--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Obscenity is whatever happens to shock…" description: "\"Obscenity is whatever happens to shock some elderly and ignorant magistrate.\" — Bertrand Russell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/bertrand-russell-69_elderly_obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-s_2299429.jpg" --- # Obscenity is whatever happens to shock some elderly and… ![“Obscenity is whatever happens to shock some elderly and ignorant magistrate.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/bertrand-russell-69_elderly_obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-s_2299429.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/bertrand-russell-69_elderly_obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-s_2299429.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/bertrand-russell-69_elderly_obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-s_2299429.jpg) > “Obscenity is whatever happens to shock some elderly and ignorant magistrate.” [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obscenity is defined subjectively, often reflecting the sensibilities of those in power rather than inherent moral truth **In simple terms:** Shock value depends on the audience’s biases Key Takeaway Question societal standards before labeling content as obscene Themes freedom censorship subjectivity power Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - legal debates - art exhibitions - online content moderation - public policy Key Concepts ethical relativism law media studies Questions to Reflect On - What determines whether something is truly obscene? - How do power dynamics shape moral judgments? A Different Perspective Not all shock is harmful; context matters for moral judgment ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elderly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elderly/) [Obscenity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obscenity/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) ## Related quotes > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [When you can use dirty words in every situation with everyone, that's a real big liberation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lina-wertmuller/when-you-can-use-dirty-words-in-every-situation-with-everyone-that-s/) [Lina Wertmuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lina-wertmuller/) > [What good is an obscenity trial except to popularize literature?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-stout/what-good-is-an-obscenity-trial-except-to-popularize-literature/) [Rex Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-stout/) > [This is not sadly, today being promoted obscenity in the name of modernity, and, sadly is that, younger generation are happily assimilated are pornography,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/this-is-not-sadly-today-being-promoted-obscenity-in-the-name-of/) Mak\_786 > [Sex and obscenity are not synonymous. Obscene material is material which deals with sex in a manner appealing to prurient interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sex-and-obscenity-are-not-synonymous-obscene-material-is-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Since obscenity is the truth of our passion today, it is the only stuff of art -- or almost the only stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/since-obscenity-is-the-truth-of-our-passion-today-it-is-the-only/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [Slavery is an obscenity. It is not just stealing someone's labor; it is the theft of an entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-bales/slavery-is-an-obscenity-it-is-not-just-stealing-someone-s-labor-it-is/) [Kevin Bales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-bales/) > [Whether my acting was obscene, or whether it was distasteful, well, Judge Rehnquist, who just recently passed away couldn't define pornography. His comment on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reems/whether-my-acting-was-obscene-or-whether-it-was-distasteful-well/) [Harry Reems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reems/) > [There is something powerful in the whispering of obscenities, about those in power. There's something delightful about it, something naughty, secretive, forbidden, thrilling. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/there-is-something-powerful-in-the-whispering-of-obscenities-about/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Western people often see obscenity where there is only symbolism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-john-woodroffe/western-people-often-see-obscenity-where-there-is-only-symbolism/) Sir John Woodroffe > [“They told me I was not to draw.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-diana/they-told-me-i-was-not-to-draw/) Mike Diana > [The most important truths always appear first as blasphemies or obscenities. That's why every great innovator is persecuted. And the sacraments look obscene, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/the-most-important-truths-always-appear-first-as-blasphemies-or/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [“No more peeping through keyholes! No more mas turbating in the dark! No more public confessions! Unscrew the doors from their jambs! I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/no-more-peeping-through-keyholes-no-more-mas-turbating-in-the-dark-no/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [That which attempts to elevate the ugly to the level of beauty becomes neither; but an obscenity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/that-which-attempts-to-elevate-the-ugly-to-the-level-of-beauty/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [The nowadays ruling that no word is unprintable has, I think, done nothing whatever for beautiful letters. ... Obscenity is too valuable a commodity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-nowadays-ruling-that-no-word-is-unprintable-has-i-think-done/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) ## More by Bertrand Russell > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [All movements go too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-movements-go-too-far/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Such, in outline, but even more purposeless, more void of meaning, is the world which Science presents for our belief. Amid such a