--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't come up and attack someone…" description: "\"You can't come up and attack someone because of free speech.\" — Colby Covington" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/colby-covington-5679_attack_you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-bec_2736884.jpg" --- # You can't come up and attack someone because of free speech. ![“You can't come up and attack someone because of free speech.” quote by Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/colby-covington-5679_attack_you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-bec_2736884.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/colby-covington-5679_attack_you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-bec_2736884.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/colby-covington-5679_attack_you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-bec_2736884.jpg) > “You can't come up and attack someone because of free speech.” [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom of expression does not grant permission to target or harass individuals personally. **In simple terms:** Free speech isn’t a shield for personal attacks. Key Takeaway Speak responsibly, respect others. Themes speech responsibility ethics Mood defensive critical Type ethical political When to use this quote - social media debates - public speaking - political rallies - online forums Key Concepts civil discourse personal boundaries Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance free speech with protection from harassment? - What limits should society place on speech that targets individuals? A Different Perspective Free speech can be misused to spread hate, requiring legal and social checks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attack/) [Attack Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attack-free-2998091/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Come Attack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-attack-2998092/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-speech/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) ## Related quotes > [Free speech has a very small constituency on the modern campus, particularly if the speaker under attack is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leo/free-speech-has-a-very-small-constituency-on-the-modern-campus/) [John Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leo/) > [Return to your friends and tell them that we came here with no peaceful intent, but ready for battle, and determined to avenge our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wallace/return-to-your-friends-and-tell-them-that-we-came-here-with-no/) [William Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wallace/) > [If you do not leave this pasturage, Saladin will come and attack you here. And if you retreat from this attack the shame and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-ridefort/if-you-do-not-leave-this-pasturage-saladin-will-come-and-attack-you/) [Gerard de Ridefort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-ridefort/) > [And, I hope now that everybody understands that the Labour Party - as it always has done - stands for free speech and individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-davies/and-i-hope-now-that-everybody-understands-that-the-labour-party-as-it/) [Ron Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-davies/) > [Money is speech. It's incongruous to say a multimillionaire can spend as much on his own campaign as he wants, but you can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-stone/money-is-speech-it-s-incongruous-to-say-a-multimillionaire-can-spend/) [Roger Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-stone/) > [Trump loves free speech only when he or his supporters are speaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-powers/trump-loves-free-speech-only-when-he-or-his-supporters-are-speaking/) [Kirsten Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-powers/) > [I have no problem with free speech, but free speech and then silencing your opposition - boy, I have a problem with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-lahren/i-have-no-problem-with-free-speech-but-free-speech-and-then-silencing/) [Tomi Lahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-lahren/) > [“You have the right to free speech. We, the corporate controlled government, have the right to ignore you and we choose to exercise this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/you-have-the-right-to-free-speech-we-the-corporate-controlled/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > ['Free speech' isn't speech at all if it's being used without listening, attention, or care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-morton/free-speech-isn-t-speech-at-all-if-it-s-being-used-without-listening/) [Timothy Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-morton/) > [“On the one hand, freedom of speech guarantees a lack of freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/on-the-one-hand-freedom-of-speech-guarantees-a-lack-of-freedom/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [I think the reality is that copyright law has for a very long time been a tiny little part of American jurisprudence, far removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/i-think-the-reality-is-that-copyright-law-has-for-a-very-long-time/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [The right to free speech is important but it isn't as important as 'we're all human beings together, let's find solutions together.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-right-to-free-speech-is-important-but-it-isn-t-as-important-as-we/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Any kind of restrictions put on free speech would have worse consequences than bullying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-starlight/any-kind-of-restrictions-put-on-free-speech-would-have-worse/) [Lady Starlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-starlight/) ## More by Colby Covington > [I'm all about Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/i-m-all-about-trump/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [If the UFC doesn't like what I'm doing, it is what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/if-the-ufc-doesn-t-like-what-i-m-doing-it-is-what-it-is/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [I'm in this to be the best fighter in the world, to put on entertaining shows, and to please the fans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/i-m-in-this-to-be-the-best-fighter-in-the-world-to-put-on/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [There's always going to be cliques - everywhere you go, there's gonna be cliques; there's gonna be people that gravitate towards each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/there-s-always-going-to-be-cliques-everywhere-you-go-there-s-gonna-be/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [I don't care about people's feelings, and I'm triggering people worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/i-don-t-care-about-people-s-feelings-and-i-m-triggering-people/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [I'm the biggest draw. I do the biggest numbers in this division, and it's not even close. There's a reason all these guys want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/i-m-the-biggest-draw-i-do-the-biggest-numbers-in-this-division-and-it/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [In