--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whether Iranians are drinking wine in the…" description: "\"Whether Iranians are drinking wine in the evening or painting something \"offensive,\" they choose not to dwell on the fact that they could receive some ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/azadeh-moaveni-54195_drinking_whether-iranians-are-drinking-wine-in-th_1832499.jpg" --- # Whether Iranians are drinking wine in the evening or… ![“Whether Iranians are drinking wine in the evening or painting something "offensive," they choose not to dwell on the fact that they could receive some seventh-century punishment. Laws are inconsistently enforced, and you can usually pay off police to look the other way.” quote by Azadeh Moaveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/azadeh-moaveni-54195_drinking_whether-iranians-are-drinking-wine-in-th_1832499.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/azadeh-moaveni-54195_drinking_whether-iranians-are-drinking-wine-in-th_1832499.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/azadeh-moaveni-54195_drinking_whether-iranians-are-drinking-wine-in-th_1832499.jpg) > “Whether Iranians are drinking wine in the evening or painting something "offensive," they choose not to dwell on the fact that they could receive some seventh-century punishment. Laws are inconsistently enforced, and you can usually pay off police to look the other way.” [Azadeh Moaveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azadeh-moaveni/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People accept minor illegalities like bribery because they are normalized, even though harsher punishments exist for more serious offenses. **In simple terms:** Minor crimes become routine while severe penalties loom. Key Takeaway Question the normalization of small corrupt acts. Themes corruption social norms legal inconsistency risk management Mood critical concerned Type analytical informative When to use this quote - daily life in Iran - business transactions - law enforcement interactions Key Concepts ethical compromise social tolerance state authority Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to accept minor corruption? - How can societies shift tolerance toward integrity? A Different Perspective Addressing small corrupt practices may be difficult without systemic reform. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Drinking wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking-wine/) [Iranians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iranians/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [Iranians hate Arabs. They're a fairly well-educated population and they have centuries of experience with self-government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ledeen/iranians-hate-arabs-they-re-a-fairly-well-educated-population-and/) [Michael Ledeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ledeen/) > [Iranians embraced my approach to domestic and international affairs because they saw it as long overdue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-rouhani/iranians-embraced-my-approach-to-domestic-and-international-affairs/) [Hassan Rouhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-rouhani/) > [It was the Obama administration that cut a faux deal with the Iranians that will not disarm Iran of its nuclear capabilities, and will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/it-was-the-obama-administration-that-cut-a-faux-deal-with-the/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Hamas married the Iranians. It was their choice. They are the same family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/hamas-married-the-iranians-it-was-their-choice-they-are-the-same/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [The more patient we are, the closer the Iranians get to a nuclear weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-rose/the-more-patient-we-are-the-closer-the-iranians-get-to-a-nuclear/) [Charlie Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-rose/) > [We don't have the unity that other races like Turkish, Russian and Yugoslavs have. If Iranians become more united, not only will we succeed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-daei/we-don-t-have-the-unity-that-other-races-like-turkish-russian-and/) [Ali Daei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-daei/) > [There is nothing to encourage. The Iranians should just stay away from us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adel-al-jubeir/there-is-nothing-to-encourage-the-iranians-should-just-stay-away-from/) [Adel al-Jubeir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adel-al-jubeir/) > [Fortunately, Iranians are politically active worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/fortunately-iranians-are-politically-active-worldwide/) [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/) > [Some people have said, in so many words, that I'm kind of wooly-headed in believing that the Iranians would see not having nuclear weapons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/some-people-have-said-in-so-many-words-that-i-m-kind-of-wooly-headed/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I think football gave Iranians a reason to once again think about their country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-daei/i-think-football-gave-iranians-a-reason-to-once-again-think-about/) [Ali Daei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-daei/) > [The Iranians know that if they develop nuclear weapons, they will be in tremendous jeopardy from military capabilities of their neighbors and of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-nunn/the-iranians-know-that-if-they-develop-nuclear-weapons-they-will-be/) [Sam Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-nunn/) > [I became the voice of a generation in