"They're mutually incompatible I feel; being a wise thief and a wise father"
About this Quote
“Wise thief” is the tell. Wisdom usually implies foresight, restraint, an ability to live with consequences. A thief can be smart, even strategic, but “wise” suggests a moral intelligence that theft corrodes. The line exposes how people launder wrongdoing through competence: if you do it well, you start calling it mastery instead of harm. Braugher’s formulation refuses that self-mythologizing.
Then comes the pivot: “wise father.” Parenting is framed as a separate category of intelligence, one built on trust, example, and stability. The clash isn’t just ethical; it’s practical. A thief’s life runs on secrecy, risk, and divided loyalties, while fatherhood demands transparency and consistency. You can’t teach a child boundaries while making your living by crossing them.
Coming from an actor with Braugher’s authority and precision, the intent reads as character illumination: a man admitting that charm and competence don’t equal integrity. It’s less confession than boundary-setting - the moment a story stops romanticizing the outlaw and asks who pays for the fantasy at home.
Quote Details
| Topic | Father |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Braugher, Andre. (2026, January 15). They're mutually incompatible I feel; being a wise thief and a wise father. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/theyre-mutually-incompatible-i-feel-being-a-wise-144488/
Chicago Style
Braugher, Andre. "They're mutually incompatible I feel; being a wise thief and a wise father." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/theyre-mutually-incompatible-i-feel-being-a-wise-144488/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"They're mutually incompatible I feel; being a wise thief and a wise father." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/theyre-mutually-incompatible-i-feel-being-a-wise-144488/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.















