--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anonymity is an abused privilege, abused…" description: "\"Anonymity is an abused privilege, abused most by people who mistake vitriol for wisdom and cynicism for wit.\" — Danny Wallace" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/danny-wallace-10686_anonymity_anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused_2222907.png" --- # Anonymity is an abused privilege, abused most by people… ![“Anonymity is an abused privilege, abused most by people who mistake vitriol for wisdom and cynicism for wit.” quote by Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/danny-wallace-10686_anonymity_anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused_2222907.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/danny-wallace-10686_anonymity_anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused_2222907.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/danny-wallace-10686_anonymity_anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused_2222907.png) > “Anonymity is an abused privilege, abused most by people who mistake vitriol for wisdom and cynicism for wit.” [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anonymity can be misused, leading people to speak harshly or pretentiously, mistaking cruelty for insight. **In simple terms:** Anonymity often hides poor behavior. Key Takeaway Use anonymity responsibly. Themes online behavior anonymity wisdom Mood critical concerned Type observational cautionary When to use this quote - social media - forums - comment sections - public discourse Key Concepts ethics communication Questions to Reflect On - When does anonymity help honesty? - How can we curb its abuse? A Different Perspective Anonymity also protects vulnerable voices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anonymity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anonymity/) [Cynicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/) ## Related quotes > [Speaking as one who has abused privilege a long time, I tell you, it's great to be alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-zevon/speaking-as-one-who-has-abused-privilege-a-long-time-i-tell-you-it-s/) [Warren Zevon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-zevon/) > [Privacy is important to me. But it's not just about sticking two fingers up and saying I don't want anyone to know my business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dormer/privacy-is-important-to-me-but-it-s-not-just-about-sticking-two/) [Natalie Dormer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dormer/) > [Human beings are not meant to lose their anonymity and privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-chalke/human-beings-are-not-meant-to-lose-their-anonymity-and-privacy/) [Sarah Chalke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-chalke/) > [The problem with losing your anonymity is that you can never go back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marla-maples/the-problem-with-losing-your-anonymity-is-that-you-can-never-go-back/) [Marla Maples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marla-maples/) > [I came from anonymity, and I will continue to write as a private pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-came-from-anonymity-and-i-will-continue-to-write-as-a-private/) [W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/) > [Most members of Gamergate, the alt-right movement best known for harassing women in the game industry, operate under a veil of anonymity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-wu/most-members-of-gamergate-the-alt-right-movement-best-known-for/) [Brianna Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-wu/) > [I wouldn't want to even try to begin to describe our customer, as I think she likes a certain amount of anonymity. I try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-philo/i-wouldn-t-want-to-even-try-to-begin-to-describe-our-customer-as-i/) [Phoebe Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-philo/) > [Anonymity would be a fantastic umbrella. I don't like intrusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anonymity-would-be-a-fantastic-umbrella-i-don-t-like-intrusion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People feel they can say nasty things and have anonymity behind the net - as they did with all the nasty comments about me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-roberts/people-feel-they-can-say-nasty-things-and-have-anonymity-behind-the/) [Nicola Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-roberts/) > [Both multiplayer games and online forums have this property of virtual anonymity. Other people can't really see you; they don't really know who you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sweeney/both-multiplayer-games-and-online-forums-have-this-property-of/) [Tim Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sweeney/) > [The internet's perfect for all manner of things, but productive discussion ain't one of them. It provides scant room for debate and infinite opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/the-internet-s-perfect-for-all-manner-of-things-but-productive/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [Way before Watergate, senior administration officials hid behind anonymity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/way-before-watergate-senior-administration-officials-hid-behind/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [For many people in the west, Afghanistan is synonymous with the Soviet war and the Taliban. I wanted to remind people that Afghans had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/for-many-people-in-the-west-afghanistan-is-synonymous-with-the-soviet/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [I value my anonymity. I'm happy to come in on the tube or the train and watch other people reading 'Fifty Shades.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james-2/i-value-my-anonymity-i-m-happy-to-come-in-on-the-tube-or-the-train/) [E. L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james-2/) > [For me, getting comfortable with being famous was hard - that whole side of it, the loss of anonymity, the loss of privacy. Giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/for-me-getting-comfortable-with-being-famous-was-hard-that-whole-side/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) ## More by Danny Wallace > [“...maybe sometimes it's riskier not to take a risk. Sometimes all you're guaranteeing is that things will stay the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/maybe-sometimes-it-s-riskier-not-to-take-a-risk-sometimes-all-you-re/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“And before any Christian readers get all offended - relax. I'm not saying that I'm the new Jesus. I'm just saying there's a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/and-before-any-christian-readers-get-all-offended-relax-i-m-not/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [I was saying yes because when you're in love, the world is full of possibilities, and when you're in love, you want to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/i-was-saying-yes-because-when-you-re-in-love-the-world-is-full-of/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“Say yes more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/say-yes-more/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [Take the stupidest thing you've ever done. At least it's done. It's over. It's gone. We can all learn from our mistakes and heal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/take-the-stupidest-thing-you-ve-ever-done-at-least-it-s-done-it-s/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“Sometimes I look at myself and think, Is this it?, and then I think, Yes, it is. This is literally the best you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/sometimes-i-look-at-myself-and-think-is-this-it-and-then-i-think-yes/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [As a kid, so many films made me want to travel... the New York of 'Ghostbusters', the Shanghai that 'Indiana Jones' swung a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/as-a-kid-so-many-films-made-me-want-to-travel-the-new-york-of/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“I just think—' 'Don’t think. If you think, you’ll never truly get over her. Thinking just extends things.' So I