--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't put down anybody. You can just…" description: "\"You can't put down anybody. You can just try and understand. The emphasis shouldn't be on revolution, it should be on communication. Because it's just ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e74/david-bowie-508_civil-war_you-can-t-put-down-anybody-you-can-just_2221504.jpg" --- # You can't put down anybody. You can just try and… ![“You can't put down anybody. You can just try and understand. The emphasis shouldn't be on revolution, it should be on communication. Because it's just going to get more uptight. The more the revolution goes on, and there will be a civil war sooner or later.” quote by David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e74/david-bowie-508_civil-war_you-can-t-put-down-anybody-you-can-just_2221504.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e74/david-bowie-508_civil-war_you-can-t-put-down-anybody-you-can-just_2221504.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e74/david-bowie-508_civil-war_you-can-t-put-down-anybody-you-can-just_2221504.jpg) > “You can't put down anybody. You can just try and understand. The emphasis shouldn't be on revolution, it should be on communication. Because it's just going to get more uptight. The more the revolution goes on, and there will be a civil war sooner or later.” [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective change relies on communication, not force; revolutions can become oppressive if they ignore dialogue. **In simple terms:** Talk, don’t just fight. Key Takeaway Prioritize listening over imposing ideas. Themes communication conflict revolution Mood cautious inquisitive Type philosophical strategic When to use this quote - political activism - organizational change - community organizing Key Concepts sociology dialogue power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What can you say to bridge opposing views? - How does silence fuel tension? A Different Perspective Revolutions may revert to violence without open channels. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Emphasis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emphasis/) [Goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-on/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Revolution Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution-communication-2072014/) [Revolution Goes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution-goes-4959409/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Shouldn Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shouldn-revolution-4959408/) [Sooner or later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-or-later/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Uptight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uptight/) [Uptight Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uptight-revolution-4959410/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“The revolution goes on; a man does not make the revolution, not a thousand men, not an army and not a party; the revolution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-fast/the-revolution-goes-on-a-man-does-not-make-the-revolution-not-a/) [Howard Fast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-fast/) > [Here, all of a sudden, we have a revolution in - in communication, and it is - it is really, truly big. Internet is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/here-all-of-a-sudden-we-have-a-revolution-in-in-communication-and-it/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [Basil Fawlty was an easy character for me. For some reason, portraying a mean uptight incompetent bully comes naturally to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/basil-fawlty-was-an-easy-character-for-me-for-some-reason-portraying/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Tommie Aaron taught me how to have a good attitude, to be easy going and not get uptight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-murphy/tommie-aaron-taught-me-how-to-have-a-good-attitude-to-be-easy-going/) [Dale Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-murphy/) > [I think that I was being much more uptight about those things before. I feel like I really don't have to prove anything at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-krall/i-think-that-i-was-being-much-more-uptight-about-those-things-before/) [Diana Krall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-krall/) > [I separate cartooning, which is fun and wacky and soulful, from illustration, which is very well-drawn and extremely uptight to look at. There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-bakshi/i-separate-cartooning-which-is-fun-and-wacky-and-soulful-from/) [Ralph Bakshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-bakshi/) > [In my experience I haven't met too many uptight black people. I'm sure they're out there. Like I'm some big authority and I've lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-reubens/in-my-experience-i-haven-t-met-too-many-uptight-black-people-i-m-sure/) [Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reubens/) > [Laughing at fear is one of the best things you can do. When you are afraid, instead of just plunging into panic, laugh. 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There's a difference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenore-appelhans/i-m-not-uptight-i-m-conscientious-there-s-a-difference/) [Lenore Appelhans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenore-appelhans/) > [...when you let go of your expectations, when you accept life as it is, you're free.To hold on is to be serious and uptight.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carlson/when-you-let-go-of-your-expectations-when-you-accept-life-as-it-is/) [Richard Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carlson/) > [The work that I do doesn't make me feel uptight, It energises me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robinson/the-work-that-i-do-doesn-t-make-me-feel-uptight-it-energises-me/) [Tony Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robinson/) > [ I know that some of the folks in the press are uptight about this \[moving the press corps out of the West Wing \],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reince-priebus/i-know-that-some-of-the-folks-in-the-press-are-uptight-about-this/) [Reince Priebus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reince-priebus/) > [I think dressing up or down should be a creative experience. Exciting. Fun. For me the key to personal style lies in accessories. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-think-dressing-up-or-down-should-be-a-creative-experience-exciting/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) ## More by David Bowie > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. 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That's an illuminating little piece, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-think-the-first-song-i-ever-wrote-was-called-can-t-help-thinking/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I've come to the realizations that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing half the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-ve-come-to-the-realizations-that-i-have-absolutely-no-idea-what-i-m/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I never really felt like a rock singer or a rock star or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-never-really-felt-like-a-rock-singer-or-a-rock-star-or-whatever/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) [Explore all 508 David Bowie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## More Civil war quotes > [“Time overlaps itself. 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