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Balk Quotes

The moment before you say no.

This balk quotes collection opens with sympathy for young people whose growing pains get overstated, then contrasts it with a line about leaders with strong nerves who refuse to hesitate over hard calls.

I have sympathy for young people, for their growing pains, but I balk when these growing pains are pushed into the foreground, when you make these young people the only vehicles of life's wisdom.

Quotes by Wislawa Szymborska

Presidents with strong nerves are decisive. They don't balk at unpopular decisions. They are willing to make people angry. Bush had strong nerves. Clinton, who passed up a chance to eliminate Osama bin Laden, did not. Obama is a people...

Quotes by Fred Barnes

There's a certain type of indie fan who would balk at the prospect of there being value in pop music, but I think that's foolish. They're not really listening.

Quotes by Autre Ne Veut

I can never tell ahead of time which book will give me trouble - some balk every step of the way, others seem to write themselves - but certainly the mechanics of writing, finding the time and the psychic space,...

Quotes by Anne Tyler

Angry Quotes

There are only two guidelines in good sex, don't do anything you don't really enjoy and find out what are your partner needs and don't balk them if you can help it.

Quotes by Alex Comfort

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to "balk" according to these quotes?
To balk means to hesitate or resist at a difficult moment, whether that's facing an unpopular decision or confronting an uncomfortable idea. One quote applies it to leaders who refuse to flinch at hard calls.
Which quote compares balking to political decisiveness?
It contrasts presidents with strong nerves who don't hesitate over unpopular decisions with a rival noted for passing up a chance to act against Osama bin Laden. It uses balking as a stand-in for weak resolve.
Is there a quote about balking at pop music?
Yes, one line describes a certain type of indie fan who would resist the idea that pop music has real value, calling that reaction foolish. It treats musical snobbery as its own form of balking.
What does the writing-related quote say about balking?
It admits that some books resist at every turn while others seem to write themselves, describing balking as an unpredictable part of the creative process. The writer can never tell which kind a project will be ahead of time.
What common thread runs through these balk quotes?
Each one uses balking to describe resistance, whether it comes from a person, a piece of writing, or public opinion. It's consistently a word for pushing back rather than accepting something outright.

Other quotes describe indie fans who doubt that pop music holds any real value, and writers who never know ahead of time which project will resist them. If hesitation interests you, also see chance quotes.