. Perhaps it’s the price level, not the rate of increase, that’s weighting down opinions.

“The price of groceries and gas and other things people see and buy day to day is still a shock, even if inflation has slowed. Obviously it hasn’t reversed the increases or even completely stopped them, just slowed their growth,” noted Lanae Erickson , senior vice president of Third Way, a Washington-based Democratic think tank.

Another line of thinking, heard from many Democrats, is that news organizations have colored public opinion by focusing on bad news.

There’s clearly something to that. Conservative media, in particular, has pounded on signs of inflation. But the media’s bias toward bad news has been around for a long time. The disconnect between the polls and the economic numbers is new.

A fourth possibility, more troubling for public opinion research, is that when people respond to questions about the economy, they’re now more likely to be posturing than saying what they really think about financial conditions.

Do the polls still mean what they used to?

What’s the evidence? Typically, when people expect hard times, they pull back on their spending. Americans have done the opposite . Not only is spending up, but so is the rate at which people are opening new businesses , which has risen significantly over the past year.

Or consider the rise of labor militancy . Usually, people don’t go on strike if they believe they’d have a lot of trouble finding another job. Nor do employers usually agree to generous new contracts if they expect a severe economic downturn. But in Hollywood , the auto industry , trucking, railroads and more, unions have struck or credibly threatened to, and companies have given workers much more than before.

The polls themselves also provide evidence that people are responding to something other than their own economic experience.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 6 in 10 Americans said the economy was in good shape, according to the AP-NORC polls. About 6 in 10 Americans also labeled their own financial conditions as good. That makes sense: The economy is simply the aggregate of every household and business, so those two measures should be in sync most of the time.

Beginning in the spring of 2020, as COVID-19 lockdowns led to widespread business closures and layoffs, the share calling the economy good plummeted. The share rating their own household’s finances as good stayed high. That, too, makes sense: The economy was in a deep recession, but households were being buoyed by trillions of dollars in pandemic aid.

As the economy began to recover, the share calling it good began to climb.

It’s what happened next that suggests a change in what polls are reflecting. In 2022, as the worst of the inflation surge hit, the share who rated their own finances as good declined a little. But the share giving a good rating to the overall economy dropped a lot. The share of Americans who call their own finances good is now about twice as big as the share who call the economy good, NORC’s numbers show.

In other words, a growing number of people say their finances are fine, but the economy as a whole is bad.

Who are those people? NORC found that 82% of Republicans who call their personal financial situation good view the economy poorly. Only 38% of Democrats with good personal finances say the same.

Once again, as in so many cases, partisanship is changing how people see the world.

That doesn’t mean Biden’s suddenly in the clear: Whether people are down on the president because they dislike the economy or down on the economy because they dislike the president, it’s potential trouble for the incumbent.

But for everyone else, it requires a shift: If we really want to know what Americans think about the economy, we may need to start asking different questions.

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Our latest California poll

Column: Do Californians want solar and wind in their backyards? New poll says yes

For all the opposition to wind turbines and solar farms bubbling up across California, most Golden State voters would have no objection to a renewable energy project in their backyard. That’s according to a new poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies. Pollsters found that 56% of registered voters would be comfortable with wind turbines near their community, compared with 32% opposed. Solar farms earned an even stronger endorsement, with 69% of respondents supportive and 22% opposed, Sammy Roth writes.

Porter and Schiff polling neck and neck in California Senate race, in lead for a runoff

Reps. Adam B. Schiff and Katie Porter are in nearly a dead heat in California’s U.S. Senate race, well-positioned to move ahead to a runoff, a new poll shows. The two well-funded House Democrats have been pacing the field since the beginning of the year. Other candidates, including fellow Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee and Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey , have so far not shown an ability to make the race more broadly competitive, Benjamin Oreskes reports.

The latest from the campaign trail

How suburbanites, Latinos and the ghost of John McCain turned Arizona into a presidential battleground

Biden in 2020 became only the second Democratic presidential candidate since 1948 to carry Arizona and the first since Harry Truman to win Maricopa County. His victory — albeit the narrowest in Arizona history — was part of a broader political transformation across the West, which over the last two decades has turned the once-solidly Republican stronghold into a bulwark of Democratic strength, Mark Barabak writes in the latest piece in his series on the politics of the New West .

