Who really said it
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977)
Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?
For presentations
Unconfirmed quote & credit
“Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours” — Attributed to Richard Bach, Illusions (1977); wording transcribed by Wikiquote, original edition page not inspected.
Can you use it?
Still under copyright. A short, credited quote is generally fine for talks, teaching, and internal decks; for commercial, published, or large-scale reuse, get permission.
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In context
Evoking the world of Richard Bach — born 1936. Theme: "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Provenance
Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, Short excerpt
How we verified this
Only a short excerpt is reproduced; identification and commentary do not grant permission to reuse the complete work.
Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.
Context
Illusions stages an encounter between a barnstorming narrator and Donald Shimoda, a self-described messiah in the American Midwest. The saying compresses the book’s challenge to accepted personal limits into an aphorism. That fictional and philosophical setting is distinct from evidence that any particular physical limitation can simply be wished away.
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More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.
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Trusted places to keep pulling the thread — primary archives, fact-checks, and scholarship. We show how we used each one before you leave.
Transcribes each saying under Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977); no specific page supplied.
Describes the barnstorming narrator and Donald Shimoda, and identifies later paperback and ebook editions; catalog context, not sentence-level proof.
Identifies Bach’s body of work including Illusions and Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
Documents his birth year, aviation writing and the 1977 publication of Illusions; biographical reference only.
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The author
For writers & researchers
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. 1977.
Quotle.info. Who really said 'Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours'? Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/argue-for-your-limitations-and-sure-enough-theyre-yours/