my mind, I do have a lot higher wrestling than Woodley. We've wrestled before, and it wasn't competitive, and that's honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/in-my-mind-i-do-have-a-lot-higher-wrestling-than-woodley-we-ve/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [I don't really feel like rankings mean anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/i-don-t-really-feel-like-rankings-mean-anything/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [Everybody's calling me out. Why do you think everybody wants to fight me? I'm the money fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/everybody-s-calling-me-out-why-do-you-think-everybody-wants-to-fight/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [If you have a sleeping disorder, just get TyQuil: Tyron Woodley, the gossip girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/if-you-have-a-sleeping-disorder-just-get-tyquil-tyron-woodley-the/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [I'd love to go to Russia and silence that crowd and give the Russian fans something to cry about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/i-d-love-to-go-to-russia-and-silence-that-crowd-and-give-the-russian/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [You can't live off your past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/you-can-t-live-off-your-past/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [There's never any issues with Colby 'Chaos' Covington. I always do the right things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/there-s-never-any-issues-with-colby-chaos-covington-i-always-do-the/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [I'll use wrestling if I need to in fights, but maybe I'll fight another wrestler, and you'll find out how good my striking is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/i-ll-use-wrestling-if-i-need-to-in-fights-but-maybe-i-ll-fight/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) > [GSP, that little syrup sucker, he can come get this. He thinks he's the greatest welterweight of all time. I have something else to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/gsp-that-little-syrup-sucker-he-can-come-get-this-he-thinks-he-s-the/) [Colby Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) [Explore all 100 Colby Covington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/) ## More Attack quotes > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [When I hit bottom, I can attack the problem and get to where I want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/when-i-hit-bottom-i-can-attack-the-problem-and-get-to-where-i-want-to/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [It was both necessary and desirable for us to be so strong at sea that no Sea Power could attack us without risk, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-von-bulow/it-was-both-necessary-and-desirable-for-us-to-be-so-strong-at-sea/) [Bernhard von Bulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-von-bulow/) > [The best way to counter-attack a hater is to make it blatantly obvious that their attack has had no impact on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/the-best-way-to-counter-attack-a-hater-is-to-make-it-blatantly/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Everything has got a place in my house. If something is moved I get a panic attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rylan-clark-neal/everything-has-got-a-place-in-my-house-if-something-is-moved-i-get-a/) [Rylan Clark-Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rylan-clark-neal/) > [I mean, it's not just the rappers, you know what i'm saying? People want to attack anybody that's a large figure, you know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-notorious-b-i-g/i-mean-it-s-not-just-the-rappers-you-know-what-i-m-saying-people-want/) [The Notorious B.I.G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-notorious-b-i-g/) > [Sometimes when you take a tough action against one side in the conflict, they see you as part of the conflict and they attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/sometimes-when-you-take-a-tough-action-against-one-side-in-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [“Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/hence-when-able-to-attack-we-must-seem-unable-when-using-our-forces/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Free speech has a very small constituency on the modern campus, particularly if the speaker under attack is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leo/free-speech-has-a-very-small-constituency-on-the-modern-campus/) [John Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leo/) > [Daniil is a player who will not give you many chances to attack. If I have enough power and choose the right moment, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-rublev/daniil-is-a-player-who-will-not-give-you-many-chances-to-attack-if-i/) [Andrey Rublev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-rublev/) > [Distributed ledgers are inherently harder to attack because instead of a single database, there are multiple shared copies of the same database, so a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-walport/distributed-ledgers-are-inherently-harder-to-attack-because-instead/) [Mark Walport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-walport/) > [Attack life. It's going to kill you anyways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/attack-life-it-s-going-to-kill-you-anyways/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For those of us in the political business, generally, it's been pretty much an unwritten but understood rule that family and children are out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/for-those-of-us-in-the-political-business-generally-it-s-been-pretty/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) [Browse all 1,074 Attack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attack/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't come up and attack someone because of free speech.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Colby Covington" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-because-of-free-speech/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attack" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-because-of-free-speech/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/colby-covington-5679_attack_you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-bec_2736884.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/colby-covington-5679_attack_you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-bec_2736884.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/colby-covington-5679_attack_you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-bec_2736884.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't come up and attack someone because of free speech.” — Colby Covington", "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": "Colby Covington", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-covington/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't come up and attack...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-because-of-free-speech/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-covington/you-can-t-come-up-and-attack-someone-because-of-free-speech/#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 } } ] } ```