---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first duty of a revolutionist is to…"
description: "\"The first duty of a revolutionist is to get away with it. The second duty is to eat breakfast. I ain't going.\" — Abbie Hoffman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/abbie-hoffman-9684_breakfast_the-first-duty-of-a-revolutionist-is-to_69389.png"
---

#  The first duty of a revolutionist is to get away with it…

![“The first duty of a revolutionist is to get away with it. The second duty is to eat breakfast. I ain't going.” quote by Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/abbie-hoffman-9684_breakfast_the-first-duty-of-a-revolutionist-is-to_69389.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/abbie-hoffman-9684_breakfast_the-first-duty-of-a-revolutionist-is-to_69389.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/abbie-hoffman-9684_breakfast_the-first-duty-of-a-revolutionist-is-to_69389.png)

> “The first duty of a revolutionist is to get away with it. The second duty is to eat breakfast. I ain't going.”

[Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Revolutionary action requires stealth and basic self‑care; neglecting either undermines the cause.

**In simple terms:** Stealth and sustenance are essential for activists.

Key Takeaway

Survival tactics matter in dissent.

Themes

political activism strategy self‑care risk management humor

Mood

defiant wry urgent

Type

aphor satire political

When to use this quote

- underground organizing
- protest planning
- covert operations
- long‑term campaigns

Key Concepts

revolutionary duty practicality human needs

Practical Applications

- guiding activist logistics
- designing safe protest protocols

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance risk with personal well‑being?
- What daily habits support sustained activism?

A Different Perspective

Some argue that moral urgency outweighs personal comfort, but neglecting basic needs can jeopardize effectiveness.

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[Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Revolutionist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionist/)

## Related quotes

> [The first duty of a revolutionary is to get away with it. The second duty is to eat breakfast. I ain't going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/the-first-duty-of-a-revolutionary-is-to-get-away-with-it-the-second/)

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> [Do the duty which lieth nearest to thee! Thy second duty will already have become clearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/do-the-duty-which-lieth-nearest-to-thee-thy-second-duty-will-already/)

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> [Do the duty which lies nearest to you, the second duty will then become clearer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/do-the-duty-which-lies-nearest-to-you-the-second-duty-will-then/)

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> [“The first duty of love❤️ is to listen, the second duty is too help ✌️”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/the-first-duty-of-love-is-to-listen-the-second-duty-is-too-help/)

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> [The first duty in life is to be as artificial as possible. What the second duty is no one has as yet discovered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-first-duty-in-life-is-to-be-as-artificial-as-possible-what-the/)

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> [To make an omelette, you need not only those broken eggs but someone 'oppressed' to beat them: every revolutionist is presumed to understand that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-make-an-omelette-you-need-not-only-those-broken-eggs-but-someone/)

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> [No turtle can be a revolutionist, because revolution requires high speed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/no-turtle-can-be-a-revolutionist-because-revolution-requires-high/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [I was a radical, a revolutionist. I am still a revolutionist…I am glad I was in the Stonewall riot. I remember when someone threw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-rivera/i-was-a-radical-a-revolutionist-i-am-still-a-revolutionist-i-am-glad/)

Sylvia Rivera

> [The Revolutionist is a doomed man. He has no private interests, no affairs, sentiments, ties, property nor even a name of his own. His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-nechayev/the-revolutionist-is-a-doomed-man-he-has-no-private-interests-no/)

Sergey Nechayev

> [“إنتفض بين ضلوعي كالثوار فأنا أحبك حتى الشهادة Tremble within my ribs as a revolutionist I love you until you become a martyr.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amany-al-hallaq/tremble-within-my-ribs-as-a-revolutionist-i-love-you-until-you-become/)

[Amany Al-Hallaq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amany-al-hallaq/)

> [If you want to be a true revolutionist, you must first quit chewing gum, because revolution requires high seriousness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-you-want-to-be-a-true-revolutionist-you-must-first-quit-chewing/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [A revolutionist is one who desires to discard the existing social order and try another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-revolutionist-is-one-who-desires-to-discard-the-existing-social/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Art is either a plagiarist or a revolutionist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gauguin/art-is-either-a-plagiarist-or-a-revolutionist/)

[Paul Gauguin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gauguin/)

> [Every man is a revolutionist concerning the thing he understands. For example, every person who has mastered a profession is a skeptic concerning it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/every-man-is-a-revolutionist-concerning-the-thing-he-understands-for/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Imagination...is the irrepressible revolutionist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/imagination-is-the-irrepressible-revolutionist/)

[Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/)

## More by Abbie Hoffman

> [It's going to be a combination Scopes trial, revolution in the streets, Woodstock Festival and People's Park, all rolled into one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/it-s-going-to-be-a-combination-scopes-trial-revolution-in-the-streets/)

[Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/)

> [Wouldn't you want to be indicted by the govenment for a high crime? It's a great thrill. It's an honor. It's a compliment. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/wouldn-t-you-want-to-be-indicted-by-the-govenment-for-a-high-crime-it/)

[Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/)

> [The '60s are gone, dope will never be as cheap, sex never as free, and the rock and roll never as great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/the-60s-are-gone-dope-will-never-be-as-cheap-sex-never-as-free-and/)

[Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/)

> [Smoking dope and hanging up Che's picture is no more a commitment than drinking milk and collecting postage stamps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/smoking-dope-and-hanging-up-che-s-picture-is-no-more-a-commitment/)

[Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/)

> [The first duty of a revolutionary is to get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/the-first-duty-of-a-revolutionary-is-to-get-away-with-it/)

[Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/)

> [If you don't have sex and you don't do drugs, your rock 'n' roll better be awfully good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/if-you-don-t-have-sex-and-you-don-t-do-drugs-your-rock-n-roll-better/)

[Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/)

> [Revolution is not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/revolution-is-not-something-fixed-in-ideology-nor-is-it-something/)

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> [Once you get the right image the details aren't that important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/once-you-get-the-right-image-the-details-aren-t-that-important/)

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[Explore all 71 Abbie Hoffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/)

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