world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/such-in-outline-but-even-more-purposeless-more-void-of-meaning-is-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/aristotle-maintained-that-women-have-fewer-teeth-than-men-although-he/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-an-opinion-contrary-to-your-own-makes-you-angry-that-is-a-sign/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/persecution-is-used-in-theology-not-in-arithmetic-because-in/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There is no greater reason for children to honour parents than for parents to honour children except, that while the children are young, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-greater-reason-for-children-to-honour-parents-than-for/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Explore all 1,620 Bertrand Russell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More Elderly quotes > [Elect me to office. I will protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. Because there's no constitutional authority for Congress spending on the objects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/elect-me-to-office-i-will-protect-and-defend-the-u-s-constitution/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [The elderly have so much to offer. They're our link with history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/the-elderly-have-so-much-to-offer-they-re-our-link-with-history/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [The investment in our mining industry has been very positive for Australia but we need to be doing more if we want, as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-rinehart/the-investment-in-our-mining-industry-has-been-very-positive-for/) [Gina Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-rinehart/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [At this point two elderly security guards in parkas, the guys who normally work the front desk at the plant, asked John to step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/at-this-point-two-elderly-security-guards-in-parkas-the-guys-who/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“The young man pities his elders, fearing the day he, too, will join their ranks. The elderly man pities the younger generation, well-knowing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-i-fisher/the-young-man-pities-his-elders-fearing-the-day-he-too-will-join/) [Lynda I Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-i-fisher/) > [When facing a child, I become a child. When facing an elderly person, or a husband, or a wife, in my heart, I too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masahisa-goi/when-facing-a-child-i-become-a-child-when-facing-an-elderly-person-or/) [Masahisa Goi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masahisa-goi/) > [“You will not apply for membership, but the tribe of the elderly will claim you. Your present will not keep pace with the world’s.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/you-will-not-apply-for-membership-but-the-tribe-of-the-elderly-will/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [All Kings, and all their favorites, All glory of honors, beauties, wits, The sun itself, which makes times, as they pass, Is elder by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/all-kings-and-all-their-favorites-all-glory-of-honors-beauties-wits/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [“We must learn as long as we live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-must-learn-as-long-as-we-live/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [A long time ago, in a town with which I used to be familiarly acquainted, there dwelt an elderly person of grim aspect, known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/a-long-time-ago-in-a-town-with-which-i-used-to-be-familiarly/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“Malnutrition is a plague in the elderly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/malnutrition-is-a-plague-in-the-elderly/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Obamacare is going to destroy the elderly by denying care, by even perhaps denying treatment to people who are in catastrophic circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-cruz/obamacare-is-going-to-destroy-the-elderly-by-denying-care-by-even/) [Rafael Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-cruz/) > [Walking abroad, one is the admiration of all little boys, and meets an approving glance from every eye of elderly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-owen/walking-abroad-one-is-the-admiration-of-all-little-boys-and-meets-an/) [Wilfred Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-owen/) > [Our population is growing rapidly because of our good health policy. When I came into office, there were 14 million Ugandans, today there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoweri-museveni/our-population-is-growing-rapidly-because-of-our-good-health-policy/) [Yoweri Museveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoweri-museveni/) [Browse all 446 Elderly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elderly/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Obscenity is whatever happens to shock some elderly and ignorant magistrate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bertrand Russell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-some-elderly-and-ignorant/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Elderly" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-some-elderly-and-ignorant/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/bertrand-russell-69_elderly_obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-s_2299429.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/bertrand-russell-69_elderly_obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-s_2299429.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/156/bertrand-russell-69_elderly_obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-s_2299429.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Obscenity is whatever happens to shock some elderly and ignorant magistrate.” — Bertrand Russell", "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": "Bertrand Russell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Obscenity is whatever happens to shock...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-some-elderly-and-ignorant/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/obscenity-is-whatever-happens-to-shock-some-elderly-and-ignorant/#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 } } ] } ```