--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a sad and stupid thing to have to…" description: "\"It's a sad and stupid thing to have to proclaim yourself a revolutionary just to be a decent man.\" — David Harris" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/david-harris-80979_decent-man_it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-p_846535.jpg" --- # It's a sad and stupid thing to have to proclaim yourself a… ![“It's a sad and stupid thing to have to proclaim yourself a revolutionary just to be a decent man.” quote by David Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/david-harris-80979_decent-man_it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-p_846535.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/david-harris-80979_decent-man_it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-p_846535.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/david-harris-80979_decent-man_it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-p_846535.jpg) > “It's a sad and stupid thing to have to proclaim yourself a revolutionary just to be a decent man.” [David Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It critiques the need to label oneself as a revolutionary in order to act morally, suggesting integrity should be independent of grand titles. **In simple terms:** Being decent shouldn't require a revolutionary label. Key Takeaway Act with integrity without needing a label. Themes integrity identity morality politics Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical ethical social commentary When to use this quote - personal relationships - activism - leadership - social movements Key Concepts self‑definition ethical authenticity Questions to Reflect On - Do you act morally because of belief or because of a label? - How can one stay authentic without adopting grand titles? A Different Perspective Labels can obscure genuine intent and create performative activism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decent man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decent-man/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Proclaim Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proclaim-revolutionary-701801/) [Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary/) [Revolutionary Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary-just-701802/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) [Sad Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad-stupid-701803/) [Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid/) ## Related quotes > [“To be original, you don't need to be a prodigy or a revolutionary. You just need the mindset and will to challenge the default.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edify-me/to-be-original-you-don-t-need-to-be-a-prodigy-or-a-revolutionary-you/) [Edify.me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edify-me/) > [There's nothing more heart breaking then making your parents sad because of some stupid stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/there-s-nothing-more-heart-breaking-then-making-your-parents-sad/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Sometimes you need to learn to let go, it is much better to be hurt and sad for a while than to be stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-need-to-learn-to-let-go-it-is-much-better-to-be-hurt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm starting to realize that I never really loved you...Im fine without you. I was sad, you were there, I was stupid. It wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-starting-to-realize-that-i-never-really-loved-you-im-fine-without/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You occupied my space. But because you were not in my present, when I looked into my future I saw . . . nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/you-occupied-my-space-but-because-you-were-not-in-my-present-when-i/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [The Democrats are evil, and they crave power. They're willing to destroy any decent man or woman to attain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lee-peterson/the-democrats-are-evil-and-they-crave-power-they-re-willing-to/) [Jesse Lee Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lee-peterson/) > [Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/every-decent-man-is-ashamed-of-the-government-he-lives-under/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Donald Trump is way worse than George W. Bush. George W. Bush is a fundamentally decent man of limited intelligence who surrounded himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/donald-trump-is-way-worse-than-george-w-bush-george-w-bush-is-a/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [“So you love war. I used to think you were a decent man. But I see now I was mistaken. You're a hero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/so-you-love-war-i-used-to-think-you-were-a-decent-man-but-i-see-now-i/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“I was a coward and a slave. I say this without the slightest embarrassment. Every decent man of our age must be a coward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-was-a-coward-and-a-slave-i-say-this-without-the-slightest/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“But what can a decent man speak of with most pleasure? Answer: Of himself. Well,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-what-can-a-decent-man-speak-of-with-most-pleasure-answer-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [Everybody now seems to be talking about democracy. I don't understand this. As I think of it, democracy isn't like a Sunday suit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/everybody-now-seems-to-be-talking-about-democracy-i-don-t-understand/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [My dad died when I was young. He was a good and decent man. There are a few things he would say that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/my-dad-died-when-i-was-young-he-was-a-good-and-decent-man-there-are-a/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [“God preserve you, my dear boy, from ever asking forgiveness for a fault from a woman you love. From one you love especially, however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/god-preserve-you-my-dear-boy-from-ever-asking-forgiveness-for-a-fault/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [You weren't a decent man and you didn't do your best. We none of us were and none of us did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-weren-t-a-decent-man-and-you-didn-t-do-your-best-we-none-of-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by