--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't defend the indefensible…" description: "\"You can't defend the indefensible - anything you say sounds self-serving and hypocritical.\" — Diane Abbott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/diane-abbott-16556_hypocritical_you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anythi_2173113.png" --- # You can't defend the indefensible - anything you say… ![“You can't defend the indefensible - anything you say sounds self-serving and hypocritical.” quote by Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/diane-abbott-16556_hypocritical_you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anythi_2173113.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/diane-abbott-16556_hypocritical_you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anythi_2173113.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/diane-abbott-16556_hypocritical_you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anythi_2173113.png) > “You can't defend the indefensible - anything you say sounds self-serving and hypocritical.” [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Defending a flawed stance leads to accusations of selfishness and hypocrisy. **In simple terms:** Defending indefensible ideas invites criticism. Key Takeaway Avoid defending clearly indefensible positions. Themes politics ethics defense Mood critical defensive Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - media interviews - social media discourse - campaign speeches Key Concepts moral reasoning public perception Questions to Reflect On - When is it worth defending a weak position? - How to address perceived hypocrisy? A Different Perspective Sometimes necessary to argue for dialogue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defend Indefensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend-indefensible-2433531/) [Hypocritical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocritical/) [Indefensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indefensible-416655/) [Indefensible Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indefensible-say-4661899/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self serving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-serving/) [Serving Hypocritical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving-hypocritical-4661900/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) ## Related quotes > [“To defend the indefensible, George Orwell once observed, political figures employ language that consists largely of “euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-cashill/to-defend-the-indefensible-george-orwell-once-observed-political/) [Jack Cashill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-cashill/) > [The myth of the self-made man, has to be profoundly hypocritical: it is the self-serving demonstration that a lie is the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/the-myth-of-the-self-made-man-has-to-be-profoundly-hypocritical-it-is/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [Property in land is as indefensible as property in man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-george/property-in-land-is-as-indefensible-as-property-in-man/) [Henry George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-george/) > [“I suspect that on some level, life is a matter of indefensible loyalties.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-slouka/i-suspect-that-on-some-level-life-is-a-matter-of-indefensible/) [Mark Slouka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-slouka/) > [War is indefensible on every grounds, military and economic and diplomatic and also on moral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-military-and-economic-and/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [I believe that the arts of a culture are terribly important and yet almost indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakin-matthews/i-believe-that-the-arts-of-a-culture-are-terribly-important-and-yet/) [Dakin Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakin-matthews/) > [Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-owen/every-journalist-who-is-not-too-stupid-or-too-full-of-himself-to-2/) [Clive Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-owen/) > [Public school system status quo is indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/public-school-system-status-quo-is-indefensible/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“separation of church from mission is theologically indefensible. More”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesslie-newbigin/separation-of-church-from-mission-is-theologically-indefensible-more/) [Lesslie Newbigin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesslie-newbigin/) > [In our time political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-our-time-political-speech-and-writing-are-largely-the-defense-of-3/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [The Oxford manner is, alas, indefinable; I was going to say indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i-was-going-to-say-indefensible/) [Robert Baldwin Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baldwin-ross/) > [My personal opinion is that life begins at the point of conception, and abortion is morally indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/my-personal-opinion-is-that-life-begins-at-the-point-of-conception/) [Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/) > [Documentary makers use other people's lives as their raw material, and that is morally indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/documentary-makers-use-other-people-s-lives-as-their-raw-material-and/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I made a big mistake. It is indefensible and I am sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-made-a-big-mistake-it-is-indefensible-and-i-am-sorry/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [“The truth about life is complicated, indefensible and embarrassing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-weinle/the-truth-about-life-is-complicated-indefensible-and-embarrassing/) [Alex Weinle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-weinle/) ## More by Diane Abbott > [It is time Britain put its trust back into the Labour Party. I believe I am the candidate that can make this happen precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/it-is-time-britain-put-its-trust-back-into-the-labour-party-i-believe/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [I believe every abortion is a tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/i-believe-every-abortion-is-a-tragedy/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [The honest truth is that if this government were to propose the massacre of the first-born, it would still have no difficulty in getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/the-honest-truth-is-that-if-this-government-were-to-propose-the/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [I was a postman one Christmas and I developed a morbid fear of dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/i-was-a-postman-one-christmas-and-i-developed-a-morbid-fear-of-dogs/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Let's talk about the real issues of crime which people are worried about. What people are worried about is the rise in violent crime.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/let-s-talk-about-the-real-issues-of-crime-which-people-are-worried/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [I wanted my marriage to work, but it didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/i-wanted-my-marriage-to-work-but-it-didn-t/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Mental health is often missing from public health debates even though it's critical to wellbeing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/mental-health-is-often-missing-from-public-health-debates-even-though/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [White people love playing 'divide & rule'. We should not play their game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/white-people-love-playing-divide-rule-we-should-not-play-their-game/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [In politics, the people I most despise are those who have no values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/in-politics-the-people-i-most-despise-are-those-who-have-no-values/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [I want a Labour Party that is more democratic, more open and listens to its members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/i-want-a-labour-party-that-is-more-democratic-more-open-and-listens/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Tackling childhood obesity is key.