--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you seek to destroy somebody, all…" description: "\"When you seek to destroy somebody, all you do is empower them, because they feel like, 'you see? They don't want us to have our rights to feel the way ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/daryl-davis-7572_destroy_when-you-seek-to-destroy-somebody-all-yo_2460916.jpg" --- # When you seek to destroy somebody, all you do is empower… ![“When you seek to destroy somebody, all you do is empower them, because they feel like, 'you see? They don't want us to have our rights to feel the way we want to feel.' And they get more and more emboldened and more and more empowered.” quote by Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/daryl-davis-7572_destroy_when-you-seek-to-destroy-somebody-all-yo_2460916.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/daryl-davis-7572_destroy_when-you-seek-to-destroy-somebody-all-yo_2460916.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/daryl-davis-7572_destroy_when-you-seek-to-destroy-somebody-all-yo_2460916.jpg) > “When you seek to destroy somebody, all you do is empower them, because they feel like, 'you see? They don't want us to have our rights to feel the way we want to feel.' And they get more and more emboldened and more and more empowered.” [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Attempting to suppress others often backfires, strengthening their resolve and sense of injustice. **In simple terms:** Oppression can empower the oppressed. Key Takeaway Avoid suppressing dissent; seek dialogue. Themes power resistance justice Mood reflective serious Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political activism - community organizing - human rights advocacy Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can we address grievances without empowering hostility? - What dialogue methods reduce resistance? A Different Perspective Empowering the oppressed may also fuel radicalization if grievances remain unaddressed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy/) [Empower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empower/) [Empower Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empower-feel-654023/) [Empowered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empowered/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Rights Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-feel-654024/) [Seek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seek/) [Somebody Empower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somebody-empower-654025/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Personally, when it comes to rights, I think one of two things is true. I think either we have unlimited rights, or we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/personally-when-it-comes-to-rights-i-think-one-of-two-things-is-true/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Now and forevermore, I'm going to stick up for immigrants, and I'm going to stick up for Hispanic people and their rights. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-cabello/now-and-forevermore-i-m-going-to-stick-up-for-immigrants-and-i-m/) [Camila Cabello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-cabello/) > [The precariat has been losing cultural rights in that those in it feel they cannot and do not belong to any community that gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-standing/the-precariat-has-been-losing-cultural-rights-in-that-those-in-it/) [Guy Standing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-standing/) > [“Empower them to run their own reports.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-g-riddle/empower-them-to-run-their-own-reports/) [A.G. Riddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-riddle/) > [“From this point forward, you don’t even know how to quit in life.” ~ Aaron Lauritsen, ‘100 Days Drive”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-lauritsen/from-this-point-forward-you-don-t-even-know-how-to-quit-in-life-aaron/) [Aaron Lauritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-lauritsen/) > [Federalism doesn't empower D.C. to dictate to the states or the local level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/federalism-doesn-t-empower-d-c-to-dictate-to-the-states-or-the-local/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [I have a greater goal - to empower young people through music education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/i-have-a-greater-goal-to-empower-young-people-through-music-education/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [My thing is "You don't need anyone else to empower you; you can empower yourself." Whether it's a pep talk or putting on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayesha-curry/my-thing-is-you-don-t-need-anyone-else-to-empower-you-you-can-empower/) [Ayesha Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayesha-curry/) > [I think that the best that government can do for you and I as individuals is to empower you and I to make decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-think-that-the-best-that-government-can-do-for-you-and-i-as/) [Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/) > [“Take time to empower yourself. Delegate tasks so you have time to pamper yourself and invest your energy in what you love. Be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-digeronimo/take-time-to-empower-yourself-delegate-tasks-so-you-have-time-to/) [J.J. DiGeronimo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-digeronimo/) > [Oprah's stock in trade has always been her powerful unmediated connection. She could feel your pain and empower you to talk about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/oprah-s-stock-in-trade-has-always-been-her-powerful-unmediated/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [There's a lot of activism that doesn't deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/there-s-a-lot-of-activism-that-doesn-t-deal-with-empowerment-and-you/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [Man is so intelligent animal on earth that if he was empowered as much as God, he would start battling with him to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/man-is-so-intelligent-animal-on-earth-that-if-he-was-empowered-as/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Nonviolence will empower and equip us to bring generations to the table and fuse our knowledge, gifts, and zeal together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/nonviolence-will-empower-and-equip-us-to-bring-generations-to-the/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) ## More by Daryl Davis > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [They've changed the name from white supremacy to white separatists, to white nationalists, to alt-right. It's the same thing. A rose by any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/they-ve-changed-the-name-from-white-supremacy-to-white-separatists-to/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [I have been attacked and mistreated for my skin colour since I was a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for-my-skin-colour-since-i-was-a/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [If you have an adversary, an opponent with an opposing point of view, give that person a platform, regardless of how extreme it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/if-you-have-an-adversary-an-opponent-with-an-opposing-point-of-view/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [At the end, ignorance is the source of biases. If we cure that, there's nothing to fear and hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/at-the-end-ignorance-is-the-source-of-biases-if-we-cure-that-there-s/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [There's a difference between being ignorant and being stupid... For me, an ignorant person is someone who makes the wrong decision or a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/there-s-a-difference-between-being-ignorant-and-being-stupid-for-me/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Find someone who disagrees and invite them to your table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/find-someone-who-disagrees-and-invite-them-to-your-table/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Our society can only become one of two things, it can be become what we let it become or it can become what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/our-society-can-only-become-one-of-two-things-it-can-be-become-what/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [If you were to talk to somebody from Georgia you would understand what he's saying, he wouldn't sound like your next-door neighbor in Montana,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/if-you-were-to-talk-to-somebody-from-georgia-you-would-understand/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Every racist that I know - and I know a lot of racists - every racist that I know voted for Donald Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/every-racist-that-i-know-and-i-know-a-lot-of-racists-every-racist/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [It was incomprehensible to me that someone who had never seen me before, someone who knew absolutely nothing about me, would want to inflict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/it-was-incomprehensible-to-me-that-someone-who-had-never-seen-me/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [The most important thing I learned is that when you are actively learning about someone else you are passively teaching them about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/the-most-important-thing-i-learned-is-that-when-you-are-actively/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [You're not going to beat the meanness out of a mean dog. You start beating a mean dog, it's gonna become more mean. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/you-re-not-going-to-beat-the-meanness-out-of-a-mean-dog-you-start/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [He spoke nine languages. You know some people can just pick up an instrument and play. My father was like that with languages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/he-spoke-nine-languages-you-know-some-people-can-just-pick-up-an/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Music absolutely played a massive role in bridging many gaps in the racial divides I would encounter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/music-absolutely-played-a-massive-role-in-bridging-many-gaps-in-the/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) [Explore all 90 Daryl Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) ## More Destroy quotes > [“That would be just like me-ruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/that-would-be-just-like-me-ruin-everything-destroy-the-world-in-a/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [We shall fight against them, throw them in prisons and destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/we-shall-fight-against-them-throw-them-in-prisons-and-destroy-them/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Destroy gossip by ignoring it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/destroy-gossip-by-ignoring-it/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [When I became successful, I put up a caution. I didn't think it was fair to have the shadow of that kind of success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-i-became-successful-i-put-up-a-caution-i-didn-t-think-it-was/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [“Put that thing down, girl. Don't you know it steals part of your soul, that little mechanical masterpiece you hold so frivolously? Don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/put-that-thing-down-girl-don-t-you-know-it-steals-part-of-your-soul/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [In a democracy, the one thing that cannot be done is to destroy its trust, its hope, its idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-heinz/in-a-democracy-the-one-thing-that-cannot-be-done-is-to-destroy-its/) [Teresa Heinz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-heinz/) > [Just a reminder, if you tell anyone about what happened with Jonah last night, I'll destroy all of my writing and never play music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/just-a-reminder-if-you-tell-anyone-about-what-happened-with-jonah/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [We will not waste 30 years of our lives dealing with extremist ideas; we will destroy them today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-bin-salman/we-will-not-waste-30-years-of-our-lives-dealing-with-extremist-ideas/) [Mohammad bin Salman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-bin-salman/) > [We will defend ourselves, and we have full rights to do so. If the authorities try to destroy us, we have the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-udaltsov/we-will-defend-ourselves-and-we-have-full-rights-to-do-so-if-the/) [Sergei Udaltsov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-udaltsov/) > [You destroy my life then feed me inspirational philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/you-destroy-my-life-then-feed-me-inspirational-philosophy/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [There are seven things that will destroy us, Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Religion without sacrifice, Politics without principle, Science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coldheart/there-are-seven-things-that-will-destroy-us-wealth-without-work/) [Coldheart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coldheart/) [Browse all 1,229 Destroy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you seek to destroy somebody, all you do is empower them, because they feel like, 'you see? 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