--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People defend nothing more violently than…" description: "\"People defend nothing more violently than the pretenses they live by.\" — Allen Drury" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/allen-drury-54795_defend_people-defend-nothing-more-violently-tha_776070.png" --- # People defend nothing more violently than the pretenses… ![“People defend nothing more violently than the pretenses they live by.” quote by Allen Drury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/allen-drury-54795_defend_people-defend-nothing-more-violently-tha_776070.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/allen-drury-54795_defend_people-defend-nothing-more-violently-tha_776070.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/allen-drury-54795_defend_people-defend-nothing-more-violently-tha_776070.png) > “People defend nothing more violently than the pretenses they live by.” [Allen Drury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-drury/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People fiercely protect the beliefs they construct for themselves. **In simple terms:** Defending beliefs can be violent. Key Takeaway Examine your own pretenses. Themes identity belief defensiveness Mood critical provocative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - politics - personal development - conflict resolution Key Concepts political psychology social identity Questions to Reflect On - What pretenses do you cling to? - How can you question your own beliefs safely? A Different Perspective Blind defense hinders growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend/) [Defend Violently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend-violently-5988926/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Live by](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-by/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Defend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-defend-667770/) [Pretense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretense/) [Violently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violently/) [Violently Pretenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violently-pretenses-5988927/) ## Related quotes > [I consider the strongest people as those who can still defend and retain their happiness in the midst of serious difficulties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/i-consider-the-strongest-people-as-those-who-can-still-defend-and/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [“The object of a weapon was to assist weakness to cope with strength…I do not think any government has the right, though they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-fraser-saltoun/the-object-of-a-weapon-was-to-assist-weakness-to-cope-with-strength-i/) [Alexander Fraser Saltoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-fraser-saltoun/) > [It's often a bad sign when people defend themselves against charges which haven't been made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-often-a-bad-sign-when-people-defend-themselves-against-charges/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Most people would rather defend to the death your right to say it than listen to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/most-people-would-rather-defend-to-the-death-your-right-to-say-it/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Since when do we have to agree with people to defend them from injustice?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/since-when-do-we-have-to-agree-with-people-to-defend-them-from/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [Since when do you have to agree with people to defend them from injustice?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/since-when-do-you-have-to-agree-with-people-to-defend-them-from/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [Perhaps... I mean there are people who defend that it as an art. I don't. I like it but it's not an art form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-morris/perhaps-i-mean-there-are-people-who-defend-that-it-as-an-art-i-don-t/) [Mark Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-morris/) > [The Palestinians cannot throw rockets and expect people not to defend themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/the-palestinians-cannot-throw-rockets-and-expect-people-not-to-defend/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [Unfortunately, no matter how frivolous the lawsuit, you still, of course, have to pay people to defend you on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/unfortunately-no-matter-how-frivolous-the-lawsuit-you-still-of-course/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [If anyone interferes into the private life of two people, I will defend the right of those two people between their four walls. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jair-bolsonaro/if-anyone-interferes-into-the-private-life-of-two-people-i-will/) [Jair Bolsonaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jair-bolsonaro/) > [I cannot understand how sensible people still defend Facebook, YouTube and Twitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/i-cannot-understand-how-sensible-people-still-defend-facebook-youtube/) [Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/) > [You don't leave people who can't defend themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/you-don-t-leave-people-who-can-t-defend-themselves/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [The best defense for any group of people is what we do to defend other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/the-best-defense-for-any-group-of-people-is-what-we-do-to-defend/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [I would be more angry if an animal were treated cruelly than people, because people can defend themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heart-evangelista/i-would-be-more-angry-if-an-animal-were-treated-cruelly-than-people/) [Heart Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heart-evangelista/) > [The strength of the Constitution, lies in the will of the people to defend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/the-strength-of-the-constitution-lies-in-the-will-of-the-people-to/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) ## More by Allen Drury > [Florey was not an easy personality. His drive and ambition were manifest from the day he arrived ... He could be ruthless and selfish;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/florey-was-not-an-easy-personality-his-drive-and-ambition-were/) [Allen Drury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-drury/) > [“Son, this is a Washington, D.C. kind of lie. It's when the other person knows you're lying, and also knows you know he knows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/son-this-is-a-washington-d-c-kind-of-lie-it-s-when-the-other-person/) [Allen Drury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-drury/) > [“Let me see if I can state it for you this way, Senator,” he said slowly. “Under certain circumstances that may have existed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/let-me-see-if-i-can-state-it-for-you-this-way-senator-he-said-slowly/) [Allen Drury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-drury/) > [Be kind, be decent, be generous, be tolerant, compassionate, and understanding. Be fast to praise, slow to judge. Remember, we're all human, and don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/be-kind-be-decent-be-generous-be-tolerant-compassionate-and/) [Allen Drury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-drury/) > [. . .nothing is more important than freedom. Nothing is more sacred than freedom. Nothing is greater than freedom. Nothing. . .can be permitted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/nothing-is-more-important-than-freedom-nothing-is-more-sacred-than/) [Allen Drury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-drury/) [Explore all 6 Allen Drury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-drury/) ## More Defend quotes > [My first Olympics memory was watching Haile Gebrselassie in Sydney 2000. His sprint finish to defend his title really moved me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-farah/my-first-olympics-memory-was-watching-haile-gebrselassie-in-sydney/) [Mo Farah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-farah/) > [We fight to defend our democratic ideals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-austin/we-fight-to-defend-our-democratic-ideals/) [Lloyd Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-austin/) > [The pop culture has become more frenetic. There are more forces at work that are far more invasive. 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From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were exterminated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-wurzelbacher/in-1911-turkey-established-gun-control-from-1915-to-1917-1-5-million/) [Joe Wurzelbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-wurzelbacher/) > [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“defend women’s right to be wrong, at least occasionally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/defend-women-s-right-to-be-wrong-at-least-occasionally/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [There are a lot of things you can practise to unsettle teams that defend deep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/didier-deschamps/there-are-a-lot-of-things-you-can-practise-to-unsettle-teams-that/) [Didier Deschamps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/didier-deschamps/) > [The more you defend a lie, the angrier you become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/the-more-you-defend-a-lie-the-angrier-you-become/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I'm very willing to defend creative things that I believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-schneider/i-m-very-willing-to-defend-creative-things-that-i-believe-in/) [Dan Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-schneider/) > [Sometimes it is difficult to play against teams who just drop back and try to defend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadio-mane/sometimes-it-is-difficult-to-play-against-teams-who-just-drop-back/) [Sadio Mane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadio-mane/) [Browse all 993 Defend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People defend nothing more violently than the pretenses they live by.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Allen Drury" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/people-defend-nothing-more-violently-than-the-pretenses-they-live-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Defend" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/people-defend-nothing-more-violently-than-the-pretenses-they-live-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/allen-drury-54795_defend_people-defend-nothing-more-violently-tha_776070.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/allen-drury-54795_defend_people-defend-nothing-more-violently-tha_776070.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/allen-drury-54795_defend_people-defend-nothing-more-violently-tha_776070.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People defend nothing more violently than the pretenses they live by.” — Allen Drury", "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": "Allen Drury", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-drury/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People defend nothing more violently than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/people-defend-nothing-more-violently-than-the-pretenses-they-live-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/people-defend-nothing-more-violently-than-the-pretenses-they-live-by/#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 } } ] } ```