--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When publicly censured our first instinct…" description: "\"When publicly censured our first instinct is to make everybody a codefendant.\" — Ambrose Bierce" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/ambrose-bierce-140_firsts_when-publicly-censured-our-first-instinc_3221610.jpg" --- # When publicly censured our first instinct is to make… ![“When publicly censured our first instinct is to make everybody a codefendant.” quote by Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/ambrose-bierce-140_firsts_when-publicly-censured-our-first-instinc_3221610.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/ambrose-bierce-140_firsts_when-publicly-censured-our-first-instinc_3221610.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/ambrose-bierce-140_firsts_when-publicly-censured-our-first-instinc_3221610.jpg) > “When publicly censured our first instinct is to make everybody a codefendant.” [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author suggests that when someone is publicly condemned, the instinct is to implicate everyone else as equally culpable. **In simple terms:** Public condemnation leads to over‑blaming. Key Takeaway Beware of collective scapegoating. Themes justice public opinion scapegoating morality Mood analytical skeptical Type philosophical critical. When to use this quote - legal trials - media coverage - political discourse Key Concepts ethical reasoning social dynamics groupthink Questions to Reflect On - Why do we tend to extend blame to all? - What safeguards prevent mass condemnation? A Different Perspective Over‑blaming can dilute responsibility and fairness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Censured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censured-1180607/) [Censured Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censured-instinct-6058738/) [Codefendant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/codefendant-6058737/) [Everybody Codefendant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody-codefendant-6058735/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) [Publicly Censured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publicly-censured-6058736/) ## Related quotes > [Injustice is censured because the censures are afraid of suffering, and not from any fear which they have of doing injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/injustice-is-censured-because-the-censures-are-afraid-of-suffering/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“No man was to be eulogized for what he did; or censured for what he did or did not do. All of us are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/no-man-was-to-be-eulogized-for-what-he-did-or-censured-for-what-he/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [To suggest that the president should be censured because you don't agree with the legal advice he got seems to me to just --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-schmidt/to-suggest-that-the-president-should-be-censured-because-you-don-t/) [Jon Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-schmidt/) > [If I had been censured every time I have run my ship, or fleets under my command, into great danger, I should have long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-nelson/if-i-had-been-censured-every-time-i-have-run-my-ship-or-fleets-under/) [Horatio Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatio-nelson/) > [None of us are so much praised or censured as we think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/none-of-us-are-so-much-praised-or-censured-as-we-think/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [“be performed by intelligent persons. The other type of actions censured by the world should be cast off far away (i.e. completely avoided). 47.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-dominic-de-lucia/be-performed-by-intelligent-persons-the-other-type-of-actions/) [Dean Dominic De Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-dominic-de-lucia/) > [How could they say that they truly loved each other? They had simply grown up together, been children together, and the proximity of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/how-could-they-say-that-they-truly-loved-each-other-they-had-simply/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [As a kid, in the Runaways, I would see the interviewers start to ask about our personal lives and what we did — and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/as-a-kid-in-the-runaways-i-would-see-the-interviewers-start-to-ask/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [The dog is guided by kindly instinct to the man or woman whose heart is open to his advances. The cat often leaves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-dog-is-guided-by-kindly-instinct-to-the-man-or-woman-whose-heart/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [You don't think. It's all instinct. If you stop to think, you're gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-robinson/you-don-t-think-it-s-all-instinct-if-you-stop-to-think-you-re-gone/) [Sugar Ray Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-robinson/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) > [I will follow my instincts, be myself for good or ill, and see what will be the upshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/i-will-follow-my-instincts-be-myself-for-good-or-ill-and-see-what/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Imitation is the first instinct of the awakening mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/imitation-is-the-first-instinct-of-the-awakening-mind/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) ## More by Ambrose Bierce > [OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/obsessed-p-p-vexed-by-an-evil-spirit-like-the-gadarene-swine-and/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [IMMORAL, adj. Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/immoral-adj-inexpedient-whatever-in-the-long-run-and-with-regard-to/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [REVIEW, v.t. To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it./ Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)/ At work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/review-v-t-to-set-your-wisdom-holding-not-a-doubt-of-it-although-in/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/clock-n-a-machine-of-great-moral-value-to-man-allaying-his-concern/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [RUBBISH, n. Worthless matter, such as the religions, philosophies, literatures, arts and sciences of the tribes infesting the regions lying due south from Boreaplas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/rubbish-n-worthless-matter-such-as-the-religions-philosophies/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [There was never a genius who was not thought a fool until he disclosed himself; whereas he is a fool then only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/there-was-never-a-genius-who-was-not-thought-a-fool-until-he/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/telephone-n-an-invention-of-the-devil-which-abrogates-some-of-the/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Jealous, adj. Unduly concerned about the preservation of that which can be lost only if not worth keeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/jealous-adj-unduly-concerned-about-the-preservation-of-that-which-can/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [RIDICULE, n. Words designed to show that the person of whom they are uttered is devoid of the dignity of character distinguishing him who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/ridicule-n-words-designed-to-show-that-the-person-of-whom-they-are/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Think twice before you speak to a friend in need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/think-twice-before-you-speak-to-a-friend-in-need/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [HERMIT, n. A person whose vices and follies are not sociable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/hermit-n-a-person-whose-vices-and-follies-are-not-sociable/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [TARIFF, n. A scale of taxes on imports, designed to protect the domestic producer against the greed of his consumer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/tariff-n-a-scale-of-taxes-on-imports-designed-to-protect-the-domestic/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [A bad marriage is like an electrical thrilling machine: it makes you dance, but you can't let go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/a-bad-marriage-is-like-an-electrical-thrilling-machine-it-makes-you/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) [Explore all 1,157 Ambrose Bierce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) ## More Firsts quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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