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Devising Quotes

The craft behind every plan.

A finance minister accused of devising bluffs, a leader devising a mission, a writer devising stories from scratch — these quotes treat devising as both a skill and a burden, alongside our Always quotes.

Because I spent many years during my previous life as an academic researching game theory, some commentators rushed to presume that as Greece's new finance minister, I was busily devising bluffs, stratagems and outside options, struggling to improve upon a...

Quotes by Yanis Varoufakis

I hate to say it but I think it has become very obvious that our system for devising trade agreements, so very important to this country's functioning around the world, has not only broken, but it has broken completely.

Quotes by Xavier Becerra

As a leader, I have always taught my team that changing course after devising a plan doesn't mean you give up on the mission; it just means you have to find a new path.

Quotes by Todd Wilcox

Never forget posterity when devising a policy. Never think of posterity when making a speech.

Quotes by Robert Menzies

Able Quotes

Evil is always devising more corrosive misery through man's restless need to exact revenge out of his hate.

Quotes by Ralph Steadman

I love stories - devising them, writing them, reading them, watching them, being a part of them.

Quotes by Neil Jackson

In the field of outdoor sports, the American boy is easily capable of devising his own amusements, and until some proof is adduced that baseball is not his invention, I protest against this systematic effort to rob him of his...

Quotes by John Montgomery Ward

I would not be opposed to devising a new system of pensions, in which one part was based on collective provision, but which also gave incentives for people to take out an additional, personal plan.

Quotes by Jacques Delors

So the people will pay the penalty for their kings' presumption, who, by devising evil, turn justice from her path with tortuous speech.

Quotes by Hesiod

Always Quotes

The only realistic view is that a human life arises gradually, which is not much help in making personal decisions or devising public policy.

Quotes by George C. Williams

Scientists have stated that embryonic stem cells provide the best opportunity for devising unique treatments of these serious diseases since, unlike adult stem cells, they may be induced to develop into any type of cell.

Quotes by Eliot Engel

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, arguably President Obama's best Cabinet appointment, has been leading a quiet revolution in clean-energy technology. Innovation is transforming this industry, costs are plummeting and entrepreneurs are devising radical new systems that create American jobs - in...

Quotes by David Ignatius

We turned Cambridge theatre upside down, using odd spaces and devising everything collaboratively. It eventually blew apart, but I'm still proud of some of what we achieved. The style was very disciplined, and we had the sense to keep things...

Quotes by David Farr

It must be able to assist in devising the method of solution of problems and not merely solve them.

Quotes by Cliff Shaw

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the common thread in these devising quotes?
These quotes are about planning and strategy — devising trade agreements, storylines, or a leader's mission — and the effort involved in getting a plan right. See more in our Arguably quotes.
Why do people search for quotes about devising plans?
The word covers everything from national policy to storytelling, so people look for it when talking about strategic thinking in almost any field.
Do these quotes treat changing a plan as a failure?
No — one leader argues that switching direction once a plan is set doesn't mean giving up on the goal, just finding a different route to reach it.
Is there a political dimension to any of these quotes?
Yes — one quote criticizes how trade agreements get devised, calling the current system broken despite its importance to the country's economy. See more in our American Jobs quotes.
What creative angle appears in this collection?
One quote frames devising as core to storytelling itself — writing, reading, and watching stories all described as part of the same creative act.

Switching direction once a plan is already in motion isn't quitting, these lines suggest — it's part of doing the work right. Read more in our Arguably quotes.