David Harris > [I can go a year before an oil change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harris/i-can-go-a-year-before-an-oil-change/) [David Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harris/) > [Civil rights are more important today than they ever have been in our country. There is so much divisiveness today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harris/civil-rights-are-more-important-today-than-they-ever-have-been-in-our/) [David Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harris/) [Explore all 3 David Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harris/) ## More Decent man quotes > [You weren't a decent man and you didn't do your best. We none of us were and none of us did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-weren-t-a-decent-man-and-you-didn-t-do-your-best-we-none-of-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God preserve you, my dear boy, from ever asking forgiveness for a fault from a woman you love. From one you love especially, however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/god-preserve-you-my-dear-boy-from-ever-asking-forgiveness-for-a-fault/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [My dad died when I was young. He was a good and decent man. There are a few things he would say that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/my-dad-died-when-i-was-young-he-was-a-good-and-decent-man-there-are-a/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [Everybody now seems to be talking about democracy. I don't understand this. As I think of it, democracy isn't like a Sunday suit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/everybody-now-seems-to-be-talking-about-democracy-i-don-t-understand/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“But what can a decent man speak of with most pleasure? Answer: Of himself. Well,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-what-can-a-decent-man-speak-of-with-most-pleasure-answer-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“I was a coward and a slave. I say this without the slightest embarrassment. Every decent man of our age must be a coward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-was-a-coward-and-a-slave-i-say-this-without-the-slightest/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“So you love war. I used to think you were a decent man. But I see now I was mistaken. You're a hero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/so-you-love-war-i-used-to-think-you-were-a-decent-man-but-i-see-now-i/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [Donald Trump is way worse than George W. Bush. George W. Bush is a fundamentally decent man of limited intelligence who surrounded himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/donald-trump-is-way-worse-than-george-w-bush-george-w-bush-is-a/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/every-decent-man-is-ashamed-of-the-government-he-lives-under/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The Democrats are evil, and they crave power. They're willing to destroy any decent man or woman to attain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lee-peterson/the-democrats-are-evil-and-they-crave-power-they-re-willing-to/) [Jesse Lee Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lee-peterson/) > [A cultivated and decent man cannot be vain without setting a fearfully high standard for himself, and without despising and almost hating himself at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-cultivated-and-decent-man-cannot-be-vain-without-setting-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He was an indecent man, I told myself - prayerfully - and then I prayed for him to become decent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/he-was-an-indecent-man-i-told-myself-prayerfully-and-then-i-prayed/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [I have known Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla for a long time. He is a good man. He is a decent man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-r-narayana-murthy/i-have-known-mr-kumar-mangalam-birla-for-a-long-time-he-is-a-good-man/) [N. R. Narayana Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-r-narayana-murthy/) > [Randy Edsall is a good, strong, decent man who is working his tail off on behalf of the University of Maryland. And there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-plank/randy-edsall-is-a-good-strong-decent-man-who-is-working-his-tail-off/) [Kevin Plank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-plank/) > [Has it ever struck you that trout bite best on the Sabbath? God's critters tempting decent men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-barrie/has-it-ever-struck-you-that-trout-bite-best-on-the-sabbath-god-s/) [James M. Barrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-barrie/) [Browse all 128 Decent man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decent-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a sad and stupid thing to have to proclaim yourself a revolutionary just to be a decent man.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Harris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harris/it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-proclaim-yourself-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decent man" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harris/it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-proclaim-yourself-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/david-harris-80979_decent-man_it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-p_846535.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/david-harris-80979_decent-man_it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-p_846535.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/david-harris-80979_decent-man_it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-p_846535.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's a sad and stupid thing to have to proclaim yourself a revolutionary just to be a decent man.” — David Harris", "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": "David Harris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's a sad and stupid thing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harris/it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-proclaim-yourself-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harris/it-s-a-sad-and-stupid-thing-to-have-to-proclaim-yourself-a/#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 } } ] } ```