--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Trying to take away someone’s language is…" description: "\"“Trying to take away someone’s language is usually the first step in trying to change them.”\" — C. N. Lester" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/c-n-lester-52189_first-step_trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-i_2858910.jpg" --- # Trying to take away someone’s language is usually the… ![“Trying to take away someone’s language is usually the first step in trying to change them.” quote by C. N. Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/c-n-lester-52189_first-step_trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-i_2858910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/c-n-lester-52189_first-step_trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-i_2858910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/c-n-lester-52189_first-step_trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-i_2858910.jpg) > ““Trying to take away someone’s language is usually the first step in trying to change them.”” [C. N. Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-lester/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suppressing a language is a tool to control and transform a people’s identity and autonomy. **In simple terms:** Taking away language controls people. Key Takeaway Protect linguistic diversity. Themes language control identity colonialism Mood critical alert Type sociopolitical educational When to use this quote - Education policy - immigration - media regulation - human rights advocacy Key Concepts Sociolinguistics cultural imperialism Questions to Reflect On - Why is language tied to personal freedom? - How can societies resist linguistic domination? A Different Perspective Language preservation can be challenged by dominant cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/) [Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Linguistics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linguistics/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Sociology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociology/) [Trying to change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-to-change/) ## Related quotes > [To understand animal thinking you've got to get away from a language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/to-understand-animal-thinking-you-ve-got-to-get-away-from-a-language/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“Transitioning from their first language to English before they have a firm grasp of their first language, usually by the end of Third Grade,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/transitioning-from-their-first-language-to-english-before-they-have-a/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [Any time there is a film in a 'foreign language,' in Spanish or Korean or whatever language, it's usually not an American film. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/any-time-there-is-a-film-in-a-foreign-language-in-spanish-or-korean/) [Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/) > [“Where body language conflicts with the words that are being said, the body language will usually be the more 'truthful' in the sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-wilson/where-body-language-conflicts-with-the-words-that-are-being-said-the/) [Glen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-wilson/) > [A religious phenomenon will only be recognized as such if it is grasped at its own level, that is to say, if it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mircea-eliade/a-religious-phenomenon-will-only-be-recognized-as-such-if-it-is/) [Mircea Eliade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mircea-eliade/) > [The methodologies of examining hip hop are borrowed from sociology, politics, religion, economics, urban studies, journalism, communications theory, American studies, transatlantic studies, black studies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/the-methodologies-of-examining-hip-hop-are-borrowed-from-sociology/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [“By claiming that our words are too hard to understand, the media perpetuates the idea that WE are too hard to understand, and suggests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/by-claiming-that-our-words-are-too-hard-to-understand-the-media/) [C. N. Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-lester/) > [We're trying to get away from the three D's: dresses, dolls and diaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-love-cohen/we-re-trying-to-get-away-from-the-three-d-s-dresses-dolls-and-diaries/) [Judith Love Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-love-cohen/) > [I love you , that's all I knew since the day I met you. Why are they trying to take you away from me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-delan/i-love-you-that-s-all-i-knew-since-the-day-i-met-you-why-are-they/) [John Lee Delan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-delan/) > [I'm trying to get away from trashing women, to be honest. I think I've done enough of that in my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/i-m-trying-to-get-away-from-trashing-women-to-be-honest-i-think-i-ve/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) > [It is like hell trying to keep away from someone and at the same time loving that person. To miss someone but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-like-hell-trying-to-keep-away-from-someone-and-at-the-same-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are trying to get away from those traditional centre, power forward type things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nurse/we-are-trying-to-get-away-from-those-traditional-centre-power-forward/) [Nick Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nurse/) > [I think that if you're taking a vacation, you're trying to get away from something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-herbert/i-think-that-if-you-re-taking-a-vacation-you-re-trying-to-get-away/) [Justin Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-herbert/) > [“Isaac calmly put down the duster he was using and made his way towards the door. Was he trying to get away from me?!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gideon-rathbone/isaac-calmly-put-down-the-duster-he-was-using-and-made-his-way/) [Gideon Rathbone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gideon-rathbone/) > [Everything that these folks are saying that they're trying to move away from, like comparison, perfectionism, judgement, and exhaustion as a status symbol -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/everything-that-these-folks-are-saying-that-they-re-trying-to-move/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) ## More by C. N. Lester > [“If we start preemptively cutting out parts of who we are because they’re ‘not feminist enough’, then we’ve failed before we’ve begun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/if-we-start-preemptively-cutting-out-parts-of-who-we-are-because-they/) [C. N. Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-lester/) > [“Even when we are confused about someone’s gender, and don’t have a greater awareness of what it means to be trans, we have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/even-when-we-are-confused-about-someone-s-gender-and-don-t-have-a/) [C. N. Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-lester/) > [“Some critics of trans people have told us that we shouldn’t feel this pain of being denied the legitimacy of our own selves; gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/some-critics-of-trans-people-have-told-us-that-we-shouldn-t-feel-this/) [C. N. Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-lester/) > [“By claiming that our words are too hard to understand, the media perpetuates the idea that WE are too hard to understand, and suggests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/by-claiming-that-our-words-are-too-hard-to-understand-the-media/) [C. N. Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-lester/) > [“When we are surrounded by such diversity - in nature, in culture, in human spirit - how can we stand not to acknowledge it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/when-we-are-surrounded-by-such-diversity-in-nature-in-culture-in/) [C. N. Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-lester/) > [“We assume that anything that is new to us is new to human society as a whole, and that if we don’t see it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/we-assume-that-anything-that-is-new-to-us-is-new-to-human-society-as/) [C. N. Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-lester/) [Explore all 7 C. N. Lester quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-lester/) ## More First step quotes > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [“I remember wondering, within a year or two of taking my first steps, why only men sat to drink tea and converse, and why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-hill/i-remember-wondering-within-a-year-or-two-of-taking-my-first-steps/) [Lawrence Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-hill/) > [At least before my hip replacement, I had a quick first step. I could get by you off the dribble. My business game is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/at-least-before-my-hip-replacement-i-had-a-quick-first-step-i-could/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Larry Kramer wisely realized so early on that to change the world, people have to know you. If they know you and see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-murphy/larry-kramer-wisely-realized-so-early-on-that-to-change-the-world/) [Ryan Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-murphy/) > [“How, then, do you make failure into something people can face without fear? Part of the answer is simple: If we as leaders can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/how-then-do-you-make-failure-into-something-people-can-face-without/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [“A skillful literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise, he has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate his incidents; but having conceived, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/a-skillful-literary-artist-has-constructed-a-tale-if-wise-he-has-not/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [The cultural integration of psychedelics won't happen overnight, and the question of young people is perhaps the most difficult involved. The first step is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-doblin/the-cultural-integration-of-psychedelics-won-t-happen-overnight-and/) [Rick Doblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-doblin/) > [“Women create an idealized, hopeful vision for the future to inspire other women. Fiction and fantasy are the crucial first steps to changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-rodale/women-create-an-idealized-hopeful-vision-for-the-future-to-inspire/) [Maya Rodale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-rodale/) > [“What liberty we find when we trade self-esteem for God-esteem, relying on what God’s Word says about us rather than looking solely to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-gallier/what-liberty-we-find-when-we-trade-self-esteem-for-god-esteem-relying/) [Laura Gallier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-gallier/) > [How do you turn the invisible into the visible? The first step is to define your dream precisely; the only limit to what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/how-do-you-turn-the-invisible-into-the-visible-the-first-step-is-to/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Russia may soon get another chance to move closer to the West, to make a step - I do believe the first step toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-voinovich/russia-may-soon-get-another-chance-to-move-closer-to-the-west-to-make/) [Vladimir Voinovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-voinovich/) > [The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-first-step-toward-maintaining-autonomy-in-any-programmed/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [I can turn an idea into a business before you know it's going to be important. My first step will blow by you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/i-can-turn-an-idea-into-a-business-before-you-know-it-s-going-to-be/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [“So, how do you make value flow? The first step, once value is defined and the entire value stream is identified, is to focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-womack/so-how-do-you-make-value-flow-the-first-step-once-value-is-defined/) [James P. Womack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-womack/) > [“The first step in awareness is to be watchful of your body. Slowly,slowly one becomes alert about each gesture,each movement. And as you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-first-step-in-awareness-is-to-be-watchful-of-your-body-slowly/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) [Browse all 1,815 First step quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Trying to take away someone’s language is usually the first step in trying to change them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C. N. Lester" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-is-usually-the-first-step-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "First step" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-is-usually-the-first-step-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/c-n-lester-52189_first-step_trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-i_2858910.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/c-n-lester-52189_first-step_trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-i_2858910.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/c-n-lester-52189_first-step_trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-i_2858910.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Trying to take away someone’s language is usually the first step in trying to change them.” — C. N. Lester", "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": "C. N. Lester", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-lester/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Trying to take away someone’s language...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-is-usually-the-first-step-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-lester/trying-to-take-away-someone-s-language-is-usually-the-first-step-in/#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 } } ] } ```