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/tackling-childhood-obesity-is-key/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [I don't think you can have pain and soul-searching doing the right thing for your child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/i-don-t-think-you-can-have-pain-and-soul-searching-doing-the-right/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Gun crime is a major cause of fear and distress throughout the UK. The problem is deeply entrenched in a wide range of social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/gun-crime-is-a-major-cause-of-fear-and-distress-throughout-the-uk-the/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Being an MP is a good job, the sort of job all working-class parents want for their children -- clean, indoors and no heavy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/being-an-mp-is-a-good-job-the-sort-of-job-all-working-class-parents/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [My father was a manual worker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/my-father-was-a-manual-worker/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) [Explore all 39 Diane Abbott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) ## More Hypocritical quotes > [When we look at the love of Christ, we make a wonderful discovery. Love is more a decision than an emotion! Christ-like love applauds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/when-we-look-at-the-love-of-christ-we-make-a-wonderful-discovery-love/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“There is no one as hypocritical as a man who massacred a tree in one place and cooled in the shadow of a tree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/there-is-no-one-as-hypocritical-as-a-man-who-massacred-a-tree-in-one/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Speaking generally, men are ungrateful, fickle, hypocritical, fearful odanger and covetous ogain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/speaking-generally-men-are-ungrateful-fickle-hypocritical-fearful/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [The world, and the great and free United States in particular, is full of narrow-minded, ignorant, moronic, bigoted, cowardly, self-righteous, anemic, pig-headed, stupid, puritanical,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-world-and-the-great-and-free-united-states-in-particular-is-full/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [Charlotte slammed the paper down onto her desk with an exclamation of rage. “Aloysius Starkweather is the most stubborn, hypocritical, obstinate, degenerate—” She broke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/charlotte-slammed-the-paper-down-onto-her-desk-with-an-exclamation-of/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [If we have no zeal for the glory of God our mercy must be superficial, man-centred human improvement with no eternal significance. And if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/if-we-have-no-zeal-for-the-glory-of-god-our-mercy-must-be-superficial/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Early in life, I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose honest arrogance and have seen no occasion to change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/early-in-life-i-had-to-choose-between-honest-arrogance-and/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [People might think I am hypocritical because clearly my batting gave me an opportunity, certainly in the one-day team. I still always placed most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gilchrist/people-might-think-i-am-hypocritical-because-clearly-my-batting-gave/) [Adam Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gilchrist/) > [I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ; I therefore hatethe corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial, and hypocritical Christianity of this land.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-love-the-pure-peaceable-and-impartial-christianity-of-christ-i/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Purity of action guided Janis's behavior. If she was going to be good, she was very, very good. If she was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-joplin/purity-of-action-guided-janis-s-behavior-if-she-was-going-to-be-good/) [Laura Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-joplin/) > [I have no faith in our hypocritical, false, hysterical, uneducated and lazy intelligentsia when they suffer and complain: their oppression comes from within. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/i-have-no-faith-in-our-hypocritical-false-hysterical-uneducated-and/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Those who claim to be closest to God are furthest from Heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navonne-johns/those-who-claim-to-be-closest-to-god-are-furthest-from-heaven/) [Navonne Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/navonne-johns/) > [A man working for wages his whole life is not really free. That is why Jefferson said, you have to own land. Southerners said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-foner/a-man-working-for-wages-his-whole-life-is-not-really-free-that-is-why/) [Eric Foner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-foner/) > [“We preach FREEDOM, not silenced slavery. Stop being a hypocritical element. Do to others what you can accept yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olawale-daniel/we-preach-freedom-not-silenced-slavery-stop-being-a-hypocritical/) [Olawale Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olawale-daniel/) > [Millions of men give all their energies, as well as their very souls, for the acquisition of gold. And this will continue as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/millions-of-men-give-all-their-energies-as-well-as-their-very-souls/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) [Browse all 235 Hypocritical quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocritical/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't defend the indefensible - anything you say sounds self-serving and hypocritical.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Diane Abbott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anything-you-say-sounds-self/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hypocritical" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anything-you-say-sounds-self/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/diane-abbott-16556_hypocritical_you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anythi_2173113.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/diane-abbott-16556_hypocritical_you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anythi_2173113.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/diane-abbott-16556_hypocritical_you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anythi_2173113.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't defend the indefensible - anything you say sounds self-serving and hypocritical.” — Diane Abbott", "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": "Diane Abbott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't defend the indefensible -...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anything-you-say-sounds-self/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anything-you-say-sounds-self/#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 } } ] } ```