--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Denial is the first line of defence…" description: "\"“Denial is the first line of defence against a problem and also the easiest, since it requires no action. In Saudi Arabia, denial is almost an institut..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/brian-whitaker-56119_saudi-arabia_denial-is-the-first-line-of-defence-agai_462029.jpg" --- # Denial is the first line of defence against a problem and… ![“Denial is the first line of defence against a problem and also the easiest, since it requires no action. In Saudi Arabia, denial is almost an institution ... it suits the authorities to deny that homosexual activity exists in the kingdom to any significant extent, and it suits gay Saudis (who well…” quote by Brian Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/brian-whitaker-56119_saudi-arabia_denial-is-the-first-line-of-defence-agai_462029.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/brian-whitaker-56119_saudi-arabia_denial-is-the-first-line-of-defence-agai_462029.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/brian-whitaker-56119_saudi-arabia_denial-is-the-first-line-of-defence-agai_462029.jpg) > ““Denial is the first line of defence against a problem and also the easiest, since it requires no action. In Saudi Arabia, denial is almost an institution ... it suits the authorities to deny that homosexual activity exists in the kingdom to any significant extent, and it suits gay Saudis (who well understand how the rules work) to assist that denial by keeping a low profile. If it reaches a stage where denial is no longer, possible, however, the authorities are obliged to respond. The choice then is between tolerance and oppression ...”” [Brian Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-whitaker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Denial protects authorities and individuals from confronting uncomfortable truths, but eventually forces a choice between tolerance and oppression. **In simple terms:** People avoid problems, but denial eventually demands a response. Key Takeaway Recognize denial and address issues directly. Themes politics human rights social control culture Mood critical hopeful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - policy reform - LGBTQ advocacy - media reporting - community dialogue Key Concepts sociology authoritarianism identity politics Questions to Reflect On - How does denial affect marginalized groups? - What steps can break institutional denial? A Different Perspective Denial may be deeply ingrained, making change slow and risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) ## Related quotes > [“The idea of a licentious West that many Arabs hold today closely mirrors the view that Europeans had of the Middle East a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-whitaker/the-idea-of-a-licentious-west-that-many-arabs-hold-today-closely/) [Brian Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-whitaker/) > [“When we examine, not the language of the propaganda, but the witness of the combatants themselves, religion does not occupy the first place. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tzvetan-todorov/when-we-examine-not-the-language-of-the-propaganda-but-the-witness-of/) [Tzvetan Todorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tzvetan-todorov/) > [“In March 2012, the current Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, declared that it is “necessary to destroy all the churches”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-ibrahim/in-march-2012-the-current-grand-mufti-of-saudi-arabia-abdul-aziz-bin/) [Raymond Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-ibrahim/) > [Our president's latest energy initiative was to go to Saudi Arabia and beg King Abdullah to give us a little relief on gasoline prices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/our-president-s-latest-energy-initiative-was-to-go-to-saudi-arabia/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [We are certainly seeing a greater diversification of origin... it used to be that the best trained terrorist cyber facilitators were living in Pakistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-kohlmann/we-are-certainly-seeing-a-greater-diversification-of-origin-it-used/) [Evan Kohlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-kohlmann/) > [Saudi Arabia isn't just a conservative country with different values we shouldn't judge. It is a modern Gilead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-eltahawy/saudi-arabia-isn-t-just-a-conservative-country-with-different-values/) [Mona Eltahawy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-eltahawy/) > [“Cal: “I’m not presuming. I know exactly what you think about me. You think I’m an anal-retentive Armrest Nazi . . . an arrogant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/cal-i-m-not-presuming-i-know-exactly-what-you-think-about-me-you/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [We're defending Saudi Arabia? And with all of the money they have, we're defending them, and they're not paying? All you have to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-re-defending-saudi-arabia-and-with-all-of-the-money-they-have-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Saudi Arabia has historically attempted to influence politics in Beirut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-khashoggi/saudi-arabia-has-historically-attempted-to-influence-politics-in/) [Jamal Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-khashoggi/) > [Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-with-john-mccain-in-pushing-to/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [You have to decide where the line is in such a complicated place like Saudi Arabia. I was so confused by the place -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-arthur/you-have-to-decide-where-the-line-is-in-such-a-complicated-place-like/) [Olivia Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-arthur/) > [We have to review our foreign policy and stop rolling out the red carpet for countries we know to be funding fundamentalism: countries like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/we-have-to-review-our-foreign-policy-and-stop-rolling-out-the-red/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [In Saudi Arabia, among other countries, Muslims are not free to convert to Christianity, and Christians are not free to practice their faith. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/in-saudi-arabia-among-other-countries-muslims-are-not-free-to-convert/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [America is the Saudi Arabia of coal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/america-is-the-saudi-arabia-of-coal/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [You know, in Saudi Arabia, you're innocent until proven Jewish. Female. Guilty! They're guilty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/you-know-in-saudi-arabia-you-re-innocent-until-proven-jewish-female/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) ## More by Brian Whitaker > [“I don't believe in a country where it's more acceptable to see two men holding guns than two men holding hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-whitaker/i-don-t-believe-in-a-country-where-it-s-more-acceptable-to-see-two/) [Brian Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-whitaker/) > [“There is an important distinction to be drawn between tolerance of homosexuality and tolerance of sex tourism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-whitaker/there-is-an-important-distinction-to-be-drawn-between-tolerance-of/) [Brian Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-whitaker/) > [“Sexual rights are not only a basic element of human rights but should have an integral part in moves towards Arab reform ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-whitaker/sexual-rights-are-not-only-a-basic-element-of-human-rights-but-should/) [Brian Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-whitaker/) > [“The idea of a licentious West that many Arabs hold today closely mirrors the view that Europeans had of the Middle East a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-whitaker/the-idea-of-a-licentious-west-that-many-arabs-hold-today-closely/) [Brian Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-whitaker/) > [“It is worth recalling that Britain, over several centuries, waged a war against homosexuality - in the name of religion, social order, decency, etc.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-whitaker/it-is-worth-recalling-that-britain-over-several-centuries-waged-a-war/) [Brian Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-whitaker/) [Explore all 6 Brian Whitaker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-whitaker/) ## More Denial quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [It is through suppression that hells are formed in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/it-is-through-suppression-that-hells-are-formed-in-us/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Atheist’s denial of God’s existence needs just as much substantiation as does the theist’s claim; the atheist must give plausible reasons for rejecting God’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-copan/atheist-s-denial-of-god-s-existence-needs-just-as-much-substantiation/) [Paul Copan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copan/) > [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [What you try to bury just ends up burying you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/what-you-try-to-bury-just-ends-up-burying-you/) [Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/) > [Its up to any government to decide how to react to the denial of basic human rights anywhere in the world, including Egypt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/its-up-to-any-government-to-decide-how-to-react-to-the-denial-of/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Living in denial only makes finding the truth that much harder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-f/living-in-denial-only-makes-finding-the-truth-that-much-harder/) Jules F > [Sanity can take one of only two forms: that of ignorance, or denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-r-audette/sanity-can-take-one-of-only-two-forms-that-of-ignorance-or-denial/) [Derek R. Audette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-r-audette/) > [Denial leads to closure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marwin-machiaveli/denial-leads-to-closure/) Aruho Marwin Machiaveli > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/it-is-not-a-question-of-who-dances-but-of-who-or-what-does-not-dance/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [What’s looming in the shadows of our ignorance and denial is a critique of civilization itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lierre-keith/what-s-looming-in-the-shadows-of-our-ignorance-and-denial-is-a/) [Lierre Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lierre-keith/) > [“You can hold on to the smallest doubt and take comfort in it, stay in denial and go on with your carefree life, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/you-can-hold-on-to-the-smallest-doubt-and-take-comfort-in-it-stay-in/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) [Browse all 1,463 Denial quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Denial is the first line of defence against a problem and also the easiest, since it requires no action. 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