--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The people with the strong, brave…" description: "\"The people with the strong, brave exteriors are just as weak and vulnerable as the rest of us. And of course they never admit to their childish practic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_absurdity_the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exterio_2428986.png" --- # The people with the strong, brave exteriors are just as… ![“The people with the strong, brave exteriors are just as weak and vulnerable as the rest of us. And of course they never admit to their childish practices, their moments of weakness or absurdity, and then the rest of us think that's how it should be.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_absurdity_the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exterio_2428986.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_absurdity_the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exterio_2428986.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_absurdity_the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exterio_2428986.png) > “The people with the strong, brave exteriors are just as weak and vulnerable as the rest of us. And of course they never admit to their childish practices, their moments of weakness or absurdity, and then the rest of us think that's how it should be.” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shows that outward strength often hides inner vulnerability, and people deny their flaws **In simple terms:** Strong people also have weaknesses they hide Key Takeaway Recognize and accept your own vulnerabilities Themes strength vulnerability self‑deception Mood empathetic introspective Type literary psychological When to use this quote - leadership - relationships - mental health discussions Key Concepts psychology social perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you show vulnerability? - What masks do you hide behind? A Different Perspective Denial can prevent growth and empathy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurdity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdity/) [Brave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Exterior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exterior/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Moments of weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments-of-weakness/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-strong/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Vulnerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerable/) [Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak/) [Weak Vulnerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak-vulnerable-256497/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) [Weakness Absurdity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness-absurdity-256498/) ## Related quotes > [Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/compassion-requires-us-to-be-weak-with-the-weak-vulnerable-with-the/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [“I'm not a man easily moved to displays of emotion, but tonight I am weak, I am vulnerable. It must be from being inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppet/i-m-not-a-man-easily-moved-to-displays-of-emotion-but-tonight-i-am/) [Poppet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppet/) > [Life was programmed so we can classify each other according to anything, we r always looking to be different, we constantly try to differ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdullah-hamdan/life-was-programmed-so-we-can-classify-each-other-according-to/) [Abdullah Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdullah-hamdan/) > [A movie about a weak, vulnerable woman can be feminist if it shows a real person that we can empathize with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-portman/a-movie-about-a-weak-vulnerable-woman-can-be-feminist-if-it-shows-a/) [Natalie Portman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-portman/) > [When you go into the really big games you look at your team and think 'where are we weak, where are we vulnerable.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-souness/when-you-go-into-the-really-big-games-you-look-at-your-team-and-think/) [Graeme Souness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-souness/) > [Who needs the protection of the Bill of Rights most? The weak, the most vulnerable in society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-kaye/who-needs-the-protection-of-the-bill-of-rights-most-the-weak-the-most/) [Danny Kaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-kaye/) > [“She realised with an intense, wonderful rush that love didn't make you weak. It made you vulnerable, but it also made you strong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-hewitt/she-realised-with-an-intense-wonderful-rush-that-love-didn-t-make-you/) [Kate Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-hewitt/) > [“Even when we feel weak and vulnerable, we have to remember that pure vulnerability eventually manifests into authenticity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-jacinta-mpalyenkana/even-when-we-feel-weak-and-vulnerable-we-have-to-remember-that-pure/) [Dr. Jacinta Mpalyenkana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-jacinta-mpalyenkana/) > [A rigid America is also weak and vulnerable, because it sacrifices its unique strength: the energy of people who think they can always make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/a-rigid-america-is-also-weak-and-vulnerable-because-it-sacrifices-its/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [Thinking that being a good, decent, respectable person will mean that others will see you as weak, vulnerable, and easy to manipulate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/thinking-that-being-a-good-decent-respectable-person-will-mean-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The deficit crisis is real and must be addressed. But it cannot be solved on the backs of the weak and vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-deficit-crisis-is-real-and-must-be-addressed-but-it-cannot-be/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [“Everyone has moments of weakness. But that doesn't make you weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-alender/everyone-has-moments-of-weakness-but-that-doesn-t-make-you-weak/) [Katie Alender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-alender/) > [“Of course all life is a process of breaking down, but the blows that do the dramatic side of the work-the big sudden blows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/of-course-all-life-is-a-process-of-breaking-down-but-the-blows-that/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Because ALWAYS, even in the darkest moments, in moments of sin, in moments of weakness, in moments of failure, I have seen Jesus, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/because-always-even-in-the-darkest-moments-in-moments-of-sin-in/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [My first big mistake was made when, in a moment of weakness, I consented to learn the game; for a man who can frankly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/my-first-big-mistake-was-made-when-in-a-moment-of-weakness-i/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Absurdity quotes > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [For it is an absurdity to call a country civilized in which a decent and industrious man, laboriously mastering a trade which is valuble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-an-absurdity-to-call-a-country-civilized-in-which-a-decent/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Such squeamish youths as cannot bear to be connected with a little absurdity are not worth a regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/such-squeamish-youths-as-cannot-bear-to-be-connected-with-a-little/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Thought of the incomprehensible sequence of changes and chances that make up a life, all the beauties and horrors and absurdities whose conjunctions create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/thought-of-the-incomprehensible-sequence-of-changes-and-chances-that/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [We all live inside the terrible engine of authority, and it grinds and shrieks and burns so that no one will say: lines on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/we-all-live-inside-the-terrible-engine-of-authority-and-it-grinds-and/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Desire is this absurdity that holds open the infinity of possibility. Ever optimistic, ever resourceful, desire tells us what it sees as it speeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-farley/desire-is-this-absurdity-that-holds-open-the-infinity-of-possibility/) [Wendy Farley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-farley/) > [I've always felt that comedy doesn't just come from misery. It comes from an absurdity around that misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-amstell/i-ve-always-felt-that-comedy-doesn-t-just-come-from-misery-it-comes/) [Simon Amstell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-amstell/) > [Unaware of the absurdity of it, we introduce our own petty household rules into the economy of the universe for which the life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/unaware-of-the-absurdity-of-it-we-introduce-our-own-petty-household/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [“Christianity would be helpless without the idea of free will and the idea of free will would be helpless without incongruity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/christianity-would-be-helpless-without-the-idea-of-free-will-and-the/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [Sensible Catholics have for generations been ignoring the views on contraception held by reactionary old men in the Vatican, but alas, since it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/sensible-catholics-have-for-generations-been-ignoring-the-views-on/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [The tales of our exploits will survive as long as the human voice itself,' he said. 'And even after that, when the robots recall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-tales-of-our-exploits-will-survive-as-long-as-the-human-voice/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Life packed a clever one-two punch: cruelty and absurdity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/life-packed-a-clever-one-two-punch-cruelty-and-absurdity/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) [Browse all 689 Absurdity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The people with the strong, brave exteriors are just as weak and vulnerable as the rest of us. And of course they never admit to their childish practices, their moments of weakness or absurdity, and then the rest of us think that's how it should be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander McCall Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exteriors-are-just-as-weak-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absurdity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exteriors-are-just-as-weak-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_absurdity_the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exterio_2428986.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_absurdity_the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exterio_2428986.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_absurdity_the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exterio_2428986.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The people with the strong, brave exteriors are just as weak and vulnerable as the rest of us. And of course…” — Alexander McCall Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander McCall Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The people with the strong, brave...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exteriors-are-just-as-weak-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-people-with-the-strong-brave-exteriors-are-just-as-weak-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```