--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we are going to have to worry all the…" description: "\"If we are going to have to worry all the time that we might offend some students' sensibilities, we are not going to be able to teach in a way that act..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/alice-dreger-14333_able_if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the_1082698.jpg" --- # If we are going to have to worry all the time that we… ![“If we are going to have to worry all the time that we might offend some students' sensibilities, we are not going to be able to teach in a way that actually matters. We're not going to be able to teach about sex, gender, race, religion, or violence.” quote by Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/alice-dreger-14333_able_if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the_1082698.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/alice-dreger-14333_able_if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the_1082698.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/alice-dreger-14333_able_if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the_1082698.jpg) > “If we are going to have to worry all the time that we might offend some students' sensibilities, we are not going to be able to teach in a way that actually matters. We're not going to be able to teach about sex, gender, race, religion, or violence.” [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive caution about offending limits meaningful education on controversial topics. **In simple terms:** Fear of offense hinders real teaching. Key Takeaway Balance sensitivity with truth. Themes education free speech controversy Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - College classrooms - public policy debates - media training Key Concepts Ethics pedagogy Questions to Reflect On - How to teach sensitive subjects responsibly? - When does protection become censorship? A Different Perspective Some topics require nuanced handling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Why don't we teach sex the way we teach math or history? It is such a deeply crucial and healing part of life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/why-don-t-we-teach-sex-the-way-we-teach-math-or-history-it-is-such-a/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [People don't want children to know what they need to know. They want their kids to know what they ought to need to know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-harkaway/people-don-t-want-children-to-know-what-they-need-to-know-they-want/) [Nick Harkaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-harkaway/) > [People invade your space and offend your sensibilities because, to be plain, they couldn't care less about you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-graham/people-invade-your-space-and-offend-your-sensibilities-because-to-be/) [Laurie Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-graham/) > [You can teach taste, editorial sense, but the ability to say something funny is something I've never been able to teach anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abe-burrows/you-can-teach-taste-editorial-sense-but-the-ability-to-say-something/) [Abe Burrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abe-burrows/) > [Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-ward-howe/our-sons-shall-not-be-taken-from-us-to-unlearn-all-that-we-have-been/) [Julia Ward Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-ward-howe/) > [“She may not be able to teach the baby how to cook, but she could teach the child how to shoot a gun and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-brooks/she-may-not-be-able-to-teach-the-baby-how-to-cook-but-she-could-teach/) [Kathleen Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-brooks/) > [I'd love to go to school and have a normal life, but I don't see any professor at Yale being able to teach me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/i-d-love-to-go-to-school-and-have-a-normal-life-but-i-don-t-see-any/) [Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/) > [If you want to be able to teach, then you need to listen - a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-haddad/if-you-want-to-be-able-to-teach-then-you-need-to-listen-a-lot/) [Fernando Haddad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-haddad/) > [One should be able to teach adequately and feel good about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/one-should-be-able-to-teach-adequately-and-feel-good-about-it/) [Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/) > [The proof that you know something is that you are able to teach it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-proof-that-you-know-something-is-that-you-are-able-to-teach-it/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [It's just great to be able to teach someone to dance and preach to them how to be better people and enjoy their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentin-chmerkovskiy/it-s-just-great-to-be-able-to-teach-someone-to-dance-and-preach-to/) [Valentin Chmerkovskiy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentin-chmerkovskiy/) > [A leader must have knowledge. A leader must be able to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/a-leader-must-have-knowledge-a-leader-must-be-able-to-teach/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [Most owners are at length able to teach themselves to obey their dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-morley/most-owners-are-at-length-able-to-teach-themselves-to-obey-their-dog/) [Robert Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-morley/) > [Ok, here goes: I'm going to see how many people I can offend by suggesting that maybe many little gay boys, like many little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/ok-here-goes-i-m-going-to-see-how-many-people-i-can-offend-by/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [I think I am a product of my mother's sensibilities and my mother's values. There has been lots of battling and lots of love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cher/i-think-i-am-a-product-of-my-mother-s-sensibilities-and-my-mother-s/) [Cher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cher/) ## More by Alice Dreger > [You want a child who never makes you anything but proud? Please. Don't bother taking on parenthood if you can't handle the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/you-want-a-child-who-never-makes-you-anything-but-proud-please-don-t/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [Regardless of the cultural system, social pressure to appear straight seems to be fairly intense cross-culturally. Indeed, one is inclined to wonder, if being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/regardless-of-the-cultural-system-social-pressure-to-appear-straight/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [Fact-checking doesn't exist primarily because some of us are liars and cheats. It exists because writers will be writers, much as they may mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/fact-checking-doesn-t-exist-primarily-because-some-of-us-are-liars/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [We don't really know where human sexual orientations come from yet. What we do know is that the evidence we have that sexual orientation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/we-don-t-really-know-where-human-sexual-orientations-come-from-yet/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [Using medicine in the service of cosmesis is generally bad for patients, bad for doctors, and bad for democracy. The only exceptions are when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/using-medicine-in-the-service-of-cosmesis-is-generally-bad-for/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [Doctors are human animals. They want to be loved, they are tribal, they instinctually favor stories over scientific evidence, they make mistakes, and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/doctors-are-human-animals-they-want-to-be-loved-they-are-tribal-they/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [If we have a situation where a man is particularly graceful in a sport that rewards grace - say, for example, figure skating -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/if-we-have-a-situation-where-a-man-is-particularly-graceful-in-a/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [So many times I've heard people say that the right to marry for gay and lesbian couples won't really change anything other than some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/so-many-times-i-ve-heard-people-say-that-the-right-to-marry-for-gay/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [Instead of constantly enhancing the norm - forever upping the ante of the 'normal' with new technologies - we should work on enhancing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/instead-of-constantly-enhancing-the-norm-forever-upping-the-ante-of/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [A hospital may spend several million dollars separating a pair of conjoined twins even though that separation is likely to leave them worse off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/a-hospital-may-spend-several-million-dollars-separating-a-pair-of/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [A democratic medical establishment does not alter people's bodies to fit regressive social norms; it advocates for patients by demanding the social body get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/a-democratic-medical-establishment-does-not-alter-people-s-bodies-to/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [We now know that sex is complicated enough that we have to admit nature doesn't draw the line for us between male and female,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/we-now-know-that-sex-is-complicated-enough-that-we-have-to-admit/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [The safety argument against steroids may be a good one, but let's be honest. It isn't the one that motivates most officials and fans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/the-safety-argument-against-steroids-may-be-a-good-one-but-let-s-be/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [Doctors and scientists, being part of that two-sex culture, have done everything they can to try to force people who are in-between into one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/doctors-and-scientists-being-part-of-that-two-sex-culture-have-done/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [Surely, sport is not fundamentally about the safety of athletes. If it were, we'd probably have to ban professional football, right after boxing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/surely-sport-is-not-fundamentally-about-the-safety-of-athletes-if-it/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) [Explore all 47 Alice Dreger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we are going to have to worry all the time that we might offend some students' sensibilities, we are not going to be able to teach in a way that actually matters. We're not going to be able to teach about sex, gender, race, religion, or violence.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Dreger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the-time-that-we-might-offend/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the-time-that-we-might-offend/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/alice-dreger-14333_able_if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the_1082698.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/alice-dreger-14333_able_if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the_1082698.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/alice-dreger-14333_able_if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the_1082698.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we are going to have to worry all the time that we might offend some students' sensibilities, we are not…” — Alice Dreger", "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": "Alice Dreger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we are going to have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the-time-that-we-might-offend/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/if-we-are-going-to-have-to-worry-all-the-time-that-we-might-offend/#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 } } ] } ```