--- title: "4 Defensive Quotes By Stephen W. Porges" description: "4 Defensive quotes by Stephen W. Porges. Plus more from Stephen W. Porges and more Defensive sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/stephen-w-porges-63291_dangerous-people_to-switch-effectively-from-defense-to-so_73663.jpg" --- > [“To switch effectively from defense to social engagement strategies, the nervous system must do two things: (1) assess risk, and (2) if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/to-switch-effectively-from-defense-to-social-engagement-strategies/) [Stephen W. Porges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-w-porges/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/stephen-w-porges-63291_dangerous-people_to-switch-effectively-from-defense-to-so_73663.jpg) > [“Playing nice" comes naturally when our neuroception detects safety and promotes physiological states that support social behavior. However, pro-social behavior will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/playing-nice-comes-naturally-when-our-neuroception-detects-safety-and/) [Stephen W. Porges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-w-porges/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb8/stephen-w-porges-63291_complex-ptsd_playing-nice-comes-naturally-when-our-ne_1467145.jpg) > [“A child's (or an adult's) nervous system may detect danger or a threat to life when the child enters a new environment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/a-child-s-or-an-adult-s-nervous-system-may-detect-danger-or-a-threat/) [Stephen W. Porges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-w-porges/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/stephen-w-porges-63291_anxiety_a-child-s-or-an-adult-s-nervous-system-m_2545863.jpg) > [“The detection of a person as safe or dangerous triggers neurobiologically determined pro-social or defensive behaviors. Even though we may not always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/the-detection-of-a-person-as-safe-or-dangerous-triggers/) [Stephen W. Porges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-w-porges/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/stephen-w-porges-63291_danger_the-detection-of-a-person-as-safe-or-dan_2792266.jpg) ## Other authors on Defensive ## More by Stephen W. Porges > [“To switch effectively from defense to social engagement strategies, the nervous system must do two things: (1) assess risk, and (2) if the environment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/to-switch-effectively-from-defense-to-social-engagement-strategies/) [Stephen W. Porges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-w-porges/) > [“By processing information from the environment through the senses, the nervous system continually evaluates risk. I have coined the term neuroception to describe how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/by-processing-information-from-the-environment-through-the-senses-the/) [Stephen W. Porges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-w-porges/) > [“Playing nice" comes naturally when our neuroception detects safety and promotes physiological states that support social behavior. However, pro-social behavior will not occur when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/playing-nice-comes-naturally-when-our-neuroception-detects-safety-and/) [Stephen W. Porges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-w-porges/) > [“A child's (or an adult's) nervous system may detect danger or a threat to life when the child enters a new environment or meets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/a-child-s-or-an-adult-s-nervous-system-may-detect-danger-or-a-threat/) [Stephen W. Porges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-w-porges/) > [“The detection of a person as safe or dangerous triggers neurobiologically determined pro-social or defensive behaviors. Even though we may not always be aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/the-detection-of-a-person-as-safe-or-dangerous-triggers/) [Stephen W. Porges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-w-porges/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defensive/stephen-w-porges/#itemlist", "name": "4 Defensive Quotes By Stephen W. 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Porges" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/playing-nice-comes-naturally-when-our-neuroception-detects-safety-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb8/stephen-w-porges-63291_complex-ptsd_playing-nice-comes-naturally-when-our-ne_1467145.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb8/stephen-w-porges-63291_complex-ptsd_playing-nice-comes-naturally-when-our-ne_1467145.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb8/stephen-w-porges-63291_complex-ptsd_playing-nice-comes-naturally-when-our-ne_1467145.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Playing nice\" comes naturally when our neuroception detects safety and promotes physiological states that…” — Stephen W. Porges", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A child's (or an adult's) nervous system may detect danger or a threat to life when the child enters a new environment or meets a strange person. Cognitively, there is no reason for them to be frightened. But often, even if they understand this, their bodies betray them. Sometimes this betrayal is private; only they are aware that their hearts are beating fast and contracting with such force that they start to sway. For others, the responses are more overt. They may tremble. Their faces may flush, or perspiration may pour from their hands and forehead. Still others may become pale and dizzy and feel precipitously faint.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen W. Porges" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-w-porges/a-child-s-or-an-adult-s-nervous-system-may-detect-danger-or-a-threat/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/stephen-w-porges-63291_anxiety_a-child-s-or-an-adult-s-nervous-system-m_2545863.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/stephen-w-porges-63291_anxiety_a-child-s-or-an-adult-s-nervous-system-m_2545863.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/stephen-w-porges-63291_anxiety_a-child-s-or-an-adult-s-nervous-system-m_2545863.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A child's (or an adult's) nervous system may detect danger or a threat to life when the child enters a new…” — Stephen W. Porges", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The detection of a person as safe or dangerous triggers neurobiologically determined pro-social or defensive behaviors. Even though we may not always be aware of danger on a cognitive level, on a neurophysiological level, our body has already started a sequence of neural processes that would facilitate adaptive defense behaviors such as fight, flight or freeze. ”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen W. 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