The latest from Washington

Why the fall of Kevin McCarthy leaves California Republicans in a tough spot

Since House Republicans unanimously elected Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson as speaker last week, the GOP has sought to portray itself as an emboldened party willing to battle Biden and the Democratic-controlled Senate. But for California Republicans, Johnson’s election presents a host of potential problems that could make trying to survive in a deep-blue state even harder than it already was, Erin Logan reported.

Supreme Court asked to protect California school officials from critics on Facebook

The Supreme Court justices sounded divided Tuesday over whether the 1st Amendment forbids public officials who refer to government business on their personal Facebook pages from blocking members of the public who criticize them, David Savage reported.

Supreme Court sounds ready to rule that a Californian can’t trademark T-shirts with Trump’s name

The justices also sounded ready to rule that a T-shirt with the phrase “Trump Too Small” cannot be trademarked by a California attorney seeking the exclusive right to sell clothing with the slogan, Savage reported.

The latest from California

Washington is getting tough on China. Why that’s bad for California

Whatever Gov. Gavin Newsom ’s China trip in the last week might achieve on climate change, the financial and economic stakes are just as huge — and in many ways of even more immediate concern for California. Whether it’s tourism, education, real estate or high tech, no state has more riding on the future of U.S.-China relations than California, Don Lee and Laurel Rosenhall reported.

Newsom’s stumble on basketball court in China shows how photo ops can go wrong

Gov. Gavin Newsom ’s trip to China was many things: A test of his skill in climate diplomacy. An opportunity to burnish his political image on the world stage. A demonstration of the risks of the indulgent photo op.That danger played out during a visit to a school in Beijing on Friday where Newsom knocked a child down after stumbling while shooting hoops, Rosenhall reported.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas endorses Rep. Adam Schiff in California’s U.S. Senate race

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas endorsed Schiff in the Senate race, adding to the Burbank congressman’s support from influential California Democrats, Oreskes reported.

Sign up for our California Politics newsletter to get the best of The Times’ state politics reporting .

Stay in touch

Keep up with breaking news on our Politics page . And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics ? Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox. Until next time, send your comments, suggestions and news tips to [email protected] .

David Lauter is a senior editor at the Los Angeles Times, based in Washington, D.C. He began writing news in Washington in 1981 and since then has covered Congress, the Supreme Court, the White House under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton and four U.S. presidential campaigns. He served as Washington bureau chief from 2011 through 2020. Lauter lived in Los Angeles from 1995 to 2011, where he was The Times’ deputy Foreign editor, deputy Metro editor and then assistant managing editor responsible for California coverage.

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Social Security 2024: The Good and Bad News

November 04, 2023 — 06:00 am EDT

Written by Katie Brockman for The Motley Fool  ->

Social Security can make or break retirement for many people. In fact, around 21% of U.S. adults age 50 and older say they have no other retirement income outside of their benefits, according to a 2023 report from the Nationwide Retirement Institute.

For those relying heavily on Social Security, any changes to the program could have a major effect on retirement. As we get closer to 2024, it's time to start thinking about how next year's adjustments will affect your retirement -- and there's both good and bad news.

The good: You can work more without benefit reductions

You can continue working after taking Social Security, but depending on your age and how much you're earning from your job, your benefits could be reduced.

Image source: Getty Images.

The retirement earnings test is an income limit that determines how much (if any) of your benefits will be reduced. The more you earn over that limit, the less you'll receive per month from Social Security. The good news, though, is that these income limits are increasing in 2024, so you can earn more before your benefits are reduced.

To determine how your benefits will be affected, you'll first need to know your full retirement age (FRA). It will depend on your birth year, but it's age 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Depending on your FRA, there are two different income limits.

Source: Social Security Administration.

If you won't be reaching your FRA in 2024, your benefits will be reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn over $22,320 per year. If you will reach your FRA next year, you'll see a $1 reduction for every $3 you earn over $59,520 per year.

Once you reach your FRA, however, you'll no longer be subject to these limits. The Social Security Administration will also recalculate your benefit amount to account for any money that was withheld due to your income.

The bad: You'll receive a smaller COLA than in 2023

In 2023, beneficiaries received a historic 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) -- the highest in roughly four decades. In 2024, however, you can expect to receive a much smaller 3.2% COLA.