decided not to think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/i-just-think-don-t-think-if-you-think-you-ll-never-truly-get-over-her/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“Yeah, she must work round here. Lot of high class escorts i. this area. And traffic wardens, too. She's probably one or the other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/yeah-she-must-work-round-here-lot-of-high-class-escorts-i-this-area/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“My wife said to me recently that she hates couples who finish each other's sentences for them. I agreed that it was annoying, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/my-wife-said-to-me-recently-that-she-hates-couples-who-finish-each/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“Denn das Einzige, was ich an der Hoffnung nicht leiden kann, das Einzige, was ich daran rundwegs ablehne, auch wenn es niemand zugeben will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/denn-das-einzige-was-ich-an-der-hoffnung-nicht-leiden-kann-das/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“It's funny. Dev had always said disposables were different. That what they contained was more special because you couldn't instantly see inside. You had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/it-s-funny-dev-had-always-said-disposables-were-different-that-what/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“Listen, um ... in case you even feel like saying hello ...' I said, and I handed something else to her My disposable camera.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/listen-um-in-case-you-even-feel-like-saying-hello-i-said-and-i-handed/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“ "I saw you and I see you every day. I greet you every day. Can you read my eyes? I miss you every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/i-saw-you-and-i-see-you-every-day-i-greet-you-every-day-can-you-read/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“The words 'mainly in America' translated to me as 'this is bollocks' and I sat back in my chair with a sigh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/the-words-mainly-in-america-translated-to-me-as-this-is-bollocks-and/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) [Explore all 57 Danny Wallace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) ## More Anonymity quotes > [For me, getting comfortable with being famous was hard - that whole side of it, the loss of anonymity, the loss of privacy. Giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/for-me-getting-comfortable-with-being-famous-was-hard-that-whole-side/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [I value my anonymity. I'm happy to come in on the tube or the train and watch other people reading 'Fifty Shades.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james-2/i-value-my-anonymity-i-m-happy-to-come-in-on-the-tube-or-the-train/) [E. L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james-2/) > [For many people in the west, Afghanistan is synonymous with the Soviet war and the Taliban. I wanted to remind people that Afghans had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/for-many-people-in-the-west-afghanistan-is-synonymous-with-the-soviet/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [Way before Watergate, senior administration officials hid behind anonymity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/way-before-watergate-senior-administration-officials-hid-behind/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [The internet's perfect for all manner of things, but productive discussion ain't one of them. It provides scant room for debate and infinite opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/the-internet-s-perfect-for-all-manner-of-things-but-productive/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [Both multiplayer games and online forums have this property of virtual anonymity. Other people can't really see you; they don't really know who you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sweeney/both-multiplayer-games-and-online-forums-have-this-property-of/) [Tim Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sweeney/) > [People feel they can say nasty things and have anonymity behind the net - as they did with all the nasty comments about me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-roberts/people-feel-they-can-say-nasty-things-and-have-anonymity-behind-the/) [Nicola Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-roberts/) > [Anonymity would be a fantastic umbrella. I don't like intrusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anonymity-would-be-a-fantastic-umbrella-i-don-t-like-intrusion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wouldn't want to even try to begin to describe our customer, as I think she likes a certain amount of anonymity. I try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-philo/i-wouldn-t-want-to-even-try-to-begin-to-describe-our-customer-as-i/) [Phoebe Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-philo/) > [Most members of Gamergate, the alt-right movement best known for harassing women in the game industry, operate under a veil of anonymity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-wu/most-members-of-gamergate-the-alt-right-movement-best-known-for/) [Brianna Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-wu/) > [I came from anonymity, and I will continue to write as a private pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-came-from-anonymity-and-i-will-continue-to-write-as-a-private/) [W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/) > [The problem with losing your anonymity is that you can never go back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marla-maples/the-problem-with-losing-your-anonymity-is-that-you-can-never-go-back/) [Marla Maples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marla-maples/) > [Human beings are not meant to lose their anonymity and privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-chalke/human-beings-are-not-meant-to-lose-their-anonymity-and-privacy/) [Sarah Chalke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-chalke/) > [Privacy is important to me. But it's not just about sticking two fingers up and saying I don't want anyone to know my business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dormer/privacy-is-important-to-me-but-it-s-not-just-about-sticking-two/) [Natalie Dormer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dormer/) > [Anonymity, in some cases a key civil liberty, also enables society's worst actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wil-wheaton/anonymity-in-some-cases-a-key-civil-liberty-also-enables-society-s/) [Wil Wheaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wil-wheaton/) [Browse all 285 Anonymity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anonymity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Anonymity is an abused privilege, abused most by people who mistake vitriol for wisdom and cynicism for wit.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Danny Wallace" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused-most-by-people-who-mistake/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anonymity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused-most-by-people-who-mistake/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/danny-wallace-10686_anonymity_anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused_2222907.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/danny-wallace-10686_anonymity_anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused_2222907.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/danny-wallace-10686_anonymity_anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused_2222907.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Anonymity is an abused privilege, abused most by people who mistake vitriol for wisdom and cynicism for wit.” — Danny Wallace", "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": "Danny Wallace", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Anonymity is an abused privilege, abused...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused-most-by-people-who-mistake/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/anonymity-is-an-abused-privilege-abused-most-by-people-who-mistake/#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 } } ] } ```