a very surprising way, because many Iranians recognize themselves in it. But that is not what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-became-the-voice-of-a-generation-in-a-very-surprising-way-because/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [Too much under the thumb of the Iranians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/too-much-under-the-thumb-of-the-iranians/) [Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/) > [The remarkable thing about the Chinese is that they've operated differently than the Russians, the Iranians, and the North Koreans. By and large, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/the-remarkable-thing-about-the-chinese-is-that-they-ve-operated/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [For years I looked at the Iranians with envy - not at the outcome of their 1979 revolution, but because it was a popular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-eltahawy/for-years-i-looked-at-the-iranians-with-envy-not-at-the-outcome-of/) [Mona Eltahawy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-eltahawy/) ## More by Azadeh Moaveni > [“As a prominent conservative told me that year, "We need to go out into the wilderness for a long time, and figure out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azadeh-moaveni/as-a-prominent-conservative-told-me-that-year-we-need-to-go-out-into/) [Azadeh Moaveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azadeh-moaveni/) > [You can have an elected parliament that makes laws, but if the judiciary is appointed by the Supreme Leader - who is a representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azadeh-moaveni/you-can-have-an-elected-parliament-that-makes-laws-but-if-the/) [Azadeh Moaveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azadeh-moaveni/) > [“You're perfect for each other, she had insisted. "both of you act like you're already retired, always stuck at home reading books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azadeh-moaveni/you-re-perfect-for-each-other-she-had-insisted-both-of-you-act-like/) [Azadeh Moaveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azadeh-moaveni/) > [“We had slipped into each others lives seamlessly, as though we had known each other for years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azadeh-moaveni/we-had-slipped-into-each-others-lives-seamlessly-as-though-we-had/) [Azadeh Moaveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azadeh-moaveni/) > [I think Iran is the kind of place where it's difficult to predict what's going to trigger structural change. It's hard to also predict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azadeh-moaveni/i-think-iran-is-the-kind-of-place-where-it-s-difficult-to-predict/) [Azadeh Moaveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azadeh-moaveni/) [Explore all 6 Azadeh Moaveni quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azadeh-moaveni/) ## More Drinking quotes > [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of one's fellow man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/there-is-no-sweeter-sound-than-the-crumbling-of-one-s-fellow-man/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [You owe me a drink, you're so ugly I dropped mine when I saw you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-owe-me-a-drink-you-re-so-ugly-i-dropped-mine-when-i-saw-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We were still twirling around the tiny parking lot when the neighbors screamed 'Happy New Year'. Unfortunately we weren't sober enough to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlin-scott/we-were-still-twirling-around-the-tiny-parking-lot-when-the-neighbors/) [Kaitlin Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlin-scott/) > [I'm drinking away the exam results that don't take me anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-herrick/i-m-drinking-away-the-exam-results-that-don-t-take-me-anywhere/) [Steven Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-herrick/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [I wasn’t like, boo hoo, Bin Laden’s dead, but I wasn’t jumping. 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One partner doesn´t love the other enough to stop drinking, or gambling, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-katsu/and-it-s-so-different-for-a-lot-of-people-i-ve-known-one-partner/) [Alma Katsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-katsu/) > [Drinking champagne after making love is like taking a bath in chilled pearls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anistatia-r-miller/drinking-champagne-after-making-love-is-like-taking-a-bath-in-chilled/) Anistatia R. Miller > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [Design is all about relationships. Unfortunately, many designers don’t fully appreciate this. Some of the best design work I’ve ever done was drinking coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-burka/design-is-all-about-relationships-unfortunately-many-designers-don-t/) Daniel Burka > [In 1969, I gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-best/in-1969-i-gave-up-women-and-alcohol-it-was-the-worst-20-minutes-of-my/) [George Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-best/) > [I like to change liquor stores frequently because the clerks got to know your habits if you went in night and day and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-like-to-change-liquor-stores-frequently-because-the-clerks-got-to/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Browse all 2,711 Drinking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whether Iranians are drinking wine in the evening or painting something \"offensive,\" they choose not to dwell on the fact that they could receive some seventh-century punishment. 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