"If I become defensive and upset right away, then that's going to adversely affect how I deal with it and it's probably not going to be good press for me and probably be bad just because I'm angry. Just be open and pleasant"
About this Quote
The repeated “probably” is doing quiet work. It softens the statement into something modest and reasonable, a way of sounding candid without sounding rehearsed. That’s the paradox of good media training: you’re trained to appear untrained. Routh’s syntax is conversational, slightly clunky, like he’s thinking aloud. That messiness sells authenticity, which is its own form of reputation management.
The subtext is that public life is a feedback loop. Your emotions aren’t just yours; they’re inputs into an algorithmic system that rewards conflict. “Bad press for me” admits what polite interviews often conceal: the goal isn’t only to be right, it’s to remain likable and employable. “Just be open and pleasant” lands as both advice and self-discipline, a reminder that the real performance isn’t always on screen. It’s in how you absorb provocation without giving the audience the blow-up they came to watch.
Quote Details
| Topic | Self-Improvement |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Routh, Brandon. (2026, January 17). If I become defensive and upset right away, then that's going to adversely affect how I deal with it and it's probably not going to be good press for me and probably be bad just because I'm angry. Just be open and pleasant. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-i-become-defensive-and-upset-right-away-then-70190/
Chicago Style
Routh, Brandon. "If I become defensive and upset right away, then that's going to adversely affect how I deal with it and it's probably not going to be good press for me and probably be bad just because I'm angry. Just be open and pleasant." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-i-become-defensive-and-upset-right-away-then-70190/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"If I become defensive and upset right away, then that's going to adversely affect how I deal with it and it's probably not going to be good press for me and probably be bad just because I'm angry. Just be open and pleasant." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-i-become-defensive-and-upset-right-away-then-70190/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.