The bad news is that your checks won't increase nearly as much as they did this year. But that can actually be a good thing in some ways. Because the COLA is based on changes in inflation, a smaller adjustment means that costs haven't increased as much this year compared to last year.

The good (and bad): The maximum benefit is increasing

In 2023, the maximum you could receive from Social Security was $4,555 per month. Starting next year, the max benefit is increasing to $4,873 per month. However, the downside is that it's becoming more difficult to achieve the max payments.

There are three requirements you'll need to meet to reach this benefit: Work for at least 35 years, delay claiming benefits until age 70, and consistently reach the wage cap.

The wage cap is the highest income subject to Social Security taxes. The more you earn up to this limit, the larger your benefit amount will be. The wage cap in 2023 was $160,200 per year, and in 2024, it will increase to $168,600 per year.

It's already tough to achieve the maximum benefit. But as the wage cap continues to increase year after year, it will only become more challenging to meet all three requirements.

Social Security is an integral source of income for millions of retirees, so it's a good idea to understand how these changes coming in 2024 will affect your monthly payments. By preparing for them now, you can avoid any surprises next year.

The $21,756 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $21,756 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies .

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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Bad news for the economy is good news for the stock market ... as long as it doesn't get too bad

• Stocks rallied sharply after the Labor Department said nonfarm payrolls rose by 150,000 in October — 20,000 fewer than expected.
• Slow, controlled growth is something the markets and the Fed are seeking in the current climate, negative growth is not.

Friday's market reaction to the jobs report comes down to a simple premise: bad news is good news, as long as it isn't too bad.

Stocks rallied sharply after the Labor Department said nonfarm payrolls rose by 150,000 in October — 20,000 fewer than expected but a difference attributable pretty much completely to the auto strikes, which appear to be over.

For the Federal Reserve, the relatively muted job creation coupled with wage gains nearly in line with expectations adds up to a scenario in which the central bank doesn't really have to do anything. It can just continue to let the data flow in, without having to move on interest rates as it evaluates the impact of its previous 11 hikes.

"The Fed finally got what it's been looking for — a meaningful slowdown in the labor market," said Mike Loewengart, head of model portfolio construction for Morgan Stanley's Global Investment Office.

"We've seen one or two head fakes in this direction before, but the fact that this report followed other weaker-than-expected economic data points this week may encourage investors who have been waiting for a less-hawkish Fed," he added.

Markets reacted in more ways than one to the report. Traders in fed funds futures reduced the probability for a December rate hike to less than 10% and now see the first cut coming as soon as May, according to CME Group tracking.

However, that cut could be the really bad news, as it likely would signal the Fed's concern that the economy is slowing so much that it needs a boost from monetary policy. Slow, controlled growth is something the markets and the Fed are seeking in the current climate, negative growth is not.

"Investors who are eager for the Fed to be cutting rates should be careful what they wish for," Michael Arone, chief investment strategist at State Street Global Advisors, said in an interview earlier this week.

Despite market pricing, it seems like cuts aren't around the corner if recent statements from Fed officials are any indication. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that cuts have not been a part of the conversation among policymakers.

"It seems like that's still a ways off in my mind," Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin said during an interview Friday on CNBC's " Squawk on the Street ." "You could imagine scenarios where demand comes off and you have to do something. You could imagine a scenario where inflation is starting to settle and you want to lower real rates. Both of those imaginary things still feel pretty far out the distance."

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19 hours ago

Markets Are Happy About Today's Jobs Report. Watch the Unemployment Rate.

Connor Smith

The stock market is celebrating the jobs report. Maybe it shouldn't.

Jobs Friday brought the kind of “bad news is good news” data that traders hope could lay the groundwork for the Federal Reserve to start thinking about cutting interest rates.

But sometimes bad news really is bad news.

The unemployment rate at 3.9% is half a percentage point above its level nine months ago, which has been a firm recession signal, according to Michael Darda, chief economist and market Strategist at Roth MKM.

“Anytime that kind of a move upward has occurred over a nine-month interval, the U.S. was in recession or on the cusp of one,” Darda writes. “Of course, the Wall Street consensus will simply tell us that it’s 'different this time' just like it’s 'different this time' for the yield curve, money growth, the Fed rate hiking cycle, etc.,” he added.

