Counterproductive Quotes

Some volumes against Deism fell into my hands ... they produced an effect precisely the reverse to what was intended by the writers; for the arguments of the Deists, which were cited in order to be refuted, appeared to me much more forcibly than the refutation itself; in a word, I soon became a thorough Deist.

Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole.

Regardless of how deplorable Trump is, using violence and physical attacks against his supporters is unacceptable and grossly counterproductive.

The thing with sledging is it very rarely goes well. Usually, if I was sledging, I was struggling.

Actually, to be an effective person politically in this country, I think you have to be thirty or over, and also you have to be rich, well-placed, you have to be close to power. And I don't think that young people, because they look young, can do much, as I think they are counterproductive.

The war on terror, sometimes known as the 'Global War on Terror' or by the clunky acronym GWOT, became the lens through which the Bush administration judged almost all of its foreign policy decisions. That proved to be dangerously counterproductive on several levels.

An operation that kills 5 insurgents is counterproductive if the collateral damage or the creation of blood feuds leads to the recruitment of 50 more.

I think it's counterproductive for actors to come to the set with well-thumbed copies of the book their film is adapted from.

Even as an 18-year-old, I had to grow comfortable with my leadership style, which is that I was really impatient with under-motivated people - extremely impatient, to the point where I was counterproductive as a manager of underproductive people. And that hasn't really changed. If people need to be motivated, I'm no good.

The remedy is worse than the disease.

Because war is a competition involving life and death, and in which national security and vital interests are at stake, establishing an objective other than winning is not only counterproductive, but also irresponsible and wasteful. In some circumstances, it is also unethical.

It'll become obvious that we've really been working against ourselves.

The war in Iraq, the abuse of detainees, electronic eavesdropping, Guantanamo Bay - these things were all done on our behalf and they may turn out in the end to have created more terrorists.

It is easier to waste time on bureaucratic reorganization than it is to accomplish anything concrete.

Inexpedient: Not calculated to advance one's interests.

Trying to balance the budget through defense cuts is both counterproductive and impossible.

It is to be regretted when internal considerations determine a counterproductive and irresponsible foreign policy.

By the very act of arguing, you awake the patient's reason; and once it is awake, who can foresee the result?

Terrorists hate Americans. Indians hate each other. A terrorist will blow up an airport. Indians like to work at the airport. That would be counter-productive.

The Remedy often proves worse than the Disease.

I think most people don't react well to being screamed at. It's counterproductive.

First law of Bad Management: If something isn't working, do more of it.

Our federal tax system is, in short, utterly impossible, utterly unjust and completely counterproductive; [it] reeks with injustice and is fundamentally un-American... it has earned a rebellion and it's time we rebelled

US government policies are continuing to do exactly the same thing [produce terrorism]. Two days after the Boston marathon bombings, there was a drone strike in Yemen attacking a peaceful village, which killed a target who could very easily have been apprehended. But of course it is just easier to terrorise people.

I learned from Jehovah's Witnesses that a fatalistic view is counterproductive.