--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was an op-ed piece in The New York…" description: "\"There was an op-ed piece in The New York Times by an evolutionary biologist or somebody - which was a curious place for the opinion to come from - and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/david-byrne-1206_bad-thing_there-was-an-op-ed-piece-in-the-new-york_1297133.jpg" --- # There was an op-ed piece in The New York Times by an… ![“There was an op-ed piece in The New York Times by an evolutionary biologist or somebody - which was a curious place for the opinion to come from - and he said that there's no such thing as a completely free, uncensored medium, that people censor themselves all the time, in deference to hurting…” quote by David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/david-byrne-1206_bad-thing_there-was-an-op-ed-piece-in-the-new-york_1297133.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/david-byrne-1206_bad-thing_there-was-an-op-ed-piece-in-the-new-york_1297133.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/david-byrne-1206_bad-thing_there-was-an-op-ed-piece-in-the-new-york_1297133.jpg) > “There was an op-ed piece in The New York Times by an evolutionary biologist or somebody - which was a curious place for the opinion to come from - and he said that there's no such thing as a completely free, uncensored medium, that people censor themselves all the time, in deference to hurting other people's feelings, or offending other groups, or in their own, not to provoke a fight. And you do self-censor certain things, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. That's just the way human social interaction works.” [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human communication is always filtered by social norms and personal concerns, so complete freedom of expression is a myth. **In simple terms:** People always self‑censor to avoid hurting others. Key Takeaway Recognize and balance self‑censorship with honest dialogue. Themes communication social norms expression ethics Mood reflective thoughtful Type analytical observational When to use this quote - online discussion - workplace meetings - public speaking - creative writing Key Concepts self‑censorship social dynamics media theory Questions to Reflect On - When does self‑censorship protect versus hinder? - How can we foster open yet respectful dialogue? A Different Perspective Self‑censorship can suppress necessary truth or innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) [Biologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biologist/) [Censor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censor/) [Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) [Curious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curious/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Hurting others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurting-others/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Censor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-censor-1200255/) [People's Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peoples-feelings/) [Provoking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/provoking/) [Self Censor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-censor-1336242/) [Social interaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-interaction/) [Uncensored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncensored/) [Uncensored Medium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncensored-medium-4246496/) [York Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york-times/) ## Related quotes > [If you need help or advice, ask for it, but don't worry too much about hurting other people's feelings by not doing what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-gore/if-you-need-help-or-advice-ask-for-it-but-don-t-worry-too-much-about/) [Ariel Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-gore/) > [I believe in courtesy, the ritual by which we avoid hurting other people's feelings by satisfying our own egos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/i-believe-in-courtesy-the-ritual-by-which-we-avoid-hurting-other/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [Censorship makes me really angry. I even hate it when people censor themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-stone/censorship-makes-me-really-angry-i-even-hate-it-when-people-censor/) [Emma Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-stone/) > [When people censor themselves they're just as likely to get rid of the good bits as the bad bits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/when-people-censor-themselves-they-re-just-as-likely-to-get-rid-of/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [The more we oblige, the more we self-censor, the more we appease, the bolder the enemy gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/the-more-we-oblige-the-more-we-self-censor-the-more-we-appease-the/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [I'm sure even in America, where you have, like, free speech people self-censor themself. And it's not - it happens because of different reasons.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/i-m-sure-even-in-america-where-you-have-like-free-speech-people-self/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [ We \[americans\] self-regulate ourselves, we self-censor ourselves a lot in this country instead of having someone else censor us so we can blame them.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serj-tankian/we-americans-self-regulate-ourselves-we-self-censor-ourselves-a-lot/) [Serj Tankian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serj-tankian/) > [I do have a self-censor; everybody does, or at least most who are not pathological do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-do-have-a-self-censor-everybody-does-or-at-least-most-who-are-not/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I sort of have to self-censor sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judah-friedlander/i-sort-of-have-to-self-censor-sometimes/) [Judah Friedlander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judah-friedlander/) > [If I didn't self-censor, I would be in jail, and then I wouldn't be effective at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/if-i-didn-t-self-censor-i-would-be-in-jail-and-then-i-wouldn-t-be/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [Film is such a powerful medium. It's like a weapon and I think you have a duty to self-censor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/film-is-such-a-powerful-medium-it-s-like-a-weapon-and-i-think-you/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) > [What