--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I understand why people get desensitized…" description: "\"I understand why people get desensitized and roll their eyes when they hear a protest song, or even a politician making some flowery speech. It doesn't..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/conor-oberst-1535_communication_i-understand-why-people-get-desensitized_233292.png" --- # I understand why people get desensitized and roll their… ![“I understand why people get desensitized and roll their eyes when they hear a protest song, or even a politician making some flowery speech. It doesn't really change anything.” quote by Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/conor-oberst-1535_communication_i-understand-why-people-get-desensitized_233292.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/conor-oberst-1535_communication_i-understand-why-people-get-desensitized_233292.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/conor-oberst-1535_communication_i-understand-why-people-get-desensitized_233292.png) > “I understand why people get desensitized and roll their eyes when they hear a protest song, or even a politician making some flowery speech. It doesn't really change anything.” [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People become numb to protest messages, seeing them as ineffective. **In simple terms:** Protest songs lose impact over time. Key Takeaway Seek fresh ways to inspire change. Themes activism media fatigue artistic expression Mood reflective critical Type cultural inspirational When to use this quote - concerts - social media campaigns - community organizing Key Concepts cynicism social disengagement Questions to Reflect On - How can art remain a catalyst for action? - What alternatives keep audiences engaged? A Different Perspective New tactics may be dismissed as performative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest/) [Protest songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest-songs/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) ## Related quotes > [The hardest song to write is a protest song, a topical song with meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/the-hardest-song-to-write-is-a-protest-song-a-topical-song-with/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [A protest song is a song that's so specific that you cannot mistake it for bullshit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/a-protest-song-is-a-song-that-s-so-specific-that-you-cannot-mistake/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [In the '60s, when I was growing up, one of the great elements of American culture was the protest song. There were songs about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/in-the-60s-when-i-was-growing-up-one-of-the-great-elements-of/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [The nice thing about a protest song is that it takes the complaint, the fussing, the finger-pointing, and gives it an added component of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/the-nice-thing-about-a-protest-song-is-that-it-takes-the-complaint/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [You program music with an image and then people are desensitized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-taymor/you-program-music-with-an-image-and-then-people-are-desensitized/) [Julie Taymor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-taymor/) > [“People become desensitized to many things going on around them. It is because they always see it on the tv, hear it on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaka-imani-nkosazana/people-become-desensitized-to-many-things-going-on-around-them-it-is/) [Amaka Imani Nkosazana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaka-imani-nkosazana/) > [ I suspect many readers might associate \[Bob Dylan\] with one of the shortest phases of his career, the time from 1963 to '65 when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/i-suspect-many-readers-might-associate-bob-dylan-with-one-of-the/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [Long live protest songs, in whatever form they take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/long-live-protest-songs-in-whatever-form-they-take/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I try to make all my songs good. I don't ever write one to finish one. A lot of protest songs end up that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-try-to-make-all-my-songs-good-i-don-t-ever-write-one-to-finish-one/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [My rules for a protest song are, if it's going to be hectoring or if it's going to be naive or ridiculously idealistic, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matty-healy/my-rules-for-a-protest-song-are-if-it-s-going-to-be-hectoring-or-if/) [Matty Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matty-healy/) > [In the '60s and '70s, a protest song was a genre in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sixto-rodriguez/in-the-60s-and-70s-a-protest-song-was-a-genre-in-music/) [Sixto Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sixto-rodriguez/) > [Playing on the streets of Iraq, or in Israel or the Gaza strip, I'd sing angry protest songs against war. People would say, 'Make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-franti/playing-on-the-streets-of-iraq-or-in-israel-or-the-gaza-strip-i-d/) [Michael Franti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-franti/) > [The protest songs of the 1960s and 70s managed to blend political and societal views with music from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-porter/the-protest-songs-of-the-1960s-and-70s-managed-to-blend-political-and/) [Gregory Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-porter/) > [I won't be indulging in anger anymore, vehemently and self-righteously singing protest songs, and expecting them to bring peace to me or anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-schneider/i-won-t-be-indulging-in-anger-anymore-vehemently-and-self-righteously/) [Susan Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-schneider/) > [We talk too much of black art when we should be talking about art, just art. Black composers must be free to write rondos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/we-talk-too-much-of-black-art-when-we-should-be-talking-about-art/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) ## More by Conor Oberst > [Every time I finish a song... most of the time it's in my own head, like this sounds too much like a Townes Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/every-time-i-finish-a-song-most-of-the-time-it-s-in-my-own-head-like/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [There's nothing that the road cannot heal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/there-s-nothing-that-the-road-cannot-heal/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I've given up trying to understand what people think about me. It seems like a lot of people don't like the music we make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-ve-given-up-trying-to-understand-what-people-think-about-me-it/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [You can't manufacture inspiration, so a lot of it is still a waiting game for me. There's still a lot of mystery to songwriting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/you-can-t-manufacture-inspiration-so-a-lot-of-it-is-still-a-waiting/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Cause I swear that I'm dying, slowly but its happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/cause-i-swear-that-i-m-dying-slowly-but-its-happening/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [In a way, to have whatever people talk about as "crossover success," I think it means you start making bad music. I mean, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/in-a-way-to-have-whatever-people-talk-about-as-crossover-success-i/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Men with purple hearts carry silver guns and they will kill a man for what his father has done. But what my father did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/men-with-purple-hearts-carry-silver-guns-and-they-will-kill-a-man-for/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [There's a major underlying idea as you grow up that you need to just save your money and get that affordable housing at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/there-s-a-major-underlying-idea-as-you-grow-up-that-you-need-to-just/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [To finish a song is the best feeling in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/to-finish-a-song-is-the-best-feeling-in-the-world/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I've been part of running a label since I was a kid, so I understand how it works. But the more and more I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-ve-been-part-of-running-a-label-since-i-was-a-kid-so-i-understand/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I'm ripe for the picking for the Scientologists - one of those creeps. Someone's got to find me. Some little weird cult can just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-m-ripe-for-the-picking-for-the-scientologists-one-of-those-creeps/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [When I run into a person or a kid that comes up and gives me the spiel about, 'Hey, I got your record at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/when-i-run-into-a-person-or-a-kid-that-comes-up-and-gives-me-the/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [My dad, who plays guitar and piano and was in cover bands, along with my older brother, Matt, taught me guitar and stuff. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/my-dad-who-plays-guitar-and-piano-and-was-in-cover-bands-along-with/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I think there's a weird self-affirmation thing that happens in popular music in general. It seems like every song I hear on the radio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-think-there-s-a-weird-self-affirmation-thing-that-happens-in/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) [Explore all 230 Conor Oberst quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) ## More Communication quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) > [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. 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