--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes they threaten you with…" description: "\"Sometimes they threaten you with something - something you can't stand up to, can't even think about. And then you say, Don't do it to me, do it to som..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/george-orwell-57_care_sometimes-they-threaten-you-with-somethi_1637754.jpg" --- # Sometimes they threaten you with something - something you… ![“Sometimes they threaten you with something - something you can't stand up to, can't even think about. And then you say, Don't do it to me, do it to somebody else, do it to So-and-so. And perhaps you might pretend, afterwards, that it was only a trick and that you just said it to make them stop and…” quote by George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/george-orwell-57_care_sometimes-they-threaten-you-with-somethi_1637754.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/george-orwell-57_care_sometimes-they-threaten-you-with-somethi_1637754.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/george-orwell-57_care_sometimes-they-threaten-you-with-somethi_1637754.jpg) > “Sometimes they threaten you with something - something you can't stand up to, can't even think about. And then you say, Don't do it to me, do it to somebody else, do it to So-and-so. And perhaps you might pretend, afterwards, that it was only a trick and that you just said it to make them stop and didn't mean it. But that isn't true. At the time when it happens you do mean it. You think there's no other way of saving yourself, and you're quite ready to save yourself that way. You WANT it to happen to the other person. You don't give a damn what they suffer. All you care is yourself.” [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person rationalizes harming others to protect themselves, denying empathy and moral responsibility. **In simple terms:** Self‑preservation can become cruelty toward others. Key Takeaway Recognize and resist selfish rationalizations. Themes selfishness morality psychology Mood cynical reflective Type ethical psychological When to use this quote - personal conflict - workplace bullying - political propaganda - online harassment Key Concepts egoism cognitive dissonance dehumanization Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever justify harming others for self‑gain? - How can empathy be cultivated in high‑stress situations? A Different Perspective It ignores the long‑term social damage of such behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Save yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/save-yourself/) [Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving/) [Saving yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving-yourself/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I got a woman that's mean as she can be, sometimes I think she's almost as mean as me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-orbison/i-got-a-woman-that-s-mean-as-she-can-be-sometimes-i-think-she-s/) [Roy Orbison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-orbison/) > [By an object, I mean anything that we can think, i.e. anything we can talk about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/by-an-object-i-mean-anything-that-we-can-think-i-e-anything-we-can/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [“the world might not revolve around us but we always are complaining to people about themselves but when they complain in your head you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shyanne-peterson/the-world-might-not-revolve-around-us-but-we-always-are-complaining/) ShyAnne Peterson > [“She looked mean, but I think that was her natural resting face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-katt/she-looked-mean-but-i-think-that-was-her-natural-resting-face/) [Dinah Katt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-katt/) > [Humility does not mean to think yourself less, but to less think of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhakti-tirtha-swami/humility-does-not-mean-to-think-yourself-less-but-to-less-think-of/) Bhakti Tirtha Swami > [Humility does not mean you think less of yourself. 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