is occurring on college campuses is about power and control - speech is impeded as a last resort, used when people fail to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/what-is-occurring-on-college-campuses-is-about-power-and-control/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [Comedy clubs are arguably one of the last bastions of uncensored, public free speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-alexandro/comedy-clubs-are-arguably-one-of-the-last-bastions-of-uncensored/) [Ted Alexandro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-alexandro/) > [Michelle Rodriguez is like the most original person on the planet. She's so straight up, uncensored all the time. Be ready. I love her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-walker/michelle-rodriguez-is-like-the-most-original-person-on-the-planet-she/) [Paul Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-walker/) > [“FRUITS AND NUTS Keep jumping around them like monkeys. The clones, Commercialized zombies, And the TV junkies. Keep throwing berries, Twigs, And nuts at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/fruits-and-nuts-keep-jumping-around-them-like-monkeys-the-clones/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) ## More by David Byrne > [The voting booth joint is a great leveler; the whole neighborhood - rich, poor, old, young, decrepit and spunky - they all turn out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/the-voting-booth-joint-is-a-great-leveler-the-whole-neighborhood-rich/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I remember talking with Arcade Fire after their first record, when they were getting all kinds of offers from major labels, and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-remember-talking-with-arcade-fire-after-their-first-record-when/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I ride my bike almost every day here in New York. It's getting safer to do so, but I do have to be fairly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-ride-my-bike-almost-every-day-here-in-new-york-it-s-getting-safer/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I've been asking myself: 'Why put together these things - CDs, albums?' The answer I came up with is, well, sometimes it's artistically viable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-ve-been-asking-myself-why-put-together-these-things-cds-albums-the/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“All that interconnectedness that facilitated much of the explosion of megawealth over the last decade also facilitated the interpenetration of everything, so no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/all-that-interconnectedness-that-facilitated-much-of-the-explosion-of/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I think sometimes - not always - I write songs that are accessible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-think-sometimes-not-always-i-write-songs-that-are-accessible/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“I pick up a copy of Newsweek on the plane and immediately notice how biased, slanted, and opinionated all the U.S. newsmagazine articles are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-pick-up-a-copy-of-newsweek-on-the-plane-and-immediately-notice-how/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [When you fall in love, you feel like a missing piece of a puzzle that's been found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/when-you-fall-in-love-you-feel-like-a-missing-piece-of-a-puzzle-that/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I wave to the double-decker buses from my bike, but the passengers never wave back. Why? Am I not an attraction?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-wave-to-the-double-decker-buses-from-my-bike-but-the-passengers/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [Technology has altered the way music sounds, how it’s composed and how we experience it. It has also flooded the world with music. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/technology-has-altered-the-way-music-sounds-how-it-s-composed-and-how/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [A lot of that worked itself out in the recording.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/a-lot-of-that-worked-itself-out-in-the-recording/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I came to New York to be a fine artist - that was my ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-came-to-new-york-to-be-a-fine-artist-that-was-my-ambition/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [Sometimes the European and North American public like some things to be exotic and kept at arm's length. They don't want sometimes to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/sometimes-the-european-and-north-american-public-like-some-things-to/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [Why not invest in the future of music, instead of building fortresses to preserve its past?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/why-not-invest-in-the-future-of-music-instead-of-building-fortresses/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) [Explore all 274 David Byrne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. Don't be hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-williams-garcia/dear-delphine-when-you-are-older-i-want-you-to-find-chinua-achebe-i/) [Rita Williams-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-williams-garcia/) > [Lobbying is not a bad thing. I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't have lobbyists or we shouldn't have lobbying to petition our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/lobbying-is-not-a-bad-thing-i-m-not-trying-to-say-that-we-shouldn-t/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [In life, we don't know why things happen. I believe God is not responsible for the bad things that happen to you. Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) [Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There was an op-ed piece in The New York Times by an evolutionary biologist or somebody - which was a curious place for the opinion to come from - and he said that there's no such thing as a completely free, uncensored medium, that people censor themselves all the time, in deference to hurting other people's feelings, or offending other groups, or in their own, not to provoke a fight. And you do self-censor certain things, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. 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