--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, if people are not pacifists…" description: "\"You know, if people are not pacifists, it's not their fault. It's because society puts them in that spot. You've got to change it. You don't just chang..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/cesar-chavez-2137_change_you-know-if-people-are-not-pacifists-it_743999.jpg" --- # You know, if people are not pacifists, it's not their… ![“You know, if people are not pacifists, it's not their fault. It's because society puts them in that spot. You've got to change it. You don't just change a man - you've got to change his environment as you do it.” quote by Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/cesar-chavez-2137_change_you-know-if-people-are-not-pacifists-it_743999.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/cesar-chavez-2137_change_you-know-if-people-are-not-pacifists-it_743999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/cesar-chavez-2137_change_you-know-if-people-are-not-pacifists-it_743999.jpg) > “You know, if people are not pacifists, it's not their fault. It's because society puts them in that spot. You've got to change it. You don't just change a man - you've got to change his environment as you do it.” [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society shapes individuals' capacity for peace; to foster pacifism, we must transform environments, not just blame people. **In simple terms:** People become pacifists when their surroundings support peace. Key Takeaway Change environments to nurture peace. Themes social justice peace environment individual responsibility Mood reflective determined Type activist inspirational When to use this quote - community organizing - policy reform - education programs - conflict resolution Key Concepts structural inequality behavioral change collective action Questions to Reflect On - How can we redesign environments to promote peace? - What obstacles arise when altering societal structures? A Different Perspective Changing environments is complex and may face resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-man/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Faults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faults/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Non violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-violence/) [Pacifist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacifist/) [Pacifists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacifists/) [Pacifists Fault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacifists-fault-5803125/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Pacifists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-pacifists-5803126/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Spots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spots/) ## Related quotes > [I like pacifists and people who have a heavy emotional identification with deathism and war would probably call me a pacifist, but I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/i-like-pacifists-and-people-who-have-a-heavy-emotional-identification/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [Indeed; peace literature is almost exclusively read, though to good effect, by pacifists, while what is needed is the canvassing of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-bajer/indeed-peace-literature-is-almost-exclusively-read-though-to-good/) [Fredrik Bajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-bajer/) > [Pacifism means letting the non-pacifists have control ... 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Refusing to meet force with force in the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/pacifism-in-the-face-of-war-is-not-only-irresponsible-it-is-immoral/) [David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/) > [Naturally, the common people don't want war ... but after all it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/naturally-the-common-people-don-t-want-war-but-after-all-it-is-the/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [I do have an intense respect for pacifists, because I believe that ultimately, if we are to have a truly humanistic as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-do-have-an-intense-respect-for-pacifists-because-i-believe-that/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [Since pacifists have more freedom of action in countries where traces of democracy survive, pacifism can act more effectively against democracy than for it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/since-pacifists-have-more-freedom-of-action-in-countries-where-traces/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [A pacifist male is a contradiction in terms. Most self-described "pacifists" are not pacific; they simply assume false colors. When the wind changes, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/a-pacifist-male-is-a-contradiction-in-terms-most-self-described/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [We're not really pacifists, we're nonviolent soldiers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/we-re-not-really-pacifists-we-re-nonviolent-soldiers/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [“Fred Rogers richly deserves a place in the pantheon of pacifists who tried to shake the foundations of society and culture. To the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-long/fred-rogers-richly-deserves-a-place-in-the-pantheon-of-pacifists-who/) [Michael G. Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-long/) ## More by Cesar Chavez > [We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-need-in-a-special-way-to-work-twice-as-hard-to-help-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [If you win non-violently, then you have a double victory, you have not only won your fight, but you remain free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/if-you-win-non-violently-then-you-have-a-double-victory-you-have-not/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/when-we-are-really-honest-with-ourselves-we-must-admit-our-lives-are/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [We know we cannot be kind to animals until we stop exploiting them -- exploiting animals in the name of science, exploiting animals in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-know-we-cannot-be-kind-to-animals-until-we-stop-exploiting-them/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [Non-violence has suffered its biggest defeat in the hands of people who most want to talk about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/non-violence-has-suffered-its-biggest-defeat-in-the-hands-of-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [it is clearly evident that our path travels through a valley of teas well known to all farm workers, because in all valleys the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/it-is-clearly-evident-that-our-path-travels-through-a-valley-of-teas/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [The people who give you their food give you their heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/the-people-who-give-you-their-food-give-you-their-heart/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [The name of the game is to talk to people. If you don't talk to people, you can't get started...You knock on twenty doors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/the-name-of-the-game-is-to-talk-to-people-if-you-don-t-talk-to-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [...people think non-violence is really weak and non-militant. These are misconceptions that people have because they don't understand what non-violence means. Non-violence takes more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/people-think-non-violence-is-really-weak-and-non-militant-these-are/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [We shall strike. We shall organize boycotts. We shall demonstrate and have political campaigns. We shall pursue the revolution we have proposed. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-shall-strike-we-shall-organize-boycotts-we-shall-demonstrate-and/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [There are vivid memories from my childhood - what we had to go through because of low wages and the conditions, basically because there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/there-are-vivid-memories-from-my-childhood-what-we-had-to-go-through/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [Self dedication is a spiritual experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/self-dedication-is-a-spiritual-experience/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally nonviolent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/i-am-convinced-that-the-truest-act-of-courage-the-strongest-act-of/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/you-cannot-oppress-the-people-who-are-not-afraid-anymore/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [When workers fall back on violence, they are lost. Oh, they might win some of their demands and might end a strike a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/when-workers-fall-back-on-violence-they-are-lost-oh-they-might-win/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) [Explore all 183 Cesar Chavez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. 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