---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you demonize a person's pleasure, then…"
description: "\"“If you demonize a person's pleasure, then you can control his or her life.”\" — David Levithan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/david-levithan-67_life_if-you-demonize-a-person-s-pleasure-then_1293644.jpg"
---

#  If you demonize a person's pleasure, then you can control…

![“If you demonize a person's pleasure, then you can control his or her life.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/david-levithan-67_life_if-you-demonize-a-person-s-pleasure-then_1293644.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/david-levithan-67_life_if-you-demonize-a-person-s-pleasure-then_1293644.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/david-levithan-67_life_if-you-demonize-a-person-s-pleasure-then_1293644.jpg)

> ““If you demonize a person's pleasure, then you can control his or her life.””

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Demonizing pleasure is a control tactic that strips autonomy and manipulates behavior.

**In simple terms:** Control via shaming joy.

Key Takeaway

Protect personal freedom from moral policing.

Themes

control pleasure autonomy manipulation

Mood

defiant thoughtful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- parenting
- political rhetoric
- marketing campaigns

Key Concepts

psychology social influence ethical boundaries

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you reclaim joy without guilt?
- What strategies resist pleasure-based control?

A Different Perspective

Opposition may be labeled immoral.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Control Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-life/) [Demonize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demonize/) [Demonize Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demonize-person-929321/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Person Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-pleasure-1831929/) [Pleasure Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-control-929322/)

## Related quotes

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> [ If you are a \[Hillary\] Clinton supporter if you have friends who voted for \[Donald\] Trump it's harder to demonize that person. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/if-you-are-a-hillary-clinton-supporter-if-you-have-friends-who-voted/)

[Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/)

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> [As a person, I take pleasure in receiving and sharing. As a perfumer, I like showing and convincing… I'm quite simply following the trajectory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-ellena/as-a-person-i-take-pleasure-in-receiving-and-sharing-as-a-perfumer-i/)

[Jean-Claude Ellena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-ellena/)

> [The pleasure isn't in owning the person. The pleasure is this. Having another contender in the room with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-pleasure-isn-t-in-owning-the-person-the-pleasure-is-this-having/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [“What is another person's pleasure is another's poison.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/what-is-another-person-s-pleasure-is-another-s-poison/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [What is one person's pleasure is another's poison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/what-is-one-person-s-pleasure-is-another-s-poison/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [I think we'd be cutting off our hand to spite our face if we demonize private health care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dido-harding/i-think-we-d-be-cutting-off-our-hand-to-spite-our-face-if-we-demonize/)

[Dido Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dido-harding/)

> [It's easy to demonize from a distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/it-s-easy-to-demonize-from-a-distance/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [“...people demonize certain types of crime - it's a way of distancing ourselves from the monsters...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/people-demonize-certain-types-of-crime-it-s-a-way-of-distancing/)

[John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/)

> [I think we must never, ever demonize one another. That's true not just black people to black people; that's human being to human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-think-we-must-never-ever-demonize-one-another-that-s-true-not-just/)

[Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/)

> [There are some members of the House leadership whose only mission in life is to demonize the president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/there-are-some-members-of-the-house-leadership-whose-only-mission-in/)

[John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/)

> [People demonize me; people idolize me; everything I say and do has been scrutinized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/people-demonize-me-people-idolize-me-everything-i-say-and-do-has-been/)

[Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/)

> [I know the media likes to personalize political debates, and I know the government will demonize me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-know-the-media-likes-to-personalize-political-debates-and-i-know/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

## More by David Levithan

> [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/)

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> [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/)

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> [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/)

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> [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. So give it a shot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/patrick-is-she-worth-the-trouble-cameron-i-thought-she-was-patrick/)

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[Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

## More Demonize quotes

> [I know the media likes to personalize political debates, and I know the government will demonize me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-know-the-media-likes-to-personalize-political-debates-and-i-know/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

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> [There are some members of the House leadership whose only mission in life is to demonize the president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/there-are-some-members-of-the-house-leadership-whose-only-mission-in/)

[John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/)

> [I think we must never, ever demonize one another. That's true not just black people to black people; that's human being to human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-think-we-must-never-ever-demonize-one-another-that-s-true-not-just/)

[Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/)

> [“...people demonize certain types of crime - it's a way of distancing ourselves from the monsters...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/people-demonize-certain-types-of-crime-it-s-a-way-of-distancing/)

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> [It's easy to demonize from a distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/it-s-easy-to-demonize-from-a-distance/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I think we'd be cutting off our hand to spite our face if we demonize private health care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dido-harding/i-think-we-d-be-cutting-off-our-hand-to-spite-our-face-if-we-demonize/)

[Dido Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dido-harding/)

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[Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/)

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[Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/)

> [We demonize our enemies at our own peril.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maurer/we-demonize-our-enemies-at-our-own-peril/)

[Peter Maurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-maurer/)

> [It's so easy to begin to demonize someone you think is so far removed and as the demonization begins to expand, it ends up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/it-s-so-easy-to-begin-to-demonize-someone-you-think-is-so-far-removed/)

[Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/)

> [We ought not to demonize a single gang member, and we ought not to romanticize a single gang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-boyle/we-ought-not-to-demonize-a-single-gang-member-and-we-ought-not-to/)

[Greg Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-boyle/)

> [We take one group of people and we demonize them. Trying to turn people against our Muslim friend and neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/we-take-one-group-of-people-and-we-demonize-them-trying-to-turn/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

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[R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/)

> [I don't agree with those who demonize or vilify the FBI.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cohen/i-don-t-agree-with-those-who-demonize-or-vilify-the-fbi/)

[Michael Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cohen/)

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