--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must not permit our respect for the…" description: "\"We must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living.\" — Davy Cr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/davy-crockett-12646_balance_we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-d_516160.jpg" --- # We must not permit our respect for the dead or our… ![“We must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living.” quote by Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/davy-crockett-12646_balance_we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-d_516160.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/davy-crockett-12646_balance_we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-d_516160.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/davy-crockett-12646_balance_we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-d_516160.jpg) > “We must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living.” [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Respect for the dead and empathy for the living should not justify harming the living balance **In simple terms:** Do not let reverence or sympathy cause injustice to the living Key Takeaway Balance compassion with justice Themes ethics justice balance Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical reflective When to use this quote - policy making - community leadership - conflict resolution - environmental stewardship Key Concepts Moral philosophy social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you weigh past honor against current harm? - What safeguards prevent empathy from becoming bias? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on past may ignore present needs ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Sympathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sympathy/) ## Related quotes > [I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-do-know-that-for-the-sympathy-of-one-living-being-i-would-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“cloying your-best-friend’s-dead sympathy that will drive”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/cloying-your-best-friend-s-dead-sympathy-that-will-drive/) [Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/) > [I think if I were dying and I heard of an act of injustice, it would start me up to a moment's life again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-schreiner/i-think-if-i-were-dying-and-i-heard-of-an-act-of-injustice-it-would/) [Olive Schreiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-schreiner/) > [Whatever the human law may be, neither an individual nor a nation can commit the least act of injustice against the obscurest individual without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whatever-the-human-law-may-be-neither-an-individual-nor-a-nation-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“sympathy is but a living again through our own past in a new form,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/sympathy-is-but-a-living-again-through-our-own-past-in-a-new-form/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [... it is because sympathy is but a living again through our own past in a new form, that confession often prompts a response…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/it-is-because-sympathy-is-but-a-living-again-through-our-own-past-in/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [To cultivate sympathy you must be among living creatures, and thinking about them; and to cultivate admiration, you must be among beautiful things and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/to-cultivate-sympathy-you-must-be-among-living-creatures-and-thinking/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Character is made of duty and love and sympathy, and, above all, of living and working for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/character-is-made-of-duty-and-love-and-sympathy-and-above-all-of/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“Respect for the dead comes second to respect for the living, and I believe no man's demise exempts him from culpability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-loyd/respect-for-the-dead-comes-second-to-respect-for-the-living-and-i/) Anthony Loyd > [I believe in respect for the dead; in fact, I could only respect you if you WERE dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/i-believe-in-respect-for-the-dead-in-fact-i-could-only-respect-you-if/) [Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/) > [They've great respect for the dead in Hollywood, but none for the living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-flynn/they-ve-great-respect-for-the-dead-in-hollywood-but-none-for-the/) [Errol Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-flynn/) > [“The dead don't smile anymore. They don't feel joy or anger either. That's what dying means. If there are ghosts in the world... well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryohgo-narita/the-dead-don-t-smile-anymore-they-don-t-feel-joy-or-anger-either-that/) [Ryohgo Narita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryohgo-narita/) > [“You should respect death and respect the dead, not out of fear, but because it's the proper human thing to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-jokinen/you-should-respect-death-and-respect-the-dead-not-out-of-fear-but/) Tom Jokinen > [If we cannot come together to pause, to respect our dead and the heroic lives of meaning they led, then ours is truly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/if-we-cannot-come-together-to-pause-to-respect-our-dead-and-the/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Our respect for the dead, when they are just dead, is something wonderful, and the way we show it more wonderful still. We show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/our-respect-for-the-dead-when-they-are-just-dead-is-something/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## More by Davy Crockett > [You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/you-may-all-go-to-hell-and-i-will-go-to-texas/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [I voted against this Indian bill, and my conscience yet tells me that I gave a good, honest vote, and one that I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/i-voted-against-this-indian-bill-and-my-conscience-yet-tells-me-that/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [No man who has not tried it can imagine what dreadful hard work it is to listen. Splitting gum logs in the dog days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/no-man-who-has-not-tried-it-can-imagine-what-dreadful-hard-work-it-is/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [I want people to be able to get what they need to live: enough food, a place to live, and an education for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/i-want-people-to-be-able-to-get-what-they-need-to-live-enough-food-a/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [You can all go to heck; I will go to Texas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/you-can-all-go-to-heck-i-will-go-to-texas/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [Sorrow, it is said, will make even an oyster feel poetical. I never tried my hand at that sort of writing but on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/sorrow-it-is-said-will-make-even-an-oyster-feel-poetical-i-never/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [I would rather be politically dead than hypocritically immortalized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/i-would-rather-be-politically-dead-than-hypocritically-immortalized/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [You can go to hell -- I'm going to Texas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/you-can-go-to-hell-i-m-going-to-texas/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [“Know your right, then go ahead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/know-your-right-then-go-ahead/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [We have the right as individuals to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/we-have-the-right-as-individuals-to-give-away-as-much-of-our-own/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [It is quite possible that someone is insane and they think they have a chance. Not insane in the clinical sense, but they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/it-is-quite-possible-that-someone-is-insane-and-they-think-they-have/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [We must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for the living to lead us into an act of injustice to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-dead-or-our-sympathy-for-the-2/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [I now say that the oldest man living never heard of the president of a great nation to come down to open electioneering for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/i-now-say-that-the-oldest-man-living-never-heard-of-the-president-of/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [I gave my decisions on the principles of common justice and honesty between man and man, and relied on natural born sense, and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/i-gave-my-decisions-on-the-principles-of-common-justice-and-honesty/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [Although our great man at the head of the nation, has changed his course, I will not change mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/although-our-great-man-at-the-head-of-the-nation-has-changed-his/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) [Explore all 54 Davy Crockett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Davy Crockett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-dead-or-our-sympathy-for-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Balance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-dead-or-our-sympathy-for-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/davy-crockett-12646_balance_we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-d_516160.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/davy-crockett-12646_balance_we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-d_516160.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/davy-crockett-12646_balance_we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-d_516160.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for the living to lead us into an act of…” — Davy Crockett", "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": "Davy Crockett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We must not permit our respect...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-dead-or-our-sympathy-for-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/we-must-not-permit-our-respect-for-the-dead-or-our-sympathy-for-the/#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 } } ] } ```