--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But on those occasions when I do strongly…" description: "\"But on those occasions when I do strongly disagree with the Democrats and I don't say anything, I think I forfeit my right to have people pay attention..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/barney-frank-3610_attention_but-on-those-occasions-when-i-do-strongl_2000440.png" --- # But on those occasions when I do strongly disagree with… ![“But on those occasions when I do strongly disagree with the Democrats and I don't say anything, I think I forfeit my right to have people pay attention to me when I say the things that I don't like about what Republicans are saying.” quote by Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/barney-frank-3610_attention_but-on-those-occasions-when-i-do-strongl_2000440.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/barney-frank-3610_attention_but-on-those-occasions-when-i-do-strongl_2000440.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/barney-frank-3610_attention_but-on-those-occasions-when-i-do-strongl_2000440.png) > “But on those occasions when I do strongly disagree with the Democrats and I don't say anything, I think I forfeit my right to have people pay attention to me when I say the things that I don't like about what Republicans are saying.” [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Silencing dissent weakens influence; speaking up maintains relevance. **In simple terms:** Speak up to stay relevant. Key Takeaway Share disagreements openly. Themes politics voice engagement Mood thoughtful cautious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - committee meetings - public forums - social media debates Key Concepts civic duty public discourse Questions to Reflect On - When is silence strategic? - How to voice dissent constructively? A Different Perspective Risk of alienating allies; backlash possible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Disagree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disagree/) [Disagree Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disagree-democrats-3516251/) [Like Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-republicans-1147487/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Strongly Disagree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strongly-disagree-717646/) [Think Forfeit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-forfeit-3516252/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [I strongly disagree that you can't have a happy family life and a child as well as rock n' roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ashcroft/i-strongly-disagree-that-you-can-t-have-a-happy-family-life-and-a/) [Richard Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ashcroft/) > [I guess I feel very strongly that I disagree with the notion of personalizing history and movements and big events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-i-feel-very-strongly-that-i-disagree-with-the-notion-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I certainly had qualms about writing my piece in the first place, since I knew I couldn't express my disdain for many of Rev.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-roose/i-certainly-had-qualms-about-writing-my-piece-in-the-first-place/) [Kevin Roose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-roose/) > [I don't feel burdened, but I do feel a little frustrated. 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I like to get things done, and I like Republicans and Democrats, and that doesn't always work well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-t-chambers/i-don-t-enjoy-politics-i-like-to-get-things-done-and-i-like/) [John T. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-t-chambers/) > [Conservatives, they're like the Republicans to me. They don't do much. They have this whole hierarchy and boys' club thing going on. That doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/conservatives-they-re-like-the-republicans-to-me-they-don-t-do-much/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not worried about a 'blue wave,' I just think Republicans have to act like Republicans and govern like Republicans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane/i-m-not-worried-about-a-blue-wave-i-just-think-republicans-have-to/) [Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane/) > [ It looks like they \[the Republicans\] don't want to win if it means winning with \[Donald\] Trump. They must really hate Trump out there. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-looks-like-they-the-republicans-don-t-want-to-win-if-it-means/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I like that about the Republicans; the evidence does not faze them, they are not bothered at all by the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-like-that-about-the-republicans-the-evidence-does-not-faze-them/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [A lot of Democrats like to play the 'If we were Republicans' game. I usually hate it; I don't want to behave like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-palmieri/a-lot-of-democrats-like-to-play-the-if-we-were-republicans-game-i/) [Jennifer Palmieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-palmieri/) > [If we don't like what the Republicans do, we need to get in there and change it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medgar-evers/if-we-don-t-like-what-the-republicans-do-we-need-to-get-in-there-and/) [Medgar Evers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medgar-evers/) > [As people do better, they start voting like Republicans - unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/as-people-do-better-they-start-voting-like-republicans-unless-they/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/) > [You've also heard stories about how the military-industrial complex really does prefer Hilary Clinton because they know that she's not nuts like some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/you-ve-also-heard-stories-about-how-the-military-industrial-complex/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) ## More by Barney Frank > [Moderate Republicans are reverse Houdinis. 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First of all, there were times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-think-there-were-two-criticisms-you-can-make-of-donald-trump-s/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [When community action was put into federal law in the early sixties as part of the effort to combat poverty and social injustice, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/when-community-action-was-put-into-federal-law-in-the-early-sixties/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [Donald Trump has done more for getting people to understand the importance of public policy that respond to public needs in an affirmative way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/donald-trump-has-done-more-for-getting-people-to-understand-the/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [Before this learning experience, I had assumed that with regard to programs that sought to help people out of poverty, the political world was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/before-this-learning-experience-i-had-assumed-that-with-regard-to/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [The regulation of medicine has been a State function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/the-regulation-of-medicine-has-been-a-state-function/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [For most of my life, I have eaten to deal with stress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/for-most-of-my-life-i-have-eaten-to-deal-with-stress/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [They have to convert our agenda into something aggressive. Two guys wanting to be happy together are invading their marriages. Helping a kid who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/they-have-to-convert-our-agenda-into-something-aggressive-two-guys/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [I think there was an absolute, deep gap between consensual relations between adults, which people may like or dislike, and people who physically impose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-think-there-was-an-absolute-deep-gap-between-consensual-relations/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [I was still closeted, but from the day I decided to run for office, knowing that I was gay, I decided that I would,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-was-still-closeted-but-from-the-day-i-decided-to-run-for-office/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [I have done a lot of work for affordable housing, rental housing. 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The Barack Obama, the President personally and his administration officials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-can-tell-you-about-health-care-and-also-about-the-financial-reform/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [In America, unlike England, unlike Israel, unlike Japan, other democracies, we have elections that have staggered terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/in-america-unlike-england-unlike-israel-unlike-japan-other/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [Ronald Reagan got a lot of democrats. I wish he hadn't. I got to Congress with Reagan coming to the Whitehouse. 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The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. 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