--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reaction to any word may be, in an…" description: "\"The reaction to any word may be, in an individual, either a mob-reaction or an individual reaction. It is up to the individual to ask himself: Is my re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c23/d-h-lawrence-426_asks_the-reaction-to-any-word-may-be-in-an-in_2376641.png" --- # The reaction to any word may be, in an individual, either… ![“The reaction to any word may be, in an individual, either a mob-reaction or an individual reaction. It is up to the individual to ask himself: Is my reaction individual, or am I merely reacting from my mob-self? When it comes to the so-called obscene words, I should say that hardly one person in a…” quote by D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c23/d-h-lawrence-426_asks_the-reaction-to-any-word-may-be-in-an-in_2376641.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c23/d-h-lawrence-426_asks_the-reaction-to-any-word-may-be-in-an-in_2376641.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c23/d-h-lawrence-426_asks_the-reaction-to-any-word-may-be-in-an-in_2376641.png) > “The reaction to any word may be, in an individual, either a mob-reaction or an individual reaction. It is up to the individual to ask himself: Is my reaction individual, or am I merely reacting from my mob-self? When it comes to the so-called obscene words, I should say that hardly one person in a million escapes mob-reaction.” [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words trigger either collective mob reactions or personal individual responses; awareness of this choice is crucial. **In simple terms:** Words provoke mob or personal reactions. Key Takeaway Cultivate personal, thoughtful responses to language. Themes communication social dynamics individuality Mood critical thoughtful Type psychological social When to use this quote - public speaking - online discourse - media consumption - conflict resolution - personal journaling Key Concepts Mob psychology personal agency language impact Questions to Reflect On - Do you react as a group or individually? - How can you maintain personal agency in heated discussions? A Different Perspective Mob pressure can dominate personal thought. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [English language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-language/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) ## Related quotes > [An audience's or individual's reaction to my work is simply their reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-walloch/an-audience-s-or-individual-s-reaction-to-my-work-is-simply-their/) [Greg Walloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-walloch/) > [“I learned at a very early age it's the reaction to the word, that gives it it's power. The positive and negative affect on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-l-hiller/i-learned-at-a-very-early-age-it-s-the-reaction-to-the-word-that/) Steven L. Hiller > [Action made a reaction Word made a think Sound made a fell Money made a real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/action-made-a-reaction-word-made-a-think-sound-made-a-fell-money-made/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How ravished one could be without ever being touched. Ravished by dead words become obscene and dead ideas become obsessions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/how-ravished-one-could-be-without-ever-being-touched-ravished-by-dead/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [Sex and obscenity are not synonymous. Obscene material is material which deals with sex in a manner appealing to prurient interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sex-and-obscenity-are-not-synonymous-obscene-material-is-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I imagine like most of us that I'd like obscene amounts of money but the people I met and worked with who have those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isaacs/i-imagine-like-most-of-us-that-i-d-like-obscene-amounts-of-money-but/) [Jason Isaacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isaacs/) > [Whether my acting was obscene, or whether it was distasteful, well, Judge Rehnquist, who just recently passed away couldn't define pornography. 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Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [If a woman's got nothing but her fair fame to feed on, why, it's thin tack, and a donkey would die of it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/if-a-woman-s-got-nothing-but-her-fair-fame-to-feed-on-why-it-s-thin/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) [Explore all 570 D. H. Lawrence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. 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And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. 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