--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cruelty must be whitewashed by a moral…" description: "\"Cruelty must be whitewashed by a moral excuse, and pretense of reluctance.\" — George Bernard Shaw" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal-cruelty_cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-e_1995863.png" --- # Cruelty must be whitewashed by a moral excuse, and… ![“Cruelty must be whitewashed by a moral excuse, and pretense of reluctance.” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal-cruelty_cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-e_1995863.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal-cruelty_cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-e_1995863.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal-cruelty_cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-e_1995863.png) > “Cruelty must be whitewashed by a moral excuse, and pretense of reluctance.” [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral rationalizations hide cruelty, making it socially acceptable. **In simple terms:** Excuses disguise cruelty. Key Takeaway Question motives behind moral justifications. Themes ethics hypocrisy social behavior Mood critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political rhetoric - media criticism - personal relationships Key Concepts moral philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What excuses do you accept? - How do you confront hidden cruelty? A Different Perspective Excuses can be persuasive, but may also be challenged. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-cruelty/) [Animal welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-welfare/) [Anti war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-war/) [Antiwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiwar/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Pretense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretense/) [Reluctance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reluctance/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Man's inhumanity to man is only surpassed by his cruelty to animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/man-s-inhumanity-to-man-is-only-surpassed-by-his-cruelty-to-animals/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Atrocities are not less atrocities when they occur in laboratories and are called medical research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/atrocities-are-not-less-atrocities-when-they-occur-in-laboratories/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I'm no shrinking violet. 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They know the public doesn't agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/the-tories-claim-that-they-have-changed-their-stance-on-foxhunting/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [Death and Famine and War and Pollution continued biking towards Tadfield. And Grievous Bodily Harm, Cruelty To Animals, Things Not Working Properly Even After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/death-and-famine-and-war-and-pollution-continued-biking-towards/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## More by George Bernard Shaw > [I love little children too but I don't cut off their heads and stick them in vases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-love-little-children-too-but-i-don-t-cut-off-their-heads-and-stick/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Blasphemy and sedition (meaning the truth about Church and State).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/blasphemy-and-sedition-meaning-the-truth-about-church-and-state/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-life-man-invents-nothing-but-in-the-arts-of-death-he/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“My religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative evolution. 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You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-are-my-inspiration-and-my-folly-you-are-my-light-across-the-sea/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Men have to do some awfully mean things to keep up their respectability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/men-have-to-do-some-awfully-mean-things-to-keep-up-their/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/as-long-as-i-have-a-want-i-have-a-reason-for-living-satisfaction-is/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The camera can represent flesh so superbly that, if I dared, I would never photograph a figure without asking that figure to take its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-camera-can-represent-flesh-so-superbly-that-if-i-dared-i-would/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [A man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still communist at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-man-who-is-not-a-communist-at-the-age-of-twenty-is-a-fool-any-man/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [But to admire a strong person and to live under that strong person’s thumb are two different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/but-to-admire-a-strong-person-and-to-live-under-that-strong-person-s/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Socialism is the same as Communism, only better English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/socialism-is-the-same-as-communism-only-better-english/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-person-who-is-ignorant-enough-to-believe-that-his-nourishment/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of peace Man is a bungler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-peace-man-is-a-bungler/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) [Explore all 1,640 George Bernard Shaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More Animal cruelty quotes > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. 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They know the public doesn't agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/the-tories-claim-that-they-have-changed-their-stance-on-foxhunting/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [One night I couldn't sleep and I was up and just Googling random stuff and I'm like, 'Hmmm, PETA.' I saw all the videos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellie-pickler/one-night-i-couldn-t-sleep-and-i-was-up-and-just-googling-random/) [Kellie Pickler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellie-pickler/) > [“One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and not be held responsible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/one-of-the-most-dangerous-things-that-can-happen-to-a-child-is-to/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I had bought two male chimps from a primate colony in Holland. They lived next to each other in separate cages for several months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiaan-barnard/i-had-bought-two-male-chimps-from-a-primate-colony-in-holland-they/) [Christiaan Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiaan-barnard/) > [“Organic production has a particular challenge since the ideology of organic production and the expectations from consumers include that the food is produced in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid-agen-s/organic-production-has-a-particular-challenge-since-the-ideology-of/) Sigrid Agenäs > [Let none count themselves wise who have not with the nerves of their imagination felt the pain of the vivisected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/let-none-count-themselves-wise-who-have-not-with-the-nerves-of-their/) [John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/) > [“This much is sure: as the humanemeconomy asserts its own power, it's own logic, and it's essential decency, an an older order is passing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-pacelle/this-much-is-sure-as-the-humanemeconomy-asserts-its-own-power-it-s/) [Wayne Pacelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-pacelle/) > [“New Rule: Stop leaving couches on the sidewalk. 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And I'm extremely competitive on a tennis court.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-burwash/i-m-no-shrinking-violet-i-played-hockey-until-half-my-teeth-were/) Peter Burwash > [All of us in society are supposed to believe that cruelty to animals is wrong and that it is a good thing to prevent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/all-of-us-in-society-are-supposed-to-believe-that-cruelty-to-animals/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [Animal cruelty is one of the most unfortunate and barbaric demonstrations of human beings manipulating ill conceived notions of ‘power’ over other species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/animal-cruelty-is-one-of-the-most-unfortunate-and-barbaric/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) [Browse all 145 Animal cruelty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-cruelty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Cruelty must be whitewashed by a moral excuse, and pretense of reluctance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Bernard Shaw" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-excuse-and-pretense-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal cruelty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-excuse-and-pretense-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal-cruelty_cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-e_1995863.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal-cruelty_cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-e_1995863.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal-cruelty_cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-e_1995863.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Cruelty must be whitewashed by a moral excuse, and pretense of reluctance.” — George Bernard Shaw", "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": "George Bernard Shaw", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Cruelty must be whitewashed by a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-excuse-and-pretense-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/cruelty-must-be-whitewashed-by-a-moral-excuse-and-pretense-of/#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 } } ] } ```