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Bob Knight was a brilliant basketball coach. I saw the good and the bad.

We will start with the accomplishments. Bob Knight won a then-record 902 games as a men’s college basketball coach at Army, Indiana, and Texas Tech. He won three national championships at Indiana. His 1975-76 Indiana squad is the last undefeated men’s NCAA championship team. He was coach of the 1984 Olympic gold medal-winning men’s team.

We will start there, but we cannot possibly stop there. Bob Knight, who died Wednesday at age 83, was as famous for his boorish behavior as he was for his superb basketball coaching. The complete Bob Knight package was quite complex. The simple fact was that though he tried to hold everyone in his orbit accountable — players, coaching staff, administrators, and media — the one person conspicuously absent from his scrutiny was Bob Knight.

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I experienced it myself. In our first meeting, he aired me out for a column I had written. That was about two hours before the 1976 championship game in Philadelphia. He twice made angry phone calls to my house. On the flip side, he once wrote me a letter complimenting me on something I had written. And then there was the time he went to bat for a fellow coach in a very impressive manner.

The 1993-94 Boston College Eagles were in the East Regional in Miami, and their next opponent was going to be Indiana. I contacted Knight for a preview piece. During our conversation, he asked me what was going on with BC coach Jim O’Brien, who was having difficulty getting a new contract from director of athletics Chet Gladchuk.

”Are you going to be at the press conference Thursday?” Knight asked. I said yes. “Here’s what I want you to do. You ask me a question about BC. I’ll take it from there.”

I did so, and Knight went to work.

“A lot of people around the country ask me who would be a good candidate to coach their team … and if I was going to hire a coach today, Jimmy O’Brien is the guy I’d want to talk to,” said Knight. “I mean, here’s a guy who went 1-15 with those kids as freshmen and he works with them and keeps them going hoping one day will be your day. And that day is here for Boston College.”

Knight was right. He had done his homework. The Bill Curley gang was indeed 1-15 in the Big East as freshmen and now were in the Sweet Sixteen. And they did defeat Knight’s team before losing to Florida in the Elite Eight.

That was the Good Knight. I had been entertained by a charming Knight in an evening of dinner and conversation in Indianapolis two years earlier. It was a night of storytelling and good cheer that his critics could never have imagined.

But none of that justifies some of the things he did or said. He was a profane, my-way-or-the-highway coaching dictator. Tough-minded kids such as Quinn Buckner could take it, and they benefited from his vast technical knowledge. Many others could not, and there were many transfers in an era when they weren’t as prevalent as they are today. The man was a brilliant X’s-and-O’s coach. But he was not easy to play for.

He had celebrated public incidents, such as a confrontation with a police officer in Puerto Rico during a Pan-Am tournament and a stupid chair-throwing tantrum that caused an ejection. We will never know how many disturbing internal incidents there were.

After winning his third national title in 1987, Bob Knight the Ogre became much more of the story than Bob Knight the Coach. Many of the seasons at Indiana and later Texas Tech ended with his players seemingly happy it was all over, rather than sad they wouldn’t be playing anymore. They were simply worn out. The coach was relentless. He never shifted gears, and he had no Plan B. “Whatever had worked with Quinn Buckner, was going to work for you, you little $#*&%!”

He was basically the Emperor of Indiana, accountable to no one, until a man named Myles Brand became president of the university. Alarmed that it had come to light, with video evidence, that Knight had choked a player named Neil Reed at practice, Brand issued a “no tolerance” edict directed toward his men’s basketball coach. When Knight became involved in a silly incident with a student who had addressed him by yelling, “Hey, what’s up, Knight?” Brand fired him.

It was all so avoidable, but that was always the problem with Bob Knight. He would go to Texas Tech, where he would get that record 902nd (since eclipsed by his protégé, Mike Krzyzewski), and where he would take his team to a Sweet Sixteen.

Ever stubborn, Knight railed against Brand for years and refused all invitations for a triumphant return to Bloomington, Ind., until finally relenting in 2020.

I don’t know what else they’re planning, but there is one song that must be played at any memorial for Bob Knight. Cue up Sinatra, because if anyone ever relentlessly did it “My Way,” it was Robert Montgomery Knight.

Bob Ryan can be reached at [email protected] .